Dear Editor,
Re: [Painful Truth, Langley Advance, Jan. 31, 2019]: Is human activity the cause of climate change?
Of course, we human polluters, even by breathing contribute to the CO2 which fortunately so far has minimally affected the atmosphere.
However, we are not the “cause” of climate change. Almost all of the energy that affects the the climate comes from the sun. This energy is not constant and causes changes in climate.
Earth’s orbit moves closer and farther which results in warming and cooling. Earth rotates on an axis which leans and changes with time creating warmer summers and colder winters. Ocean currents influence climate. Plate tectonic movement cause volcanic activity which throws gases and dust particles into the atmosphere. When any of these factors change, they affect the others.
Also of the three greenhouse gases, CO2, methane and water vapour the latter has the largest impact because there is more of it.
So no, humans are not the “cause” of climate change. But with the increasing world population, industry and major polluters such as China which burns more coal than the rest of the world combined, it’s best to be educated on climate change than led.
Cherryl Katnich, Maple Ridge