How can only one litre of gasoline burned by a car or light truck produce 2.4 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2)?
Two factors contribute to the high output of carbon dioxide (CO2) per litre of fuel burned. First, fuel burns in the presence of oxygen, which it gets from air. Second, gasoline is rich in carbon; in fact, about 86% of your fuel is carbon. When fuel is burned to operate a vehicle, every Carbon atom combines with two oxygen atoms to produce a corresponding amount of CO2. That is a lot of Carbon for each litre your vehicle burns 2.4 kg of carbon in each litre of fuel! If youre a motorist who drives 20 000 km each year, youre emitting more than four tones of CO2 per year thats three times the weight of your car!
