Fossil Fuels' Impact On Climate Change: What's The Deal?

Fossil fuels are the largest contributor to global climate change. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas emits greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and contribute to global warming. In 2019, fossil fuels accounted for 74% of US greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of burning fossil fuels are far-reaching, impacting both human and environmental health. From air and water pollution to ocean acidification, the consequences of our reliance on fossil fuels are dire. As the Earth's temperature continues to rise, extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, posing risks to human life, ecosystems, and the economy.

Fossil fuels are the largest contributor to global climate change

Since the invention of the first coal-fired steam engines in the 1700s, our use of fossil fuels has steadily increased. Today, fossil fuels serve about 80% of our energy needs, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. As a result, the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased by nearly 50% since 1750. This rise in carbon dioxide levels is primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, with the power and transportation sectors being the most significant contributors.

The combustion of fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas. Carbon emissions trap heat, leading to climate change. In the United States, the burning of fossil fuels accounts for about three-quarters of carbon emissions. In 2019, fossil fuels accounted for 74% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, with nearly 25% coming from fossil fuels extracted from public lands.

The effects of burning fossil fuels are far-reaching, impacting both the environment and human health. The release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide, intensifies the greenhouse effect, increasing the Earth's average air temperatures. These gases can remain in the atmosphere for decades to centuries, causing long-lasting climate change. Additionally, the burning of fossil fuels emits harmful pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, which reduce air quality and have detrimental effects on human health.

Furthermore, the use of fossil fuels has significant environmental and health costs known as externalities. These include ocean acidification, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, air pollution, water pollution, and plastic pollution. Ocean acidification, caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide by the ocean, poses threats to marine life, coral reefs, fishing, tourism, and the economy. Extreme weather events, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts, have led to disasters costing billions of dollars. Sea-level rise, caused by the melting of glaciers and land-based ice sheets, results in more frequent flooding and destructive storm surges, impacting coastal communities.

In conclusion, fossil fuels are the primary driver of global climate change, contributing to rising greenhouse gas emissions, intensifying the greenhouse effect, and causing widespread environmental and health issues. Addressing the use of fossil fuels and transitioning towards cleaner energy sources are crucial steps in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Burning fossil fuels releases harmful air pollutants

In addition to carbon dioxide, burning fossil fuels emits a range of other harmful air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. These pollutants contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, which have negative consequences for the environment and human health. Smog, for example, is formed when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in the atmosphere, often as a result of vehicle emissions. It can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, and exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Acid rain, on the other hand, is caused by the reaction of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides with water vapor and other chemicals in the atmosphere. It can contaminate freshwater sources, harm fish populations, and increase the chemical weathering of rocks and man-made structures.

The release of nitrogen oxides from burning fossil fuels also contributes to nutrient pollution. Excess nitrogen in the atmosphere is deposited back onto land and washes into nearby water bodies, leading to harmful algal blooms and oxygen-deprived aquatic zones that are toxic to aquatic life. Additionally, the particulate matter emitted during fossil fuel combustion can cause respiratory diseases and other chronic illnesses.

Furthermore, the combustion of fossil fuels releases toxic air pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde, which have been linked to childhood leukemia, blood disorders, and cancer. These pollutants disproportionately affect children, especially those in low- and middle-income countries, impairing their cognitive and behavioral development and increasing their risk of respiratory illnesses and other health issues.

The impact of burning fossil fuels extends beyond air pollution. It also contributes to water pollution, as fossil fuel extraction, transportation, and refining can lead to oil spills and the use of fracking fluids that contaminate water sources. Additionally, the plastic industry, which relies heavily on fossil fuels, generates significant carbon emissions and plastic waste that pollutes the ocean, further damaging marine ecosystems.

Fossil fuel emissions are causing ocean acidification

The burning of fossil fuels is the primary cause of current climate change. When fossil fuels are burnt, they produce large quantities of carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, where it traps heat and leads to global warming and climate change. However, about half of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans is absorbed by the oceans.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the oceans have absorbed around one-third of all carbon dioxide released from fossil fuels. This has transformed the chemistry of the ocean, increasing its acidity by 30%. The process of ocean acidification is simple chemistry: when carbon dioxide dissolves into the ocean, it triggers a chemical reaction that increases acidity over time. More technically, carbon dioxide and water produce carbonic acid, which releases hydrogen and bicarbonate ions. The more hydrogen ions there are, the more acidic the water becomes.

Ocean acidification has serious consequences for marine life and, by extension, human life. It reduces the availability of carbonate ions in the water, which are essential for shellfish like mussels, clams, and oysters to create their protective shells and skeletons. This makes it harder for these animals to survive, directly impacting their chances of survival. Additionally, if the acidity of the ocean rises high enough, it could even dissolve shells.

Coral reefs also suffer due to acidification. They provide shelter for 25% of marine species and protect coastal communities from erosion and storms. However, acidification, especially when paired with natural bioerosion, can cause coral reefs to dissolve. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finds that 99% of the world's warm-water coral reefs could disappear if global average temperatures rise by 2°C or more above pre-industrial levels.

The effects of ocean acidification are already being felt by coastal communities. In the Pacific Northwest, it is estimated to have cost the oyster industry millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. Shellfish fisheries, such as those for Dungeness crab in the Pacific Coast of the United States, are expected to be impacted by warming waters and ocean acidification, reducing the revenue of the highest-value fishery in Oregon and Washington.

To limit ocean acidification, it is crucial to address climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels. By implementing solutions to cut global warming emissions and curb future warming, we can significantly reduce the harm to marine ecosystems and the human communities that depend on them.

Fossil fuels are driving the global warming trend

Since the invention of the first coal-fired steam engines in the 1700s, our burning of fossil fuels has steadily increased. Each year, we now burn over 4,000 times the amount of fossil fuel burnt during 1776. Fossil fuels account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. In the United States, the burning of fossil fuels accounts for about three-quarters of carbon emissions.

When fossil fuels are burned, they release large quantities of carbon dioxide. This carbon is returned to the atmosphere at a rate that is hundreds to thousands of times faster than it was removed by the growth of photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and plankton, and much faster than it can be removed by the carbon cycle. As a result, carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect and increasing the Earth's average air temperatures.

The burning of fossil fuels also emits an array of pollutants that reduce air quality and harm human health and the environment. These include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and airborne particles such as soot. Poor air quality can cause respiratory diseases and increase the risk of premature death. Additionally, the extraction and transportation of fossil fuels can lead to oil spills, water pollution, and habitat destruction, further impacting ecosystems and communities.

The use of fossil fuels has significant climate, environmental, and health costs. For example, ocean acidification, caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide, makes it harder for marine organisms to build shells and coral skeletons, threatening coral reefs, fishing, tourism, and the economy. Extreme weather events, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts, have become more frequent and severe due to climate change, leading to disasters that cost billions of dollars.

Fossil fuels have significant environmental externalities

Air pollution is a major issue, as fossil fuels produce hazardous air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and mercury. These pollutants are harmful to both the environment and human health, causing respiratory diseases and contributing to acid rain, which contaminates freshwater sources and harms aquatic ecosystems.

Water pollution is another significant externality, with oil spills and fracking fluids contaminating water sources. Each fracking well uses a significant amount of water, and the resulting wastewater can be toxic, containing substances like arsenic, lead, chlorine, and mercury that pollute groundwater and drinking water.

Ocean acidification is also a concern, as the ocean absorbs a significant portion of the carbon dioxide emitted from burning fossil fuels, changing its chemistry and making it more acidic. This increase in acidity makes it difficult for marine organisms to build shells and coral skeletons, posing threats to coral reefs, fishing, tourism, and the economy.

In addition, the burning of fossil fuels contributes to extreme weather events, such as wildfires, hurricanes, wind storms, flooding, and droughts, which have led to significant economic and human losses. Sea level rise, caused by oceanic and atmospheric warming, has resulted in more frequent flooding, destructive storm surges, and saltwater intrusion, impacting coastal communities.

The environmental and health impacts of fossil fuels disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income communities. Policy mechanisms, such as eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, increasing the social cost of carbon, and implementing clean energy standards, have been proposed to reduce these externalities and mitigate their effects.

Frequently asked questions