Since the start of the industrial era (about 1750), the overall effect of human activities on climate has been a warming influence. The human impact on climate during this era greatly exceeds that due to known changes in natural processes, such as solar changes and volcanic eruptions.

Human activities contribute to climate change by causing changes in Earth's atmosphere in the amounts of greenhouse gas- es, aerosols (small particles), and cloudiness. The largest known contribution comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide gas to the atmosphere.

Humans are the most destructive species on the planet due to the fact that we construct over nature to make society work, the highways, cities and homes we build have a direct impact on the deterioration of the planet, to the detriment of the environment surrounding us. Humans feel the need to build constantly to cater for the need of people, and build over nature, which impacts greatly on the whole ecosystem as what humans build are not natural. We shift the ecosystem to cater to our needs, which over time greatly impacts on the climate, rendering it colder and warmer than it should have otherwise been.