The most important of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming is?

Question

A. CFCs

B. Car monoxide

C. Carbon dioxide or

D. Methane?

Answer 1

Carbon dioxide

Answer 2

none of the above.

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Answer 3

C. Carbon dioxide. While not as prevalent as some of the other GHG's, it certainly packs the biggest punch, and is responsible for 9-26% of the greenhouse effect (the range is due to spectral overlap with the other gasses), and over 50% of the total warming over the past century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_diox...

Answer 4

CFC's

Answer 5

E. None of the above.  The correct answer is hot air from politicians and Hollywood celebrities.

Answer 6

all of the above but mostly D

Answer 7

Although methane is said to be more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide there is far more carbon dioxide generated from combustion than there is methane from decay, cows, etc.  CFCs affect ozone and have nothing to do with the greenhouse effect.  Carbon monoxide is reactive enough that it does not stay around very long.  

So, assuming that any of these gases contribute to global warming the best answer is C. Carbon Dioxide, final answer.

Answer 8

In terms of CONTRIBUTION then it's carbon dioxide, in terms of POTENTIAL then it's CFC's.

I'll explain...

Of all the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide is by far the most prevelant but is's quite a weak greenhouse gas compared to the others.  It's only because it exists in such comparatively large amounts that it makes the significant contribution to global warming that it does.  CFC's on the other hand are far more effective greenhouse gases but exist only in very small amounts so the contribution they make is small.

To put some numbers to it:  Carbon dioxide contributes 72.3% of anthropogenic global warming, nitrous oxide is 18.4%, methane is 7.9%, dichlorodiflouromethane (one of the CFC's) is 0.9%, all other greenhouse gases (CFC's HFC's and HCFC's) are 0.4%.  In terms of global warming potential (GWP - measured relative to CO2 which has a vlaue of 1) methane has a value of 23, nitrous oxide is 296, dichlorodifluoromethane is 8500, other CFC's vary between 1800 and 31,500.  Measured by quantity (parts per billion by volume - ppbv) CO2 is 365,000, nitrous oxide is 314, methane is 1745, dichlorodifluoromethane is 0.5, all other greenhouse gases total 0.7.

Answer 9

D. Methane