Other forms of pollution also cause climate change
It's not just CO2 that's affecting the planet; all forms of pollution impact the planets overall health and climate. Deforestation, trash dumping in the ocean, and more all contribute to climate change. The pollution and the efforts to counteract it are both because of humans.
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The Argument
CO2 emissions aren’t the only thing impacting the overall health of the planet and its climate. The term global warming is generally used interchangeably with climate change due to global warming being a direct effect of climate change.
The increase in temperature has been causing the polar ice caps to melt. Sea levels are also rising due to this. The greatest concern is what’ll happen to the planet when the temperature only continues to increase.
The last time the earth saw such an occurrence was 55.5 million years ago in what was called the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM).[1] This event caused the global climate to change by 7-8 degrees Celsius, a 12 to 15 degree increase in Fahrenheit.
In comparison, the earth's current change of about 2 degrees doesn't seem like much, but the problem is the pace at which the change is happening. The PETM took 20,000-50,000 years to happen. The current change has only taken about 100 years. At this rate of change, the planet will match the PETM in 700-800 years or less.[2]
It might not seem like much, but it’s 28-62 times faster than the PETM, a naturally occurring event. It took the PETM 150,000-200,000 years to cool back down into normal temperatures. Even if people could speed up the process in comparison, it would still take 3,225–5,357 years.[3]
The current changes are in response to the pollution affecting the planet. Pollution like trash, chemicals, deforestation; waste which are all generated by humans.
Counter arguments
People seem to focus on the bad rather than the good that occurs in the world. With the heavy focus on climate change and pollution, people forget that there are others constantly and actively working against these problems.
Work to circumvent climate change has been going on ever since its discovery in 1896, and it's never stopped. While humans are usually blamed for the major changes, it's because they are looking for something physical to blame. Mother Nature is a force, not a being. Not all these problems are caused by humans though.[4] The last ice age ended only 11,700 years ago, it's clear that that the planet's climate moves in cycles.
It seems unfair because it’s not possible to control mother nature, and that leaves people scared. However, all we can do is react to the changes the best we can.
Proponents
Premises
[P1] Climate change has happened before but not at the speed seen today
[P2] It's a natural occurrence but one that takes millions of years, not hundreds
Rejecting the premises
[RP1] As a natural occurrence, Mother Nature is also to blame for the current changes in climate
References
- https://www.e-education.psu.edu/earth103/node/639
- https://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150914-when-global-warming-made-our-world-super-hot
- https://www.palaeontologyonline.com/articles/2011/the-paleocene-eocene-thermal-maximum/?doing_wp_cron=1602995927.5284581184387207031250
- https://web.richmond.k12.va.us/Portals/47/assets/pdfs/naturalevents310.pdf