Category Images

Advertisement


Why is There So Much Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere

All this carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It’s odd, right? Lots of people don’t know why there are so many carbon emissions these days, and it is actually a very long story filled with lots of strange facts and events. I guess the easiest way to put it is humans have evolved and now depend on energy to survive, but all the electricity we have today had a side effect where it produces excess carbon dioxide.

Yellowstones

Carbon Dioxide Is a Natural By-product of Burning Things

In today’s environmentally conscious world, there has been a great deal of focus on carbon dioxide emissions. The biggest culprit, according to most scientists, is the burning of fossil fuels.

While carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring gas, the increase that has occurred because of human activity has been devastating to the earth.

Scientists have warned that unless we reduce our emissions, the consequences for humanity will be catastrophic.

Carbon dioxide emissions are a natural by-product of burning things like coal and oil. It is also released from factories, vehicles, and other man-made sources.

Approximately one-third of total emissions come from these sources, with another one third from agriculture and land-use changes such as deforestation.

While it may not seem like there is anything you can do about this problem, there are several steps you can take to reduce your own carbon footprint.

This includes reducing energy usage; recycling items instead of throwing them away; using renewable resources such as wind and solar power; planting more trees; using fewer fossil fuels; driving less; consuming less meat; and more!

Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring gas that is essential to the survival of plants, animals, and humans.

Plants use it for photosynthesis, animals take in oxygen from the air and release carbon dioxide by exhaling it on the way out, and humans get most of their energy from burning fuel.

Take the first step in reducing your carbon footprint with energy conservation. You can do this by turning off lights when they aren’t needed and using compact fluorescent bulbs.

Every day We Breathe Out Carbon Dioxide

We all know that our daily activities contribute to global warming through the emission of different types of greenhouse gasses.

As a concerned citizen, you’re doing your part by making small changes in your everyday life and going green wherever you can.

The average person breathes out about 2.3 pounds of carbon dioxide per day, and the average household emits over 20,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

So, what exactly is carbon dioxide? Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colourless, odourless gas that is formed by the combustion of carbon and organic compounds.

Advertisement


It’s naturally found in the air we breathe and is also emitted by plants during respiration and photosynthesis. But it can be harmful to our environment when produced in large quantities.

The most common way CO2 gets into our atmosphere is through the burning of fossil fuels for energy, such as gasoline for transportation or coal to produce electricity.

Other sources include natural events (such as wildfires) and human activities (such as cement production). This excess CO2 has accumulated over hundreds of years, causing an increase in global temperature that scientists refer to as climate change.

Reducing your carbon footprint can be challenging because you may not know where to start or how much impact your actions will have on improving air quality around the world.

But there are ways you can make small changes that will have big effects on reducing CO2 emissions from daily activities like cooking meals at home or commuting to work!

Greenhouse Gases Trap Heat Within Earth’s Atmosphere

Have you ever wondered about the role greenhouse gases play in our climate? Greenhouse gases trap heat within Earth’s atmosphere and ensure our unique climate system.

Without these gases, Earth would be an inhospitable place. But what are these gases and how do they affect Earth’s climate system?

A simple and effective way to understand the role of greenhouse gases is to imagine Earth’s atmosphere like a greenhouse. A greenhouse keeps plants warm. But in the same way, it also regulates how much heat escapes from Earth’s atmosphere.

In the same way that greenhouses trap heat, so does our atmosphere — some of the heat that reaches Earth’s surface is reflected back into space. However, some of it becomes trapped by greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. This is known as the Greenhouse effect.

Impact of Global Warming

If you follow any of the news about the environment, then you know that there is a debate going on right now about global warming. Even as some studies are proving that our changing climate will be detrimental to our planet, there are also others who are refuting the same…read more

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon and has kept our planet warm enough for humans to live on.

The problem arises when we release additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Usually through certain human activities such as burning fossil fuels or clearing land for agriculture.

Since the industrial revolution, concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased dramatically and are at unprecedented levels in modern times!

This warming has led to more rain falling in wet regions and longer and more intense droughts in dry ones. The ocean is warming, the sea level is rising, glaciers are melting, and plants and animals are being forced into new habitats or dying out.

There’s Already Too Much of It in the Atmosphere

It’s not just you, there really is a lot of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and unless we reduce our emissions dramatically, it’s going to get worse.

Carbon dioxide is one of many greenhouse gases that contribute to Earth’s climate. Other greenhouse gases include water vapour, methane, and nitrous oxide.

But carbon dioxide is particularly important because the amount of it in the atmosphere has increased since the Industrial Revolution. And it’s expected to increase more in the future.

Every year, the level of CO2 released into the atmosphere increases. About half of it comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. The other half comes from cutting down and burning forests — a process that’s known as deforestation.

What Do You Think About Global Warming?

So, what do you think? Are we making a fuss about nothing, or is global warming real? Your opinion will dictate how you lead your life and how you live it. Either way, try to keep an open mind, but remember this: just stop for a moment and listen to the world around you. How does it sound?

Some of the carbon dioxide released by humans goes into the ocean where it forms carbonic acid, reducing the pH (making it more acidic) of seawater.

Another portion is absorbed by plants on land and in the oceans — known as photosynthesis. But there’s nowhere near enough plant life on Earth to absorb all the CO2 that humans are releasing into the atmosphere.

As a result, most of this excess CO2 ends up in the atmosphere where it is contributing to climate change and ocean acidification.

Humans are emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere than ever before. It’s time to get serious about what that means.

Fossil Fuel Use and Deforestation Contribute

Fossil fuel use and deforestation are two of the most important contributors to climate change. While both these contributing factors have been talked about at length by governments, it’s easy to forget how they significantly affect our planet’s climate.

Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy. This means that when we burn them, they are depleted forever.

The more fossil fuels we use, the more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere and thus causes global warming. The only way to decrease the rate of CO2 emission is to stop using fossil fuels or switch to renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind power.

Deforestation is the clearing of land by cutting down trees. This is usually done so the land can be used for farming and livestock grazing.

It’s also done to make way for urbanisation or to harvest trees for lumber/paper products.

Deforestation can have a few short-term impacts, but it mostly affects us in the long term. In the short term, deforestation can cause erosion, landslides, and flooding. In the long term, it contributes to climate change and affects biodiversity.

The most obvious impact of deforestation is its contribution to climate change. Trees take CO2 from the atmosphere and emit oxygen in return.

By cutting down trees on a large scale, we are releasing more carbon dioxide into our atmosphere than we can absorb. This in turn creates a greenhouse effect and boosts global warming.

Emissions Are Also Produced by Industrial Processes

When people think of the term greenhouse effect, they often immediately jump to the burning of fossil fuels and their contribution to global warming.

These are very real consequences of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. At this point in time, however, it is not primarily these activities that contribute to the greenhouse effect.

The warming of the Earth is caused by what is known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect occurs when certain gasses in the atmosphere trap heat that would otherwise radiate back into space.

This process acts as a blanket on Earth, keeping our planet warm enough to be able to support life.

Advertisement


Emissions are also produced by industrial processes, such as the production of iron for steel and other metals. And the chemical reactions involved in making glass, concrete, and plastic.

These emissions are not only produced by mining and manufacturing activities but also by extracting materials from the ground for commercial use.

These substances, which are naturally present in soil, air, and water, can have a devastating impact on human health. Particularly if they become concentrated in our surroundings over time.

These pollutants have been linked to asthma, cancer, and birth defects.

Several studies have found that children who live close to coal-fired power plants or industrial facilities have higher rates of lung problems than children who live further away from these facilities.

What Is Its Natural Role in The Atmosphere?

You’ve got to understand, it regulates the temperature on Earth. Its primary function is to absorb infrared radiation and transport it to outer space, thus contributing to Earth’s natural thermal balance.

Carbon dioxide is the single most important gaseous product of life on our planet. Every time you exhale, you are releasing gaseous carbon dioxide.

And what do plants do? Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, the very thing we need to breathe and live. A plant breathes in carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen.

When we burn fossil fuels, like oil or coal, we release lots of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that were previously stored underground.

Deforestation Effects on the Environment

Probably the single biggest threat to the environment is deforestation. We lose millions of trees each day due to the destruction of rainforests…read more

These fossil fuels were buried thousands or even millions of years ago by the action of plants and animals that died and decayed. This was often in swamplands, where they also get covered over by mud layers.

By burning these fossil fuels, we are throwing a lot more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than would normally be there because all that extra carbon is coming out of deep storage underground where it has been for a long time.

So, you see, plants are doing their job — naturally creating an equilibrium — but we humans have upset this natural equilibrium by adding so much additional CO2 from burning fossil fuels.

In addition to temperature regulation, CO2 has other important roles in the atmosphere. For example, some processes that create rain require carbon dioxide. The more CO2 we release into the atmosphere, the more acid rain falls on our heads.

The Impact of Human Activity on Earth’s Climate

As you look up at the sky, you might notice that it’s blue. And if you look closely on a clear day, you can see the colour of the atmosphere changing as it extends out into space.

The sky looks blue because blue light from the Sun is scattered much more strongly by air than red light is. Blue scatters more because it has more short wavelengths than red does. And short-wavelength light interacts with objects more strongly than long-wavelength light does.

We have largely taken this atmospheric record for granted, assuming it was always this way in Earth’s past.

But now we know that the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has changed dramatically over time.

As I’m sure you are aware, our climate is changing. The temperature of our planet is increasing at an alarming rate, and scientists have been trying to figure out why for quite some time.

The big question they have been trying to answer is: what exactly are humans doing that is causing the climate to change so drastically?

It turns out, there’s one thing that humans are emitting a lot of that has a huge impact on our atmosphere — carbon dioxide. And there’s one way we can see how much of a difference we are making in the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere — by just looking up at the sky.

All this carbon that we are putting into the atmosphere is destroying Earth and all of its inhabitants. We put ourselves first, but our planet needs us to be conscious of what we are doing to her. We need to start taking care of our planet because at some point she’s going to need to take care of us.

When people use fossil fuels for energy, they emit carbon dioxide. The result is that our atmosphere has more carbon dioxide than it used to!


error: Content is protected !!