Humans have been altering the environment for their own benefit for centuries. Farming, logging, and ocean fishing have all had an impact on the Earth's climate, land, and water. More recently, the development of factories, power plants, and automobiles has taken a tremendous toll.

The people of the world are responsible for producing the vast majority of the toxic CO2 emissions that are driving climate change. The burning of coal, oil, and natural gas for energy is a major contributor to the problem.

unsustainable human activity has resulted in an increase in natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, and wildfires.