Far from being traditional pollutants, these gases are the scientifically necessary result of the combustion or burning of any carbon-containing matter. When our ancestors started using fire as heat and for cooking food, they were the first creators of man-made greenhouse gases. Today we owe our high standard of living to the fact that we have harnessed energy to replace animal and human power. Energy is required to operate household appliances, TVs, cars, and modern factories. Most energy used today, including that in electrical form, is derived from fossil fuels, and as such is the chief source of man-made greenhouse gases.
Energy use is population-driven.
As the population grows, more oil or gas will be used for heating our homes and places of work, more electricity will be needed for lighting and air conditioning, more gasoline will be used by the greater number of cars, more airplane fuel will be used as we take vacations, etc., etc. If we expect everyone in our constantly growing population to have jobs, we must supply our factories with their ever-growing needs for energy. The Kyoto Protocol calls for America to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions to seven percent below 1990 levels throughout the period from years 2008 to 2012. Because of population and economic growth, these emissions today already are about 12 percent above 1990 levels. Thus, the required reduction will be 19 percent from today.