#113 Effects of combustion of fossil fuels on CO2 level
Photosynthesis takes CO2 out of the atmosphere and replaces it with O2. Respiration and combustion both do the opposite: they use up O2 and replace it with CO2.
The equations are essentially the same, but reversed:
The equations are essentially the same, but reversed:
In order for the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere to remain stable, the rates of these processes need to be balanced.
Processes that change the equilibrium (balance) include:
Processes that change the equilibrium (balance) include:
- cutting down forests (deforestation) – less photosynthesis
- combustion of fossil fuel (coal, oil and gas)
- increasing numbers of animals (including humans) – they all respire.
An increase in CO2 levels in the atmosphere is thought to contribute to global warming.
CO2 forms a layer in the atmosphere, which traps heat radiation from the Sun. This causes a gradual increase in the atmospheric temperature which can:
- melt polar ice caps, causing flooding of low-lying land
- change weather conditions in some countries, increasing flooding or reducing rainfall and changing arable (farm) land to desert
- cause the extinction of some species that cannot survive at higher temperatures.