Climate change fossil fuel

Burning fossil fuel releases carbon into the atmosphere—more than 6.3 billion tons in 1998 alone. Significant amounts of carbon also come from burning of live wood and deadwood. Such fires are often deliberately set to clear land for crops and pastures. In 1988 the smoke from fires set in the Amazon Basin covered 1,044,000 square miles. By far the most serious implication of this is the significant threat to Earth s ecosystems by global climate change. 

A secondary benefit is that efficiency gains in fossil fuel generation also reduce all types of harmful emissions, even carbon dioxide—the greenhouse gas suspected by many as a major culprit of climate change. A 45 percent efficient plant releases approximately 40 percent less COn per megawatt-hours of electricity produced than a 25 percent efficient plant that it might be replacing. 

The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) is the division of NOAA that conducts and directs oceanic and atmospheric research. Since carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and fossil fuels are the leading generator of carbon dioxide, the work of the twelve Environmental Research Laboratories and eleven Joint Institutes of OAR to describe, monitor, and assess climate trends are of great interest to all parties interested in the affect of energy use on climate change. 

Turning to the other major areas, the picture is clearer, at least in terms of the direchon of the impact. Nuclear power can help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and thereby lessen the severity of predicted climate changes. It can also help ease the difficulties that will arise from the conflict between the shrinking of fossil fuel supplies and the rising material aspirations of a growing world population. 

In summary, in order to address the critical problems of climate change and fossil fuel supply, we need greatly expanded sources of clean energy. It is dangerous to assume that nonnuclear sources will suffice. It is therefore important to strengthen the foundations... 

The climate change problem is largely a fossil fuel problem. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007 report, at least 57% of greenhouse gas emissions... 

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