16. Climate Change


1. Carbon dioxide (CO2) makes up around three-quarters of the warming impact of current human greenhouse gas emissions.


 Burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil releases energy, which is turned into heat, electricity or power for transportation, e.g. in power plants, cars and aeroplanes.


 Deforestation is the permanent removal of forests and has a huge impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Forests in many areas have been cleared for timber or burned and cleared to change the land use. Trees pull in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. When forests


are cleared, large amounts of stored CO2 are released into the atmosphere.


2. Methane (CH4) accounts for around 14% of current human greenhouse gas emissions. Methane is very effective at absorbing heat.


 Methane emissions are produced whenever fossil fuels are extracted from the earth. Methane is the main ingredient of natural gas. Leaks arising from extracting gas release methane straight into the atmosphere.


 Animals such as cows create large amounts of methane during their normal digestion process, releasing it either through belching or flatulence (gas). In countries like Brazil, more greenhouse gas emissions come from cows than from motor vehicles.


 Methane is created by decomposing (rotting) solid waste in landfills. This also happens with animal and human waste.


 Biofuels are fuels made from living things such as crops. Each year, biofuels produce 12 million tonnes of methane, making them a major source of the gas. An example is biodiesel made from vegetable oil.


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