EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -When fossil fuels are burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the air. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere, causing global warming. Already the average global temperature has increased by 1C.

Detailed explanation-2: -Human Activity Is the Cause of Increased Greenhouse Gas Concentrations. Over the last century, burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This increase happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2.

Detailed explanation-3: -How do we use fossil fuels? Fossil fuels are burned to produce energy. In large power stations they are burned in the presence of oxygen. As the fuel burns the heat energy is used to heat water, as it is heated it produces steam which in turn rises and drives a turbine.

Detailed explanation-4: -The burning of fossil fuels by industry, transportation, and energy has contributed the greatest amount of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere over the last 100 years.

Detailed explanation-5: -Globally, the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions are electricity and heat (31%), agriculture (11%), transportation (15%), forestry (6%) and manufacturing (12%). Energy production of all types accounts for 72 percent of all emissions.