How does the combustion of fossil fuel lead to an increase in global temperature?

Answer 1

Yes, it does. There is a natural amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the carbon cycle moves around. This is enough, with the other greenhouse gases, to keep the earth warm.

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide that has been out of the picture, buried underground, for millions of years. So this release increases the levels of carbon dioxide.

Answer 2

Fossil fuel combustion results in the emission of carbon dioxide, which is a heat trapping "greenhouse" gas.

Volcanic activity releases some hundred million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. Obviously, this amount is small enough for the earth to absorb and cope, as volcanoes appear to have existed throughout most of earth's history.

Humans, on the other hand, emit 30,000 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, such that for the past dozen decades CO2 levels have been continuously rising. Although earth's temperature has only gone up about 1 degree C as a result, so far, climate scientists predict a 4 to 7 degree rise by the end of this century. The results of that are expected to be catastrophic.

Answer 3

Burning fossil fuels releases CO2 into the atmosphere.

And while the CO2 doesn't do much to heat up the atmosphere by itself, it increases the insulating capacity of the atmosphere.

And it's that increased insulation which makes the Earth hold on to more of its heat, instead of losing it into outer space, which makes the Earth warmer.

Answer 4

All fossil fuels contain carbon and burning them produces carbon dioxide. Much of this carbon dioxide remains in the earth's atmosphere where it acts as a greenhouse gas. It allows heat from the sun to pass through to the surface of the earth but absorbs the reflected radiation. So solar energy, which would otherwise be reflected away into space, remains trapped in the earth's atmosphere and this causes an increase in the earth's temperature.

Answer 5

Yes it does. Burning fossil fuel (coal, oil and natural gas) releases carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas. This extra gas in the atmosphere is causing global warming.

Answer 6

by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

Answer 7

Yes.