Why were greenhouse gases not a problem until 200 years ago?

Answer 1

Because approximately 200 years ago industrialization started.

Until 200 years ago, the earth was always able to cope with the natural greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (abbreviated as CO2) which is released from natural sources like soil, vegetation and oceans.

The system the earth uses to cope with its own CO2 is called the Carbon Cycle. These mentioned natural sources not only emit CO2 into the atmosphere, they also re-capture and store it. These are called natural Carbon Sinks. This way earth was always able to keep some sort of balance of the CO2 in the atmosphere.

But that all has changed since the beginning of industrialization approximately 200 years ago when we humans started to burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas adding additional amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere. Contrary to the natural Carbon Cycle, we humans only add CO2, we do not remove any as the earth does.

A common argument among people who do not believe in Climate Change is that human CO2 contribution is just a tiny part. That is true, earth emits approximately 97% while we humans account for the remaining 3%. But our 3% is sufficient to disturb the Carbon Cycle's balance. And earth re-captures its CO2 and stores it while we only add to it.

Earth is however able to capture some of our CO2 emissions but that amount is limited, around 40% at present and only decreases as we continue to remove natural carbon sinks (ie, deforestation).

See CO2 Graphic link below which clearly indicates the rise in atmospheric CO2 since the beginning of industrialization.

Answer 2

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, have always been present in the Earth's atmosphere. However, their levels were relatively stable until about 200 years ago when human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, started releasing significant amounts of these gases into the atmosphere. This increased the concentration of greenhouse gases, leading to the enhanced greenhouse effect and subsequent climate change.