Why We Should Switch off

Fossil Fuels
Joe Pittman
Connie Douglas
ENG 112-78
1 December 2016

Harm of Fossil Fuels

Today, we obtain the majority of our energy from the burning of fossil fuels. Since this method
was discovered, the use of fossil fuels have progressed our society more in the last 200 years
than we had in the previous several thousand. Fossil fuels have done so much for man kind,
but this progression did not come without a cost.

In order to obtain the energy from fossil fuels, the fuels must be burned. The problem is, that
when these fuels are burned they release harmful gases into the ozone.

The ozone is a mixture of gases that protect us from radiation from the sun. The ozone has a
very delicate balance, and when we add in these foreign gases, we throw this balance off.
When properly working, the ozone is supposed to let in a small amount radiation from the
sun, to heat the planet, this radiation is supposed to come to earth and bounce out
traveling back to space. The problem is, that with the balance of gases thrown off, the
radiation from the sun gets caught in our atmosphere, causing what we have come to know
as global warming.

The Harmful Gases Released

Greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere in several different

ways, such as the burning of: oil, natural gases, coal, solid waste, and
wood.

While there are quite a few gases released while burning these fuels, some
are more harmful than others to the ozone. Three of the main contributors
to global warming are: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. One
of the major concerns, in regards to these three gases, is their alarming rise
of presence within the ozone.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide is, the most commonly known of the harmful greenhouse
gases. CO2, is released through the burning of all previously mentioned
sources of fuel, but deforestation and soil degradation also contribute to
CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Over the past 150 years, we have seen a
serious increase in levels of CO2 in the atmosphere; with a huge spike
after 1970, when the automotive industry really began to take off.

The graph on the next slide shows, the recorded levels of carbon dioxide
in the air from 1850 to 2010, along with the predictions of levels through
2100. In this graph, it can be seen: how the levels of CO2 in the
atmosphere, have greatly increased from our started use of fossil fuels,
and how our projections only see things getting worse.

Increase and Predicted Increase of Carbon

Dioxide Levels from 1850 to 2100
CO2 Levels (PPM)
500

Amount Per Million in the Air

475
450

445

400

389.21

350
300

285.2

303.4

307.5

311.3

311.3

317.07

295.7

300.1

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960
Year

325.54

338.99

354.29

369.64

250
200
1850

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2050

2100

Methane

Methane is another commonly know greenhouse gas. Methane finds its way into the
atmosphere, by escaping during production and transportation (leaks and breaks in
pipes for example) of oil and natural gases. Methane can also find its way into to the
atmosphere through the gas byproducts of certain livestock.

The graph on the next slide shows, the recorded levels of methane in the air from
1850 to 2010, and the predictions of levels in the air through 2100. In the graph, it can
be seen that there is far less methane in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide; this
sounds like great news, but it is not. Methane particles, are more than 50 times more
damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide; with this known, the future
projections of methane gas are terrifying.

Increase and Predicted Increase of

Methane Levels From 1850 to 2100
Methane Levels (PPB)
Amount Per Billion in the Air

3750

3751

3250
2750

2740

2250
1750
1250
750

791
1850

879

924

978

1036

1900

1910

1920

1930

1088

1147

1940

1950

1247

1960
Axis Title

1386

1970

1548

1980

1694

1751

1779

1990

2000

2010

2050

2100

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide is a less commonly known greenhouse gas, but has potential to
be very detrimental to the ozone. Nitrous oxide, is released into the
atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and solid waste; but is released
even more so in, agricultural and industrial activities.

The graph on the next slide shows, the recorded levels of nitrous oxide in the
air from 1850 to 2010, as well as the predictions of levels in the air through
2100. The graph of nitrous oxide shows, that there are far fewer nitrous oxide
particles in the air than the other two greenhouse gases: like with methane
you would assume that, this would be a good thing, it is not. Nitrous oxide, is
almost 300 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.

Increase and Predicted Increase in Nitrous

Oxide Levels From 1850 to 2100
Nitrous Oxide Levels (PPB)
450
435.1

Amount Per Billion in the Air

430
410
390
370

367.2

350
330
310
290
270

275.4

279.8

281

282.9

1850

1900

1910

1920

285

286.7

289

291.1

295.2

1930

1940

1950

1960
Year

1970

301.4

309.5

315.9

323.1

250
1980

1990

2000

2010

2050

2100

Is this really the Earth we

want for our children?

Work Cited
"Climate Change Indicators: Greenhouse Gases." EPA. Environmental
Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
<https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/greenhouse-gases>.

Sato, Makiko, and Gavin Schmidt. "Forcings in GISS Climate Model." NASA.
NASA, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
<http://data.giss.nasa.gov/modelforce/ghgases/>.