Deforestation for Agriculture
Humanity started to cut down the forests which remove CO2 from the atmosphere and also to burn the forests which puts CO3 into the atmosphere.
Steam Engine
James Watts improved the steam engine which increased the use of coal to run it.
Steam powered locomotive
The steam powered locomotive hastened the shipping of goods but also increased the burning of coal.
Joseph Fourier
French physicist Joseph Fourier first described the Earth's natural "greenhouse effect," explaining how the atmosphere traps heat and regulates the planet's temperature. This laid the foundation for future climate science research.
Oil Drilling
Edwin Drake drilled the first successful oil well in Pennsylvania, leading to the commercial extraction of oil.
CO2 Traps Atmospheric Heat
In 1859, Irish physicist John Tyndall discovered that some gases, including carbon dioxide and water vapor, could trap heat in the atmosphere. This finding was crucial in understanding the mechanisms behind the greenhouse effect.
Internal Combustion Engine
The invention of the internal combustion engine by Gottlieb Daimler, which ran on gasoline, further increased oil demand.
Svante Arrhenius
Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius made a groundbreaking prediction that changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could substantially alter the surface temperature through the greenhouse effect. This was one of the first scientific connections between human activities and potential climate change.
Ford Model T
The introduction of the Ford Model T made cars accessible to the masses, increasing gasoline consumption. The 20th century saw a massive increase in the number of automobiles, which became a significant source of CO2 emissions.
Global Warming Confirmed
In 1938, Guy Callendar, an amateur scientist, made history by discovering that the planet had warmed. He collected data from 147 weather stations worldwide and calculated that global temperatures had risen by 0.3°C over the previous 50 years. Callendar argued that carbon dioxide emissions from industry were responsible for this warming, although his findings were largely ignored by the scientific community at the time.
Nitrous Oxide Pollution
The first commercial chemical fertilizer plant opened, contributing to nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.
Post-WW2 Suburbanization
Post-World War II economic boom led to the suburbanization of America, with more families owning cars and commuting longer distances.
CO2 Theory of Climate Change Proposed
In 1956, Gilbert Plass formulated the Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climate Change, further solidifying the link between CO2 and global warming.
Deforestation
This decade marked the beginning of mass deforestation, as colonists started establishing farms within the forest. Poor soil conditions and unsustainable farming practices led to continuous clearing of new lands.
Predicting Climate Change from CO2
Syukuro Manabe and Richard Wetherald produced the world's first accurate computer model of Earth's climate. Their model predicted that doubling CO2 concentrations could raise global temperatures by 2°C, a prediction that aligns well with modern assessments.
Highway Replacing Forest
Deforestation escalated significantly after the construction of highways that penetrated deep into the forest. A crucial example is the Trans-Amazonian Highway, built in 1972, which opened up previously inaccessible areas.