Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere as part of the Earth 's carbon cycle. Yet human-related emissions are responsible for the increase in CO2 emissions. The use of electricity accounts for 37% of total U.S. emissions, while transportation 31%, industry accounts for 15%, residential and commercial 10%, and other non-fossil fuel combustion 6%. That is 99% of the total globe greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States increased by about 7% between 1990 and 2013. (EPA, 2015) Not leaving out pollution also a contributor of increases in anthropogenic CO2. These things are the cause of the earth heating up, or global warming. Trees and plants help soak up the CO2 in the atmosphere but with the tearing down of trees to build industry buildings, residential and commercial buildings there are fewer trees and plants to take in CO2 for photosynthesis.…
Since the Industrial revolution, large amounts of carbon dioxide have been released and continue to be released in the atmosphere. With the decrease in forests and continuation of the burning…
Greenhouse Gases: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere that may raise average temperatures on Earth. The burning of fossil fuels could be responsible for the increased levels of carbon dioxide. If current trends continue, future concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide in parts per million (ppm) could reach the levels shown in the accompanying table. The CO2 concentration in the year 2000 was greater than it had been at any time in the previous 160,000 years.…
First solution is that we should diminish the amount of gasoline since gasoline is the most dangerous one. We have a choice to choose a hybrid car t reduces using gasoline. Besides, petrol price are increasing. If a person everyday drives to work they need to pump petrol after 3 days and causes carbon dioxide. Another way to reduce gasoline is take public transport or carpool to work. It can help reduce carbon dioxide and save cost.…
Consider the following information: Every time we use fossil fuels, we release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Fuel must be burned to extract oil from the ground and process it; and then more fuel must be burned just to transport the fuel to where we buy it! Scientists believe that it is carbon dioxide emissions that are responsible for climate change, specifically the global warming effect.…
The acidity of seawater is determined by the amount of hydrogen ions in solution , which is then measured on the pH scale. The higher the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, the lower the pH of the solution. As stated in the previous paragraph, carbonic acid ( CO3-2) releases hydrogen ions ( H+) into the solution. If the sea water absorbs more carbon dioxide and then more carbonic acid will be formed as well. Which means the ocean will releases large quantities of hydrogen ions. Thus lowering the pH of the ocean. “ Ocean acidification: A greater threat than climate change or Overfishing,” reports that since the industrial revolution the pH of the ocean has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1. This change in the pH of water over the past 150 years is the greatest seen over the past several million years. ( Burner W. 2008…
It is predicted that the concentration of CO2 will triple to what the pre-industrial average of 280 ppm. Currently, according to the CO2 detector on Mauna Loa Observatory is registering 398.78 ppm. Kaster (1998) states that,” Of the 7.1 gigatons of carbon released each year about 3.3 Gt C accumulates in the atmosphere.” An increase of air pollutants is a result of continued use of fossil fuels. Air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and hydrocarbons are produced as fossil fuels are used (Union of Concerned Scientist, n. d.). Carbon monoxide causes headaches and aggravates people with heart disease. Nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxides create smog, a yellowish-brown “cloud” layer that settles on the ground. And these substances irritate lungs causing issues like bronchitis and pneumonia. Sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides are the primary components of acid rain and snow that affect plants and buildings. Hydrocarbons are another pollutant made from burning fossil fuels. Smog is also tropospheric ozone, which affects lungs, and crop yields. In addition, fossil fuels produce small particles that irritate the lungs. Pollution also impacts water and land. Oil spills leave shorelines uninhabitable for animals. Coal mining adds water pollutants by adding sulfur…
Carbon dioxide (CO2) o Colorless and odorless o 93% of CO2 naturally-‐occurring – 7% from human activity (burning of fossil fuels, clearing forest/grasslands) o Only recently has CO2 been considered a pollutant as growing levels threaten the earth’s climate 2) Nitrogen oxides and nitric acid • NO (nitric oxide) – colorless gas -‐-‐ forms during combustion o Sources: 89% natural / 11% human • NO reacts with oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – reddish-‐brown gas • NO and NO2 known as nitrogen oxides (NOx) – play a role in formation of photochemical smog • NOx impacts respiratory functions (asthma and bronchitis) • Some NO2 reacts with water vapor to form nitric acid (HNO3) à component of acid deposition • N2O (nitrous oxide) is a GHG emitted from fertilizers and animal waste 3) Sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid • Sulfur dioxide – colorless and strong odor o Sources: 30% natural sources / 70% human (coal-‐fired power and industrial plants; smelting, oil refining) o Impacts: visibility, damage to metals/paints; respiratory problems • SO2 converted into droplets of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and particles of sulfate – return to earth as acid deposition 4) Particulates • “Particulate matter” (PM) – solid particles or liquid droplets small and light enough to remain suspended in air • PM 10 and PM 2.5 (microns) o Sources: 60% natural sources and 40% human (coal burning and industrial plants, motor vehicles) – diesel engines! o Impacts: Lung damage, respiratory issues, reproductive problems, cancer § Children very susceptible – why? 5)…
For more than a century, mankind has known that the burning of fossil fuel creates carbon dioxide but its affect on the…
However, all that glitters isn’t gold. While in practicality gasoline engines do everything that we need them to do such as transport us around, they lack in one area. That area is their emission output. The gas that is the most prolific and the one that makes up more than 65 percent of global emissions is Carbon Dioxide. According to the United State Environmental Protection Agency, “Fossil fuel use is the primary source of CO2” (United State EPA). But why does this matter? Why is gasoline consumption a detrimental practice? Basically, CO2 and other greenhouse gases get trapped within the Earth's atmosphere. These gasses reflect the sun's rays many more times than usual which causes increased temperatures on Earth, hence the term global warming. These increased temperatures have many detrimental effect that are both short and long term. Current effects include: worldwide ice melt,…
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), the increase in anthropogenic CO2 emissions has led to the increase in global temperatures in the past century . Because of the preponderance of evidence linking greenhouse gases and climate change, governments worldwide are developing policy to reduce CO2 emissions.…
Where have you learned about this one before??... Carbon Dioxide is the most human related gas found in the greenhouse gases. The burning of fossil fuels and the emissions from cars create carbon dioxide. My science class also learned a few days ago that carbon dioxide is released into the air as a result of cutting down trees. Trees store carbon dioxide and usually release carbon dioxide, yet when an overwhelming amount goes into the atmosphere that is bad and at the fault of a human.…
You probably know that Carbon Dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is the main pollutant that is warming the Earth. Let me tell you that Carbon Dioxide represents 85 percent of all gas emissions caused by human sources. Globally, the largest source of carbon emission is the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil for energy. On the other hand, electricity production is the biggest generator of carbon emissions; transportation comes in the second place, followed by industry, cars, planes, power plants, and other human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels, such as gasoline and…
With so much of the earth using coal, the toxins and carbon dioxide emitted from power plants are extremely damaging to our environment. Scientists believe that one of the biggest contributors to global warming is carbon dioxide, and a whopping 78% of the…
Carbon dioxide can be released into the atmosphere in multiple ways such as animals, including humans, breathing in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. However, a major factor contributing to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels. In the document, “Carbon Dioxide Levels Over the Last 10,000 Years,” there is a graph showing the CO2 levels over the last 10,000 years. There is a very clear, sharp increase in about the 1800s to the 2000s. This is when the Modern Revolution brought about automobiles and inventions that are being built in factories.…