Introduction
Does a blanket keep you warm?
Yes. When the sun shines, it allows heat to enter but retains some of it. If this didn't happen, the Earth would be a frozen ball of ice at -18 degrees Celsius.
Although naturally present in the atmosphere, excess amounts of this gas are produced by cars, factories, and power plants.
Carbon Dioxide
It is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas essential for life, but human activities—primarily burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas in cars, factories, and power plants—have drastically increased its atmospheric concentration, driving climate change. [1, 2]
What is the term for the increase in Earth's temperature?
Global Warming
What is the greenhouse effect?
Long after the dinosaurs disappeared, the fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals became the fuels we burn in cars today, releasing gases that strengthen this heat‑trapping process.
What happens if you put on 3 thick, heavy blankets in the summer?
You get extremely hot. That's what's happening to the Earth. A denser atmosphere due to pollution, it traps more heat than necessary, and this increase in temperature across the planet is called global warming.
Climate change occurs as a consequence of global warming.
This layer of gases surrounding Earth traps heat and keeps the planet warm enough for life.
The Atmosphere
The blanket of gases surrounding the Earth that allows sunlight to pass through while trapping heat radiating from the surface Specific heat trapping gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane
What causes the release of greenhouse gasses?
What is carbon dioxide (CO₂)?
This gas, released when gasoline and diesel burn, is the transportation sector’s largest contributor to global warming.
What are the greenhouse gases?
Water vapor, which is the most abundant (H2O)
Carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a minor component but makes a large contribution to the greenhouse effect
Methane (CH4)
Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
Ozone (O3)
This process by which gases trap heat near Earth’s surface shares its name with a glass structure used for plants
Green House Effect
While this natural "blanket" is essential to keep the planet habitable, human activities have increased these gases, leading to global warming and climate change
True or False
Greenhouse can impact the weather
True, with the increase in temperature caused by greenhouse gasses heatwaves, droughts and floods can occur
What is≈ 28 percent?
Because transportation relies heavily on fossil fuels, it accounts for roughly this percentage of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
What is CO2?
Carbon dioxide.
CO2 is found in many places, both naturally and due to human activity: cars (gasoline and diesel), factories and industries, the burning of gasoline, gas, and coal, and deforestation (fewer trees to absorb CO2).
Removing carbon dioxide would cause the Earth's greenhouse effect to collapse. Without carbon dioxide, the Earth's surface would be about 33°C (59°F) cooler.
This greenhouse gas has a global warming potential many times greater than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.
Methane
Methane is vastly more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere. While CO2drives long-term climate change, CH4 drives rapid, near-term warming
What gases are considered Greenhouse gasses?
Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide
What are zero tailpipe emissions?
Electric vehicles reduce global warming because they eliminate this type of direct emission from tailpipes.
What polluting gases come out of gasoline or diesel cars?
CO - Carbon Monoxide
HC - Hydrocarbons
NOx- Nitrogen oxides
That's why we need a catalytic converter!
Water vapor is Earth’s most abundant greenhouse gas, but this human activity primarily drives the increase in long-term warming.
Burning Fossil Fuels
Human activities and specific industries burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) to generate energy. We rely on this combustion process to power transportation, run electrical power plants, and drive heavy industrial manufacturing processes.
What percentage of cars on the road in California burn fossil fuels?
83%
What is radiative forcing from black carbon?
When sunlight hits Earth, some wavelengths are absorbed and re‑emitted as infrared radiation. Tiny particles from diesel engines can alter this process by darkening surfaces and changing how much heat the planet absorbs. This phenomenon intensifies global warming beyond CO₂ alone.