TOURISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN ISLAND COUNTRIES phenomenon of climate change, they are its attributes and are indications that define it. 2.1 Climate indicator: high greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gases have always existed and it makes sense to understand that they are part of the natural process of life on Earth. Their concentrations have increased considerably from the pre-industrial period until today.(Singh, 1996)14. If the emission of greenhouse gases continues to increase at the current rate, an average increase of two degrees in the average global temperature by 2050 and 2100 could take place. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the main sector that emits the most greenhouse gases is the transport sector followed by the electricity sector with 29% and 28% respectively. Agriculture occupies the last position with less than 10%(EPA, 2017)15. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased considerably since the industrial revolution. Among the various greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere, CO2 concentrations have increased by 40%, from 280 parts per million (ppm) in 1750 (before the industrial revolution) to the current concentration of 400 ppm(Fang Wanga, 2014)16. The transport sector ranks firstposition in terms of greenhouse gas emissions – ie 30%. This is mainly due to the impact of tourism which requires sea, land and air transport of visitors. Tourists mainly rely on air travel for vacation and work trips and thus generate high rates of greenhouse gas emissions (mainly CO2). The graph below was constructed from studies conducted between 2008 and 2010 to demonstrate the general evolution of CO2 emissions in the air over the past 800,000 years(Luthi & Etheridge, 2008, 2010)17. The emission of CO2 is a process comprising human, natural and plant respiration without which life on earth would not develop normally. From the graph above, two main points should be identified. First, the current 14Singh et al. "Influence of climate change due to an increase in greenhouse gases on agriculture in Quebec". Atmosphere-Ocean [online], 1996, p379-399. 15EPA, US Available at <https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gasemissions 2017> 16Fang Wanga, Quansheng Gea, Shaowu Wangb and Bangbo Chena ''Certainty and uncertainty in understanding global warming''. Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment, [online] 2014 Vol 12, N. 1 - 6-12. Available at: <https://doi.org/10.1080/00207239208710804> (accessed 10.11.2019). 17Luthi, D., et al; Etheridge, DM, et al. Vostok ice core data, [online], 2010, available at <https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/24/graphic-the-relentless-rise-of-carbondioxide/> (accessed 18.11.2019 ).
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