The effect of humans and industry on climate change

With an extraordinarily cold winter on the entire east coast of the United States this year, it is easy to assume that climate change is a hoax. Despite denial and deliberate avoidance of the "global warming" issue, humans have made a significant impact on the world's climate. For thousands of years humans have been negatively impacting the earth with agriculture and the cutting and burning of forests. The negative effects on temperature, ice caps, and sea level are especially pronounced from the 18th century to today. Since the Industrial Revolution, the mass production and consumption of goods and fuel has caused a sharp increase in greenhouse gasses causing detrimental effects on our climate.
Overwhelming evidence suggests that the human species has been altering our environment, and in turn our climate, for over 8000 years. Levels of carbon dioxide were on a natural state of decline from 10,500 until 8,000 years ago. When the transition was made from hunter-gatherer methods to large scale agricultural dependence, the amount of greenhouse gasses being released in the atmosphere increased. Carbon dioxide levels in particular, began to increase during times of mass farming from 40 parts per million to a preindustrial high of 280 parts per million. Methane, emitted from livestock and irrigation for rice farming, increased by a total of 250 parts per billion during the last 5000 years . In the same years forests were being cut and burned in India, China, and Europe, which can also release large amounts of carbon dioxide. Detrimental effects by humans on our surroundings have been revealed as early as the late-1800s. George Perkins Marsh gave a warning of agriculture and industry changing the "hygrometric, thermometric, electric, an...

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...nd soon after began to making way to campaigns of political parties. In 2010, only 28% of people polled in the United States said that they care a “great deal” about climate change. A divide between political parties still exists in the US with regard to climate change and the amount that humans actually affect the environment.
While humans have had an effect on our environment for thousands of years, our post-industrial lifestyles have accelerated the impact significantly. Our history shows that our Earth and humans are interconnected and both have the ability to destruct the other. The data contributing to the climate change debate that continues today is clear and undeniable. If we continue to use our resources in the same way as we have done for the last several decades, will undoubtedly run out of resources and cause further irreversible damage to the planet.