How Is Car Pollution Causing Global Warming?
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Cars Release Greenhouse Gases
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The vast majority of automobiles in the world burn some type of fossil fuel, usually gasoline, diesel or oil, in a combustion engine to produce the power needed to travel. When fossil fuels are burned they create pollution in the form of a greenhouse gases such carbon dioxide, (CO2) nitrous oxide and methane, which are released out of the muffler of the vehicle. CO2 is the largest the contaminant released in the largest quantities; while plants absorb CO2, the amount of vehicles in the world is increasing, while the size of forests is decreasing, leading to an increasing concentration of CO2 in the air.
The Impact of Greenhouse Gases
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Greenhouse gases are those gases that are able to absorb heat radiation in the infrared range, such as thermal radiation emitted by the sun. Since car pollution increases the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, more of the sun's heat is captured and retained by the atmosphere, leading to an increase in global temperatures or global warming. Many scientists believe this "greenhouse effect" is the primary cause for the increase in global temperatures the Earth has experienced over the past century, while others attribute global warming largely to cyclical warming patterns and solar activity.
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Reducing Vehicle Impacts on Global Warming
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In recent years there has been increasing focus on the need to stem car pollution and its possible contribution toward global warming. Tighter environmental restrictions on fuels, engines and emissions are one way to combat car pollution. Another, and perhaps more promising, solution is a shift toward alternative fuels and energy sources that can be used to run vehicles that emit fewer greenhouse gases. Hybrid car technology, which uses an electric battery to supplement fossil fuel power, is a first step toward reducing car pollution. One of the main difficulties with combating the impact of car pollution is that restrictions and regulations imposed in one country do not affect the use of cars in other countries. For instance, China is quickly becoming one of the largest emitters of fossil fuels from vehicles, which could easily offset any gains made by careful regulation of cars in the U.S. or Europe.
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Comments
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Small correction: Gases are released out of the tailpipe of a car...not the muffler.
