global warming

• burning of fossil fuels + deforestation = increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere
• carbon dioxide stops heat escaping atmosphere -> temperature of earth will increase when carbon dioxide increases -> global warming
• global warming causes:

  • ice caps to melt faster
  • climate change - in some places floods and droughts and more intense hurricanes
  • sea levels rise
• to reduce global warming:

  • use renewable forms of energy
  • carbon capture - captured in old oil and gas fields
  • reduce personal use of electricity
  • reduce deforestation
  • combust less fossil fuels
• fossil fuels contain sulfur as an impurity -> when burnt they produce sulfur dioxide gas that reacts with rainwater in clouds -> acid rain
• normal rain = acidic -> dissolved carbon dioxide
• effects of acid rain:

  • kills trees / plants
  • can cause lakes / ponds to become acidic
  • damage metal + rocks
  • kills fish in lakes
• to reduce amount of sulfur dioxide :

  • sulfur scrubbing
  • chimneys are lined with limestone to neutralise sulfur dioxide
  • combust fuels that have or contain less sulfur
• carbon neutral fuel = carbon dioxide produced when fuel combusted simply replaces carbon dioxide used up during photosynthesis