WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE?

This is a complicated question; who is responsible for climate change, and who needs to fix it?

Climate change is happening. It has always changed, it's the way the Earth works. But, the controversy around whether humans have sped up the process or not is what people in powerful places still argue about.

In this video by the YouTube channel, Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, the team delves into the history of humanity's impact on the climate. They go all the way back to the Industrial Revolution and explain the influence that countries around the globe have had on the environment.

Over 1.5 trillion tons of carbon dioxide has been released into the Earth's atmosphere since industries started burning coal. Frighteningly, in 2009, we were still pumping roughly 37 billion tons globally. That's a 50% increase since the turn of the century, and three times more than 50 years ago.

With other greenhouse gasses, such as methane and nitrous oxide, humans are releasing an unsustainable 51 billion tons of poison into the air. This is warming up our world.

But, who is to blame, and who should fix it?

Developed nations historically were the instigators, but recently, it's the developing world that is the culprit. Unfortunately, without industries, these countries will never reach 'developed' status.

The solution is to find alternative methods to power cities, and for developed nations to financially support both developing and third-world countries to achieve carbon-free growth. Otherwise, global warming is going to create havoc.

To find out more about the evolution of pollution, with researched facts and figures, presented using an incredible animation, then smash play on the Kurzgesagt video below.