Which gas released during combustion of fossil fuels is a major contributor to climate change?

Which gas released during combustion of fossil fuels is a major contributor to climate change?

• A. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• B. Oxygen (O2)
• C. Nitrogen (N2)
• D. Hydrogen (H2)

Answer: (A)

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and stays there for a long time. Because fossil-fuel combustion adds large amounts of CO2 that persist for decades to centuries, it accumulates and strengthens the planet’s greenhouse effect, leading to warming and climate change. Among the options, carbon dioxide is the major contributor for this reason: its longevity and the sheer volume emitted from burning coal, oil, and natural gas make it the primary driver of human-caused warming. The other gases listed aren’t the same kind of long-lasting climate pollutant in this context—oxygen is consumed in the burn, nitrogen is largely inert, and while hydrogen combustion produces water vapor, CO2 from carbon-containing fuels has the larger, longer-term impact on climate.

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and stays there for a long time. Because fossil-fuel combustion adds large amounts of CO2 that persist for decades to centuries, it accumulates and strengthens the planet’s greenhouse effect, leading to warming and climate change. Among the options, carbon dioxide is the major contributor for this reason: its longevity and the sheer volume emitted from burning coal, oil, and natural gas make it the primary driver of human-caused warming. The other gases listed aren’t the same kind of long-lasting climate pollutant in this context—oxygen is consumed in the burn, nitrogen is largely inert, and while hydrogen combustion produces water vapor, CO2 from carbon-containing fuels has the larger, longer-term impact on climate.