Introduction
The “greenhouse effect” has been a concern for many years now. One of the major gases that contribute to this warming effect is carbon dioxide. There have been many studies on the effect carbon dioxide has on the earth’s atmosphere and weather patterns and how carbon dioxide production from burning fossil fuels, generating electricity, making concrete, cutting trees, and other processes effects the atmosphere we live in. The goal of this paper is to identify some possible contributors of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.
Literature Review
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon dioxide is the primary gas emitted through human activities and is the most important human contributed greenhouse gas (Overview of greenhouse, 2014). Carbon dioxide is naturally occurring in Earth’s atmosphere. The passing of carbon dioxide through the atmosphere, oceans, soil, plants, and animals is what is known as the carbon cycle. This carbon cycle is important to sustaining life here on Earth. Carbon dioxide is important to life on earth because it is the main component of many biological compounds, minerals, and exists in various forms in the atmosphere (Carbon Cycle, 2014). Humans are disrupting this carbon cycle however by adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and by removing natural absorbers of carbon dioxide, like forests to remove the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is where the greenhouse effect comes into play, since the industrial revolution there has been an increase in the human-related emission of carbon dioxide mainly due to the burning or combustion of fossil fuels for energy. Other contributors include certain industrial processes, the differen...
... middle of paper ...
...e amounts of another gas known as methane, which also has an impact on the greenhouse effect and global warming. The last variable was alternative and nuclear energy consumption, which did not have a significant effect on carbon dioxide emissions. This is important because there is research going on for alternative energy sources and which are best for our environment. Seeing that alternative and nuclear energy did not have a significant effect on emission is very encouraging for such research and development of new technologies.
It is known that as an international society every individual needs to contribute to do their part to reduce their carbon footprint on the world. Individual people, farmers, business, and industries must to do their part to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in their daily routines to conserve our world for future generations to come.
Since measurements began in 1958 -- and it can be assumed to have been the case since the industrial revolution -- emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has risen steadily as a result of the burning of fossil fuels (Quay, pp 2344). Although there is much argument over the implications of increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, there are several points that almost all scientists would agree on: firstly, carbon dioxide acts to absorb radiated heat; if present in our atmosphere will do just that to some extent. Second, the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is rising. Third, the temperature of the planet is rising - although the amount of this increase and the causes of this rise are subject to disagreement (Philander, pp 193).
In the end, the greatest way to help is by spreading awareness. Help spread the word by telling everyone you know about the greenhouse effect and global warming. By making them see what is at stake, and ask them to help save our planet. Encourage others to conserve and share information about recycling and energy conservation with your co-workers, friends, neighbors, and family. Recapping what can be done we all should get out there and plant some trees and plants so we can help the greenhouse gasses to decrease. Reduce the emissions from household products by turning them off. Most importantly remember to spread the word and the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
The emission of carbon dioxide has contributed to 80% to the heating of the earth atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced due the burning of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal and oil. The burning of fossil fuel is very important in our society today, because it is used for cooking, used to produce electricity, for heating, for cooling and also for transportation. The industrialization has led to the use of fossil fuel for running machines and driving cars. The building of fossil fuel contributes towards 80-90% of the carbon dioxide we find in our atmosphere today. When the ecosystems are altered and vegetation is either burned or took out, the carbon stored in them is relinquished to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (What causes global climate change, 2005). Methane is another gas being produced in the process which all have served to increase the greenhouse effect in our atmosphere. Methane is produced from the cultivation of rice, from the burning of coal and from cattle, it has increased by 145% due to human
Overall, emissions of CO2 increased by 0.3% to 6.8 tons per person in the United States. Emissions of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide, which account for 17% of total greenhouse gas emissions, declined by 0.6%.
Thesis: As the environment encounters damage from increasing levels of carbon dioxide, actions on both governmental and individual levels need to be implemented in order to protect the welfare of future life.
When people burn fossil fuels to accumulate and produce energy a substance called carbon is produced. Carbon is released into the air in a form known as carbon dioxide. Carbon moves throughout the biosphere on the planet as it is recycled and reused. Carbon exists in the earth’s atmosphere in two common forms which are methane and carbon monoxide. These gases absorb and retain heat in a process known as the greenhouse effect. The Planets natural greenhouse effect makes life possible by regulating our temperature. It turns out that adding too much to the greenhouse effect can have horrible consequences on the environment. Each year, five and a half billion tons of carbon is released by burning fossil fuels and of that three billion tons enters the atmosphere. The remaining carbon usually gets absorbed by the oceans.
Most climate scientists agree that the main cause of global climate change is the human expansion of the greenhouse effect. This is the global warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space (climate.nasa.gov). The main gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (climate.nasa.gov). Human activities are changing the natural greenhouse effect. The burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (climate.nasa.gov). Carbon dioxide levels have increased from 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million in the last 150 years due to human act...
The substances that we as human beings classify as 'pollutants' have always been present on the planet, because the earth is a closed system. The reason that these materials cause a negative impact on the environment, therefore, is not that they exist, but that they have been dispersed throughout the world's ecosystems in a very disordered fashion. To illustrate this, two pollutants of major concern will be considered, carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). CO2 and SO2 are both given off when coal is burned to provide heat or to generate electricity. CO2 is the most important greenhouse gas contributing to global warming, and SO2 is the main cause of acid rain. Carbon and sulphur have no impact on the environment when they are locked up in ...
Humans and animals breathe out Carbon Dioxide, often referred to as the greenhouse gas, as a waste product. Plants take in this CO2 and use it to make food. This is called photosynthesis. During this process oxygen is released which is then breathed in by humans and animals. This procedure is repeated over and over and a natural balance is obtained. However this natural balance is disrupted by human activity. People of the world are putting more than 5.5 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. 75% of this is caused from the burning of fossil fuels. These fuels are burnt all the time to run factories, power plants and vehicles. The main sources of CO2 emissions are electric utilities, residential buildings, industry and transportation. The other 25% is induced by the destruction of the world's forests. The reason for this is that there are less trees and plants to take in the CO2 but there is just as many, if not more, humans and animals to breathe it out.
The emission of green house gasses due to human activity contributes the most in increasing global warming. Today, fossil fuels are used as a source of energy for transportation, electricity, industrial process and to increase human comfort in this era. Over the last decade humans have created mass amount of industries. These industries have been burning fossil fuels such as coal, which release carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; carbon dioxide absorbs heat that raises the temperature of the earth. More than 80% of carbon dioxide comes from tr...
The world’s greatest powers have shown a lack of interest in the way that they are destroying the environment around them. The rise of the climate through the years has been altering how different organisms have had to survive. The world’s use of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions is at an all-time high. The countries with the highest CO2 emissions are same countries with the largest economies. The United States, China, India, Japan, and Russia are the top five leaders in CO2 emissions. All together they account for around 60% of the total carbon emissions worldwide. In order to cut down on the amount of CO2 emissions counties need start regulating their larger industries that create the highest amount of carbon emissions.
Climate Change is any substantial change in climate that lasts for an extended period of time. One contributor to current climate change is global warming, which is an increase in Earth’s average temperature. Plants and animal species throughout the world are being affected by rising temperatures. Many plants are flowering earlier now than they once did; animals, such as the yellowbellied marmot, are emerging from hibernation earlier; and many bird and butterfly species are migrating north and breeding earlier in the spring than they did a few decades ago, all because of slight changes in temperature cues. (Shuster)
all the time. The greenhouse effect is a natural process that keeps the earth at temperatures that
Climate change is caused due to the release of few carbon compounds into the atmosphere, which drastically brought the weather changes all over the world. Climate change is not confined to a single region. It has become an important issue all over the world for the past few years.
According to the Canada’s Action on Climate Change, Climate change is a long-term shift in weather conditions identified by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators. Climate change can involve both changes in average conditions and changes in variability, including, for example, extreme events. Climate change is one of the biggest crisis in the earth. It will cause a huge damage to the eco-system and human. We are the victims of the climate change. However, we are the one who cause the climate change.