Climate Change and the Combustion of Fossil Fuels

If the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were not present, more heat energy would escape, and Earth s average temperature would be about 60 °F colder than it currently is. The temperature outside of my office today would be below 0°F, and even the sunniest U.S. cities would most hkely be covered with snow. However, if the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were to increase, Earth s average temperature would rise. 

The molecular models on this balance Kpresent the reactants and products in the combustion of octane, a component of petroleum. One of the products, carbon dioxide, is the main greenhouse gas implicated in global climate change. 

The extremely celd temperatures of Mars are as much a result of Its lack of atmosphere as Its greater distance from fhe sun than Earth. Conversely, Venus is an inferno partly because its thick atmosphere is rich In greenhouse gases. 

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