The Impact Of Burning Fuel On Climate Change

Burning fuel is a major contributor to climate change. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. When burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to global warming and climate change. The burning of fossil fuels affects the Earth system in various ways, including releasing pollutants that reduce air quality and harm human health, increasing the acidity of precipitation, and contributing to extreme weather events. The continued rise in emissions from burning fossil fuels impedes progress in limiting global warming, and the transition to a clean energy future is crucial to mitigate the impacts on the environment and humanity.

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, trap heat in the atmosphere

Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming. This process is known as the greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect is similar to how a greenhouse or a blanket traps heat. The molecules in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, absorb light, preventing some of it from escaping the Earth. This trapped energy has the effect of heating up the atmosphere and raising the planet's average temperature.

Carbon dioxide molecules absorb and re-emit infrared energy from the sun, which we feel as heat. When sunlight reaches Earth, the surface absorbs some of the light's energy and re-emits it as infrared waves. These infrared waves travel up into the atmosphere and will escape back into space if unimpeded. However, carbon dioxide molecules absorb energy at a variety of wavelengths that overlap with that of infrared energy. As a result, carbon dioxide molecules vibrate and re-emit the infrared energy back in all directions, with about half of the energy going out into space and the other half returning to Earth as heat.

The greenhouse effect is essential for making the Earth habitable. Without it, the planet's average temperature would be below freezing. However, an increase in greenhouse gases can lead to too much of a good thing, resulting in global warming and climate change.

The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, is the primary cause of the current climate change. It releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect and increasing the Earth's average air temperatures. These greenhouse gases can remain in the atmosphere for decades to centuries, contributing to the accumulation of carbon dioxide and its impact on the climate.

Ocean acidification: carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean changes its chemistry

The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide through photosynthesis by plant-like organisms (phytoplankton) and simple chemistry: carbon dioxide dissolves in water. When carbon dioxide dissolves in saltwater, it first forms carbonic acid. This carbonic acid then breaks apart, producing bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions. Ocean acidification results from an increased concentration of hydrogen ions and a reduction in carbonate ions due to the absorption of increased amounts of carbon dioxide.

The ocean has absorbed about 25-29% of global carbon dioxide emissions since the end of the preindustrial era. In the past 150 years, humans have significantly increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels and changing land-use practices. As a result, the ocean has absorbed about 29% of this additional carbon. The more carbon dioxide that is pumped into the atmosphere, the more the oceans absorb.

This absorption has consequences: these reactions lower the water's pH, making it more acidic. And the ocean has its limits. As temperatures rise, carbon dioxide is released from the ocean. Carbonate gets used up and has to be restocked by upwelling of deeper waters, which are rich in carbonate dissolved from limestone and other rocks.

The warmer the surface water becomes, the harder it is for winds to mix the surface layers with the deeper layers. The ocean settles into layers, or stratifies. Without an infusion of fresh carbonate-rich water from below, the surface water saturates with carbon dioxide. The stagnant water also supports fewer phytoplankton, and carbon dioxide uptake from photosynthesis slows. In short, stratification cuts down the amount of carbon the ocean can take up.

Surface waters are now 30% more acidic than they were at the start of the industrial era. Ocean acidification is now happening at a faster rate than at any point in the last 66 million years, and possibly in the last 300 million years. Projections show that by the end of this century, ocean surface waters could be more than twice as acidic as they were at the end of the last century if carbon emissions are not reduced.

Ocean acidification is particularly detrimental to species that build their skeletons and shells from calcium carbonate (like clams, mussels, crabs, phytoplankton, and corals). Acidification reduces the availability of carbonate ions in ocean water, which provide the building blocks these organisms need to make their shells and skeletons, significantly reducing the chances for their offspring to survive.

Extreme weather: burning fossil fuels contributes to more frequent and severe weather events

The burning of fossil fuels is the primary cause of current climate change. Fossil fuels refer to the burning of oil, natural gas, and coal to generate energy. These fuels are used to generate electricity, power transportation, and support industrial processes. The burning of these fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the air.

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, causing global warming. The average global temperature has already increased by 1°C. Warming above 1.5°C risks further sea level rise, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, species extinction, food scarcity, and worsening health and poverty for millions of people worldwide.

Rising global temperatures due to the burning of fossil fuels have increased the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather events. Heatwaves, droughts, and floods are now more frequent and intense due to the influence of fossil fuel-driven climate change. More than 500 attribution studies have linked individual extreme weather events to climate change, confirming that heatwaves are now stronger and more likely due to human-caused climate change.

Climate change has also driven the occurrence of compound events, such as simultaneous heatwaves and floods, which have been particularly damaging to people and crops in affected regions. The impacts of climate change are expected to worsen as global temperatures continue to rise, leading to more frequent and severe extreme weather events.

The cost of extreme weather events, including wildfires, hurricanes, wind storms, flooding, and droughts, is significant. In the United States alone, the cost of these events between 2016 and 2020 was estimated at $606.9 billion.

Sea level rise: oceanic and atmospheric warming melts glaciers and land-based ice sheets

The burning of fossil fuels is the primary cause of current climate change. It releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the air. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere, causing global warming.

Sea level rise is a natural consequence of the warming of our planet. When water heats up, it expands, so when the ocean warms, sea levels rise. When ice is exposed to heat, it melts. When ice on land melts and the water runs into the ocean, sea levels rise.

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are the largest contributors to global sea level rise. The Greenland ice sheet is currently the single largest source of sea level rise from melting ice. It is disappearing four times faster than in 2003 and already contributes to 20% of the current sea level rise. If all the ice on Greenland melted, it would raise global sea levels by 20 feet.

The Antarctic ice sheet covers nearly 5.4 million square miles, an area larger than the United States and India combined, and contains enough ice to raise ocean levels by about 190 feet. Antarctica's contribution to sea level rise is still less than 0.02 inches per year, but several events over the past decade and a half have prompted warnings about the possibility of more rapid changes in the upcoming century.

The warming of the oceans and the atmosphere is causing glaciers and land-based ice sheets to melt, which, in turn, contributes to rising sea levels. This is a significant concern as it increases coastal erosion and elevates storm surges, leading to more frequent and intense coastal storms such as hurricanes and typhoons.

Air pollution: fossil fuels produce hazardous air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides

Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are a major source of air pollution. When burned, they release hazardous air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which have detrimental effects on human health and the environment.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colourless, water-soluble gas released during the combustion of fossil fuels for domestic heating, industrial activities, and power generation. Exposure to high levels of SO2 is associated with adverse health impacts, particularly for individuals with asthma, leading to increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits. Additionally, sulfur dioxide plays a significant role in the formation of acid rain. When SO2 mixes with water vapour and other chemicals in the atmosphere, it forms sulfuric acid, a key component of acid rain. Acid rain has far-reaching ecological consequences, including contaminating freshwater sources, causing harmful algal blooms, reducing water oxygen levels, and harming aquatic life.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx), including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), are another group of hazardous air pollutants produced by burning fossil fuels at high temperatures. NO2 is a reddish-brown gas, soluble in water, and a strong oxidant. It is formed during high-temperature combustion processes used for heating, transportation, industrial activities, and power generation. NO2 and other nitrogen oxides contribute to particle pollution and the formation of ground-level ozone, a major component of smog. Exposure to NO2 irritates the airways and exacerbates respiratory conditions, such as asthma. Scientific research also suggests a link between NO2 exposure and an increased risk of heart and lung issues, neurological harm, autoimmune disorders, and cancer.

The release of these hazardous air pollutants, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, from burning fossil fuels, poses significant risks to human health, particularly for vulnerable populations, and has detrimental effects on the environment, contributing to climate change and ecosystem disruption.

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