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The red lines and symbols represent the monthly mean values, centred on the middle of each month.
The black lines and symbols represent the same, after correction for the average seasonal cycle.

History of atmospheric carbon dioxide from 800,000 years ago until 2021:

https://youtu.be/Mr84tEbCQSg

Deforestation

Forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Cutting down forests to create farms
or pastures or for wood production means that carbon dioxide builds up quicker since there are no
trees to absorb it. Moreover, when burned, trees release the carbon they stored.

Agriculture
Growing crops and rearing animals releases many different types of greenhouse gases into the air. For
example, animals produce methane, which is 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a
greenhouse gas. The nitrous oxide used for fertilisers is ten times worse than methane and is nearly
300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Cement

Producing cement is another contributor to climate change, causing 2-5% of our entire carbon dioxide
emissions.

5. What are the impacts of climate change

Human activity – from releasing greenhouse gases and aerosols into the atmosphere, to changing the
use of land – is the main driver of climate change.

Changes in Earth's climate have different effects in different areas of the world. Some places will warm
much more than others, some regions will receive more rainfall, while others are exposed to more
frequent droughts. Regional changes in temperature and precipitation are having impacts on people,
natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and the economy.

Climate change impact people around the world in different ways. The level of impact depends on the
climate of the area and the wealth of the country. Climate change is causing many extreme weather
events to become more intense and frequent, such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, hurricanes, winter
storms, and coastal storm surges. Extreme weather can be highly destructive and life-threatening.
Climate change effects are 'stress multipliers', which means that they often make existing problems
more severe.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the

information contained therein.