Brian Barton
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is essential to making Earth habitable for humans and millions of other species. However, human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, have increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere by 50% in less than 200 years, causing global warming and climate change. This is because carbon dioxide traps heat from the sun, preventing it from escaping into space. The current rate of global warming is 0.2°C per decade, and if it reaches 2°C above pre-industrial levels, there will be severe consequences for the natural environment and human health.
What You'll Learn
The greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapour, are molecules that are particular about the range of wavelengths they interact with. For example, oxygen and nitrogen absorb energy with wavelengths of around 200 nanometres or less, whereas infrared energy travels at wider wavelengths of 700 to 1,000,000 nanometres. Therefore, when the sun's energy reaches Earth, oxygen and nitrogen do not interfere with it. However, greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit this infrared energy, sending some back towards Earth and some out into space. This process traps heat in the lower atmosphere, keeping the planet warm.
Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have significantly increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil, as well as agricultural and industrial practices, have raised the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide by nearly 50% since 1750. This increase is unprecedented in the planet's history, with the last 60 years seeing a rise in carbon dioxide levels that is 100 times faster than previous natural increases. As a result, carbon dioxide levels today are higher than at any point in human history.
The increase in greenhouse gases has enhanced the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming. The extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere amplifies the warming effect, causing the planet to warm more than it would naturally. This human-induced global warming is currently increasing at a rate of 0.2°C per decade, with the average global temperature in 2019 reaching 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. If the warming reaches 2°C, there is a much higher risk of dangerous and possibly catastrophic changes to the global environment.
To limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5°C or 2°C, as outlined by the IPCC, it is crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This can be achieved by phasing out fossil fuels, adopting methods to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, such as planting trees and conserving forests, and reducing emissions from other sources like agriculture and industry.
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Human activities and emissions
Human activities have significantly contributed to carbon dioxide pollution, causing global warming. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, has been a primary driver of increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have led to a 50% increase in atmospheric CO2, with levels now 150% of their value in 1750. This rapid increase is unprecedented in the geologic time scale, and it is having profound impacts on our planet.
The extraction and combustion of fossil fuels have released vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. This includes activities such as power generation, transportation, and industrial processes. For example, coal-fired power plants emit large quantities of CO2, contributing to the overall increase in atmospheric concentrations. Additionally, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has further exacerbated the problem by reducing the Earth's capacity to absorb CO2 through photosynthesis.
Another significant contributor to carbon dioxide pollution is the burning of forests and deforestation for agriculture and industry. Trees act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide. However, when they are cut down, the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect. Deforestation, therefore, has a dual impact on carbon dioxide levels by reducing the absorption of CO2 and increasing its emissions.
Livestock farming is also a notable source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Cows and sheep, for instance, produce large amounts of methane during digestion. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a much higher warming potential than carbon dioxide. Additionally, the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen in agriculture produces nitrous oxide emissions, which have a warming effect up to 264 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to human activities has led to a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor, trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. While the greenhouse effect is essential for keeping the planet habitable, the enhanced greenhouse effect due to human-made emissions is causing global warming. These greenhouse gases act like the glass in a greenhouse, allowing sunlight to enter but preventing the resulting heat from escaping back into space. As a result, the Earth's temperature rises, leading to various consequences, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and shifts in wildlife populations and habitats.
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Fossil fuels
The combustion of fossil fuels has been identified as the dominant cause of global warming. When fossil fuels are burned, carbon combines with oxygen in the air to form carbon dioxide (CO2). The amount of CO2 produced depends on the carbon content of the fuel. Natural gas, for example, produces less CO2 for the same amount of heat generated from burning other fossil fuels due to its high hydrogen content.
The burning of fossil fuels has significantly increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Since the middle of the 20th century, annual emissions from burning fossil fuels have increased every decade, rising from 11 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year in the 1960s to an estimated 36.6 billion tons in 2023. This increase is unprecedented, occurring 100 times faster than any natural increase over the past 800,000 years.
Carbon dioxide acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere and contributing to global warming. The greenhouse effect is essential for making Earth's climate habitable, but human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, have amplified this effect. The increased concentration of CO2 enhances the absorption and re-radiation of heat, slowing heat loss into space. This trapped heat has led to a rise in global temperatures, with the average global temperature already increasing by 1°C.
The consequences of this warming are significant. Warming above 1.5°C risks further sea-level rise, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, species extinction, food scarcity, and worsening health and poverty for millions worldwide. The ocean, which absorbs carbon dioxide, is becoming more acidic, endangering marine life and coral reefs.
To address these concerns, global efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, have been established to reduce carbon emissions. However, a transition to renewable energy sources is necessary to effectively combat the climate crisis caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
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Ocean acidification
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, and along with other greenhouse gases like methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapour, it is responsible for the global warming trend observed since the mid-20th century. When sunlight reaches the Earth, the surface absorbs some of its energy and re-radiates it as infrared waves, which we feel as heat. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide absorb and re-emit this heat energy, slowing down the rate at which it escapes back into space, and leading to a warming of the Earth's atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide pollution from human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, is causing ocean acidification. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, which dissolves in saltwater, forming carbonic acid. This carbonic acid then breaks apart, producing bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions. The increased concentration of hydrogen ions and reduced concentration of carbonate ions due to the absorption of carbon dioxide lowers the ocean's pH, making it more acidic. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the pH of the ocean's surface waters has dropped from 8.21 to 8.10, and surface waters are now 30% more acidic than they were at the start of the Industrial era. This rate of ocean acidification is faster than at any point in the last 66 million years, and possibly the last 300 million years.
The increase in ocean acidity is harmful to many marine organisms, especially shellfish and coral. Shellfish fisheries, such as those for Dungeness crab on the Pacific Coast of the United States, are facing significant challenges due to warming waters and ocean acidification. More acidic waters reduce the minerals that shellfish need to grow, and toxic algae, which produce the dangerous neurotoxin domoic acid, thrive in these conditions. As a result, many West Coast fisheries have been forced to shut down. Ocean acidification also makes coral more susceptible to dissolving, and in Papua New Guinea, big boulder colonies have taken over reefs, while delicately branching forms have disappeared.
Some marine species, such as certain types of algae and seagrass, may benefit from increased carbon dioxide and more acidic conditions, as they can make use of the extra carbon dioxide to grow and reproduce better. However, these species are also facing threats from other human activities, such as pollution and overfishing, and it is unlikely that the boost from acidification will compensate entirely for losses caused by these other factors.
Overall, ocean acidification, along with other stressors like warming waters, pollution, and overfishing, is reducing the diversity of marine habitats and ecosystems, and if carbon emissions are not reduced, ocean surface waters could be more than twice as acidic by the end of this century compared to the end of the last century.
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Climate change
Carbon dioxide is a key greenhouse gas that drives climate change. It is released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other natural processes. The increase in carbon dioxide emissions is primarily due to human activities, such as the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as agricultural and industrial practices.
Carbon dioxide levels today are higher than at any point in human history. The last time atmospheric carbon dioxide amounts were this high was roughly 3 million years ago during the Mid-Pliocene Warm Period. During that time, global surface temperatures were significantly warmer than in pre-industrial times, and sea levels were much higher.
The greenhouse effect, first described by French mathematician Joseph Fourier in 1824, is essential to making Earth habitable by trapping heat from the sun. However, human activities have disrupted this balance by releasing excessive greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to global warming. In 1896, Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius was the first to link the rise in carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels with global warming.
Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit infrared energy, trapping heat in the atmosphere. This trapped heat, known as the greenhouse effect, prevents heat from escaping into space and warms the planet, causing climate change. As a result, the Earth's temperature has been rising, with the warmest decade on record being 2011-2020, when the global average temperature reached 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels.
To mitigate the impact of carbon dioxide pollution on global warming, it is crucial to reduce emissions and adopt methods to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. This includes transitioning away from fossil fuels, planting trees, conserving forests and grasslands, and capturing CO2 from industrial sources.
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Frequently asked questions
Carbon dioxide is the most prevalent and dangerous greenhouse gas, and it remains in the atmosphere longer than other gases.
Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, traps heat from the sun and prevents it from escaping into space, thereby warming the planet and causing climate change.
Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, clearing land for agriculture and industry, and raising livestock have increased carbon dioxide emissions and accelerated global warming.
Carbon dioxide dissolves into the ocean, reacting with water molecules to form carbonic acid and increasing ocean acidity. This process, known as ocean acidification, has negative consequences for marine life.
To reduce carbon dioxide pollution and combat global warming, it is crucial to transition away from fossil fuels, conserve forests, and implement methods to capture and reduce CO2 emissions.
