In the previous paragraphs we understood what the greenhouse effect is and what its main consequences are, but why has it become such an important problem?

To answer this question, we need to go back in time.

As mentioned above, the greenhouse effect is a phenomenon that has developed over millennia, when greenhouse gases began to accumulate in the earth's atmosphere, initially, and for several thousand years, this phenomenon was fundamental for the development of life on our planet. Indeed, without it, the temperature of the Earth would be so low as not to allow the life of mankind and other living beings.

In the beginning, therefore, the greenhouse effect was of vital importance, but subsequently everything changed. The turning point was the industrial revolution, between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the first industrial machinery, powered by fossil fuels, were invented and the first factories were born, from this moment the evolution of these new technologies grew exponentially. . In a short time, chemicals, oil, electricity, cars and industries were introduced into everyday life. This is the exact moment when the greenhouse effect went from being a very important resource for life to being a danger to the health of living beings.

The industries grew dramatically, and consequently the emissions of exhaust gases into the atmosphere, within a few centuries the concentration of gases increased dramatically, thickening more and more the famous gas barrier that "traps" heat on the Earth .

In this graph we can see how the concentration of greenhouse gases has changed over the last 2000 years.

As if that weren't enough, in addition to introducing more and more gas into our atmosphere, another phenomenon of equal importance has begun with industrialization: deforestation.

But what do forests have to do with the greenhouse effect? ​​

Plants have the extraordinary ability to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air, this process is part of their breathing, in practice they function like lungs in reverse for our planet. Initially, the atmosphere of the Earth was not supplied with oxygen, but with the formation of plants and their breathing system, over thousands and thousands of years oxygen became abundant in the atmosphere, thus allowing the development of other forms of life like animals, insects and finally man, without plants we would not exist.

Now that we have given a very quick overview of the importance of plants and their connection with the greenhouse effect, it should be easy to understand why deforestation is a very, very serious problem. By cutting down hectares and hectares of forests, we seriously compromise the absorption of carbon dioxide by them, and we increasingly increase the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere.

In this image we can clearly see the phenomenon of deforestation.

So not only are we emitting a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gases, but we're also preventing some of these gases from being absorbed and neutralized by our green allies.

It seems absurd and against all logic, but unfortunately it is true, we are poisoning ourselves and as if that were not enough we are destroying a possible antidote.

So what can we do to mitigate this process and push ourselves towards a less polluted future?

In the next part we will talk about what big industries and governments could and should do, and we will focus on the little things that each of us can do in everyday life to reduce the environmental impact.