The climate is increasingly in dire straits. Most energy sources are still fossil-fuel based, and in recent years climate disasters have become increasingly common and severe. To best understand the current state of the climate and how we got here, let’s examine (1) a history of how humans have changed the Earth’s climate, (2) the current state of our climate and environment, and (3) what needs to happen to avoid an irreversible climate catastrophe. For a deeper look at our climate’s past, present, and future, please see the following links:
Big Picture: Major Uses of Energy
In your path toward doing what you can to “go green”, it is important to keep the “big picture” in mind. Working on the big ticket items will make the biggest difference in getting to netzero emissions per year. The figure below is United States 2021 Greenhouse Emissions (from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)).
