GCSE CHEMISTRY - The Burning of Fossil Fuels is Causing Global Warming

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Fossil fuels are burnt on a huge scale to generate electricity,
to heat buildings and for transport.

The main products of combustion are carbon dioxide and water.
Other pollutant products
include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates.

It is thought that the burning of fossil fuels has increased
the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
by about 40% since the industrial revolution (200 years ago).
We are now adding over 60 million tonnes of carbon dioxide
every day to the atmosphere.

Is Carbon Dioxide Dangerous?

Carbon dioxide is not poisonous, and is naturally present
in the atmosphere (see the carbon cycle) but the increase in
the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing
global warming, resulting in climate change all over the planet.

Can the Amount of Carbon Dioxide be Reduced?

Technology can be used to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere or to stop more carbon dioxide from entering it.

Three ways of doing this are

1. Carbon Capture

2. Iron Seeding of Oceans
and
3. Converting Carbon Dioxide into Hydrocarbons (or other fuels).

The only way to produce less carbon dioxide in the first place is
to reduce energy use and burn a smaller quantity of fossil fuel.

Links Environmental Issues Revision Questions

gcsescience.com The Periodic Table Index Environmental Quiz gcsescience.com

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