How Does CO2 Cause Global Warming?
Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a chemical compound in the earth’s atmosphere. Trees and other plants use this gas as part of photosynthesis, the process by which they produce food. Through photosynthesis, plants remove carbon dioxide from the air. Some natural processes, such as volcanoes and geysers, add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Human activities, however, add far more carbon dioxide than geothermal phenomena and other natural processes. The two main human activities that increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere are fossil fuel burning and land clearing. The rising level of carbon dioxide contributes to the change in average global temperatures, also known as global warming. Burning Fuels, Clearing Land Fossil fuels contain large amounts of carbon. The burning of these fuels produces large amounts of carbon dioxide as a byproduct. When automobiles and coal-burning power plants, for example, burn fuels, high concentrations of carbon are released.
