Carbon dioxide emissions brought about by human activity have caused global warming or that which is commonly defined as the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. It is caused by the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The biggest of these greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide or CO2 that is emitted to the atmosphere due to human activity where fossil fuel such as coal and gasoline is burned (Rising to the climate challenge, 2007). There are two most prevalent ways that CO2 is emitted to the atmosphere through human activity: CO2 emitted from coal-fired power plants for electricity generation and carbon dioxide emitted from gasoline-powered cars.
According to the US Emissions Inventory Executive Summary (2004), the use of coal is the cause behind 93 percent of the emissions from the electric utility industry. By 2002, approximately 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. had been coming from the burning of the fossil fuel coal for purposes of generating electricity. Coal is a worse carbon dioxide source than gas. It contains 80 percent more carbon per unit of energy than gas does.
According to the US Emissions Inventory (2006), one third of all carbon dioxide emission in the US comes from the burning of gasoline in internal combustion engines of cars and light trucks. The poorer the gas mileage of a vehicle, the more it adds to global warming.
Scientists have estimated that each gallon of gas is equivalent to 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted into the air (Global Warming References). The US is the largest consumer of oil, with usage of approximately 20.4 million barrels daily. Gas-powered vehicles account for approximately 1.5 billion tons of CO2 per year.
CO2 also comes from the burning of another fossil fuel – coal. Yet another frequent and widespread method by which CO2 is emitted is through coal-fired power plants that generate electricity. In the US alone, coal-burning power plants produce 2.5 billion tons of CO2 every year.
These are just US references. Other countries such as China are huge culprits in CO2 emissions as well.
According to the UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008 (Fight Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World), the top global carbon dioxide emitters from the consumption of oil, coal and natural gas, including land use and forestation are as follows, in descending order: USA, China, Indonesia, Russia, Brazil, India, Japan, Germany, UK, South Africa, South Korea, Iran, Italy, France, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Ukraine.
The debate whether humans have brought about global warming has been settled. Human activity that brings about the emission of carbon dioxide or CO2 has been causing the rise in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. The burning of fossil fuels, through human activity, has produced about 75 percent of the increase in CO2 levels for the past 20 years. Carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas that rises to the atmosphere, is the main cause behind the rise in the Earth’s temperature. It is man that has caused for the planet to heat up.
Via EUbusiness/The Japan Times/Science Daily
Posted by GSerrano on April 7, 2009 in Energy, Environment · 3 Comments
Correct me if I am wrong, but, isn’t the percentage of human introduced CO2 around 1% of the total percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere with the other 99% from natural sources (i.e. volcanoes, ocean, etc)? And, isn’t water vapor and even greater contributor to the greenhouse effect? And, if I remember my 6th grade science correctly, methane is about 10 times worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. It seems we all want to blame CO2 for global warming, but we are ignoring a few basic facts of science here. If we affect only 1% of the total of CO2 in the atmosphere, can we really make that much of a difference? And if our planet is really that fragile to such small changes, how is it that the earth survived, and survived with such prosperity in times when CO2 was 3-4 times what it is now?
Jeremy, you are so right. However, it`s about 97% natural and 3% man made. What yo notice with the Alarmists, is that they totally disregard the natural side of things. They are now panicing. I love this quote………….. (The debate whether humans have brought about global warming has been settled.)
I`m sorry, but I haven`t seen a proper televised debate as yet!!! We have many on the sceptics side would love a full on debate televised worldwide. But I wont hold my breath.
I totally agree with Jeremy and Scotty and have written numerous letters to papers about the fallacy that humans are causing Global Warming. When it is a know fact that only .036% of the atmosphere is CO2 and only about 1% is caused by human activity I have to wonder where some of these people get there data from. I talked to a PHD from the EPA and his response is that all the models show CO2 will cause massive global warming. I mentioned that all models are based on many and various assumptions and that weather models have generally been wrong when predicting the weather for next year. How can they predict the weather for the remaining of this century.
Carbon trading is now becoming a big business on the commodity trading floor. It is already reducing development around the world. Some would like America to start issuing Carbon Stamps to individuals like the rationing of gas during WW2.