BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS

When fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are burned for energy production, they
release CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the
sun in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to the greenhouse effect, which causes the Earth's
temperature to rise.

Combustion of fossil fuels for energy production releases CO2 and other greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere, leading to the
greenhouse effect, which causes the Earth's temperature to rise.

Human activity, specifically the burning of fossil fuels, significantly contributes to climate
change by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Fossil fuels like oil, natural gas,
and coal contain carbon dioxide that has been stored underground for thousands of years.
When these fuels are burned for energy generation, transportation, and industrial processes,
the stored carbon dioxide is released into the air, increasing its concentration in the
atmosphere. This process intensifies the greenhouse effect, where greenhouse gases trap heat
in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to global warming. The increased levels of carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide from burning fossil fuels contribute to the warming of the Earth's
surface, disrupting ecosystems, altering weather patterns, and causing a range of
environmental and health problems. The burning of fossil fuels is a primary driver of climate
change, with human activities releasing over 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere annually, significantly impacting the Earth's climate and ecosystems.

Evidence:
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5301-2023

According to Friedlingstein and co-writers, their analysis of 2023 data shows that emissions
from fossil fuels rose 1.4% in 2023 compared to 2019 levels, bringing total fossil emissions
in 2023 to 36.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide
TRANSPORTATION
Most vehicles including cars, ships, airplanes, and trains rely heavily on the combustion of
petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline and diesel. They emit large amounts of CO2, as well
as small amounts of methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases from vehicle air
conditioning. For example, air travel is particularly carbon-intensive due to the high energy
requirements of flying at high altitudes, where emissions have a greater warming effect.
Vehicles also emit other pollutants like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which can
contribute to smog and acid rain.

Evidence:
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2022, transportation was the
largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 35% of total U.S. CO2
emissions and 28% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Vehicles emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases and pollutants due to the combustion
of petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES
The industrial sector is indeed a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions globally, with
a substantial portion of these emissions stemming from industrial processes like
manufacturing, mining, and construction.
Industrial activities involve the combustion of fossil fuels to produce a wide range of
products such as cement, iron, steel, electronics and plastics, contributing to the release of
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, the machinery used in manufacturing
often relies on coal, oil, or gas for energy, further adding to emissions.

Evidence:
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1821673116
In September 2019, Leah Ellis and his colleagues from the MIT’s Department of Material
Science and Engineering conducted a study revealed that the cement industry alone
contributes at least 8% (equivalent to 2.8 Gtons/y) of global CO2 emissions.

Industrial Activities
Industries like cement production, steel manufacturing, and chemical processing consume
large amounts of energy. For example, steel production is energy-intensive, requiring the
combustion of fossil fuels to heat iron ore to temperatures above 1,500°C. Similary, in the
cement industry, limestone is heated, breaking down into calcium oxide and CO2. All these
processes operate at very high temperatures through burning of fossil fuels, which emit
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

In 2019, a study conducted by Leah Ellis and his colleagues from the MIT’s Department of
Material Science and Engineering revealed that the cement industry alone contributes at least
8% (2.8 Gtons/y) *gigatons per year* of global CO2 emissions.

These figures underscore the urgent need for us to rethink our industrial processes and
explore more sustainable alternatives.

Heavy industrial sector consume large amount of energy. The cement, steel production and
the energy needs of machinery, heavily rely on the burning of fossil fuels and contribute to
greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Global Contribution: Each year, more than 4 billion tonnes of cement are
produced, accounting for around 8% of global CO2 emissions 1. If the cement
industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world -
behind China and the US2. It contributes more CO2 than aviation fuel (2.5%)
and is not far behind the global agriculture business (12%) 2.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46455844

RESIDENTIAL ENERGY USE

When home appliances are powered by electricity generated from fossil fuels such as coal,
natural gas, and oil, the combustion releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) into
the atmosphere. According to an article in 2014 by Luisa Cabeza and co-writers, the
refrigerators accounted for the highest residential electricity use in Mexican households, at
56% consumption among the main electrical appliances. Another example is air conditioning
system which uses refrigerants to cool indoor air. Many of these refrigerants are potent
greenhouse gases like hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which can absorb a lot of thermal
radiation, making them good at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.04.053

Home appliances, powered by electricity generated from burning of fossil fuels emit
greenhouse gases such as CO2. Air conditioning systems also use refrigerants like
hydrofluorocarbon, which are potent greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.