Final answer:
The second leading human-induced cause of global warming is the emission of methane, primarily from agriculture and the energy sector. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, despite being released in smaller amounts than carbon dioxide. Climate change is driven predominantly by human activities, and this is a consensus view among scientists.
Step-by-step explanation:
The second leading human-induced cause of global warming is the release of methane. While the most significant contributor to global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that exacerbates the greenhouse effect. Sources of methane emissions include agriculture (such as livestock and rice paddies), landfills, and the production and transport of coal, oil, and natural gas. Methane is more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2, although it occurs in smaller quantities and has a shorter atmospheric lifetime.
Aside from CO2 and methane, other human activities also contribute to climate change. These activities include deforestation, which reduces the planet's capacity to absorb CO2 through photosynthesis, and the production of other greenhouse gases and pollutants like nitrous oxide and various aerosols. The overwhelming consensus among scientists is that human activities are the primary driver of recent climate change, with over 90% of climate researchers agreeing that humans are causing global warming.