|
The
Carbon
Dioxide
Factor
Future
Predictions
Forests
and
Ecosystems
Alternative
Outlooks
|
Fossil
Fuels and the Greenhouse Effect- Some Raw
Facts
Ultimately,
fossil fuels are formed from photosynthesis - decomposed
plant and animal matter that have trapped much of the
sun's energy. Fossil fuels are used for energy today in
the form of crude oil, coal, and natural gas. Currently
today, fossil fuels are being depleted at a rate that is
100,000 times faster than they are being formed
.
The earth's
atmosphere is primarily composed of nitrogen and oxygen
gas as diatomic molecules. These gases act as a
protective layer to the earth, filtering out incoming
harmful ultra-violet radiation. Greenhouse gases, on the
other hand, consist of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in the
form of ozone, and as triatomic molecules. These
greenhouse gases are what make the earth's atmosphere
unique and able to support the life that we have today.
These gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone) when
combined with water vapor absorb solar radiation
(infrared heat) and reradiate the warmth received by the
sun back to the earth, instead of letting it all escape
out to space.
-Energy
for planet earth : readings from Scientific American
magazine. New York : W.H. Freeman, c1991. p.2
|
