Why does burning fossil from automobiles, power plants, factories produces global warming?

Question

what does it create?

Answer 1

Fossil fuels like natural gas, gasoline, coal, etc. are hydrocarbons, meaning that they are composed primarily of the chemical elements Hydrogen (H) and Carbon (C). During the combustion process these elements combine with air which is comprised of mostly (78%) Nitrogen (N2) – a relatively inert gas, and around 21% Oxygen (O, found in the atmosphere as O2), which is necessary for combustion.  The byproducts of clean combustion are water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and small amounts of oxides of nitrogen and nitrous oxide (NO and N2O respectively). For the sake of simplicity I’m ignoring the other compounds that are created from incomplete combustion or other compounds that make a fuel “dirty” because they are both very small amounts and not greenhouse gas, thus not relevant to this discussion.  So to recap – the byproducts of internal combustion are mainly water vapor and carbon dioxide.

CO2 is blamed for global warming, but the fact is that it is one of the least potent greenhouse gases.  It is important to keep in mind that CO2 is not a pollutant or dangerous compound.  In fact, without CO2 life on earth would cease to exist.  Plants require CO2 as part of the photosynthetic process that both feeds the plant and releases back into the atmosphere the oxygen we need to breathe. Plants actually thrive in slightly elevated percentages of CO2, which makes the planet greener.  Of course the greatest volume and most effective greenhouse gas is water vapor, providing 95% of the effect.  The remainder of the greenhouse effect is from other gases, including CO2.  But of this remaining 5%., only a little over 3% is from CO2, and humans only contribute a little over 5% to that 3%. So as you can see, the human contribution to the total greenhouse effect and global warming is actually very small.

Most methane (CH4) is from biomass. As organic compounds break down (for example plants decaying) they release CH4. There is also some methane released from what is known as “methane ice” found in the ocean floors.

Answer 2

some fossil fuels release greenhouse gases when they are burnt

Answer 3

The simple answer is carbon dioxide - CO2. CO2 is a "greenhouse" gas because its chemical properties allow it to trap heat in the earth's atmosphere, but it is much more of a problem than water vapour.

The reason for this is that water vapour only ever lasts a very short time in the atmosphere. It is always cycling back down to earth as rain, and so the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere is always very balanced. CO2 lasts a very long time in the atmosphere. It stays in the atmosphere for decades or longer. This is why it is more significant than water vapour, even though there is more water vapour than CO2 at any one time.

Humans are now producing massive amounts of CO2. Way more than ever before in the history of the planet. There are already signs that the planet is warming significantly, and this is why scientists are concerned that the natural balance will be upset and the planet will warm too much and produce a "runaway" greenhouse effect. The planet Venus is an example of a runaway greenhouse effect.

Methane is also a "greenhouse" gas. It is much more potent than water vapour or CO2 - about 20 times more effective at trapping atmospheric heat than CO2. This is why it is also a concern. It does not last as long in the atmosphere though. It is produced naturally in wetlands and the ocean, but also by farming,  agriculture, mining, natural gas production, and other sources.

The amount of methane has also been balanced in the past, but as human population has increased rapidly, so has the amount of methane in the atmosphere.

IMPORTANT EDIT: I'm going to explain, again, why scientists are more concerned about CO2 than water vapour, because it is a very commonly misunderstood topic and is often used by climate sceptics to create confusion.

While there is more water vapour in the atmosphere and its overall contribution to the greenhouse effect is more than CO2, IT IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM. No matter how much more water vapour you add (we're not anyway), it stays in balance, lasting only a few days before it condenses and falls back to earth as rain. CO2 does not. It builds up and lasts for a long, long time.

There is no limit to the amount of rain which can fall, but there are substantial limits to how much CO2 can be soaked up by trees and the oceans, and how quickly this can happen.

You can read about a lot of this stuff, but be very careful which websites you frequent. Conspiracy theories abound on the web and are almost always ridiculous, so as a good rule, when you see the word "conspiracy", you can guarantee that you're NOT getting genuine information!

Answer 4

You should read up on the carbon cycle.

the other answers have answered your question, except for the bit about methane.

In essence, methane comes from bacteria, whether they live in a cow's gut or at the bottom of a lake. They are a natural part of the biosphere (Earth's living system) and for a variety of reasons, humans are encouraging more methane into the atmosphere - which is exacerbating the warming already being experienced.

If you want to help reduce methane in our atmosphere, take up composting and reduce the amount of beef that you eat.

Answer 5

Carbon dioxide, a "greenhouse gas".

Some gases ("greenhouse gases") let sunlight in, which warms the Earth, and then block that heat from leaving. That's the "greenhouse effect", and it's a natural thing, mostly caused by water vapor.

Man is making excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly by burning fossil fuels. That causes the delicate natural balance to go out of whack and the Earth warms. That's global warming.

Answer 6

Why don't you ask how POISON the pollution is? Why is your question concerned only with the temperature of the POISON you and your family are eating, drinking and breathing every day, no matter where they are? Do you have any personal priorities left? If a child drowned in the pool in your backyard will you claim you monitored the water temperature constantly so that no one should have drowned?

So how warm is the POISON and what could you possibly get from knowing that?