Is carbon dioxide the main problem?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important greenhouse gas which is increasing in concentration because of human activities. CO2 has contributed about 70% of the enhanced greenhouse effect to date, methane about 24% and nitrous oxide about 6% (Houghton, 2004). Unlike the other greenhouse gases, which may be destroyed by chemical action, CO2 is not destroyed, but redistributed within the carbon cycle. Since the Industrial Revolution and the burning of fossil fuels, CO2 has increased in the atmosphere by about 30%, trapping more heat.
