Rise in average global temperature since 1850

These emissions and temperature rise differs from previous eras when our energy use was much less and more sustainable. Then carbon was taken up by biomass, animals and humans to build their tissues and when these died, the organic matter was often secreted beneath sediment which gradually heated up and formed the fossil fuels we are exploiting today

Energy usage

Our usage of energy is still increasing both individually and collectively for reasons which include –

• increased mobility such as living in one town and working in another
• living and working in buildings which may be heated in winter and cooled in summer
• possessing more energy using products such as washing machines, TVs and mobile phones
• globalisation in which products are manufactured in one country and sold in other countries
• increase in tourism