How might burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming?

Answer 1

Fossil fuel consists of hydrocarbons that are burned in air to generate carbon dioxide, water and heat. The heat comes from the formation of carbon-oxygen chemical bonds, and also hydrogen-oxygen chemical bonds.

The carbon dioxide is dumped into the atmosphere, raising the concentration of CO2 in the air.

CO2 is a greenhouse gas, in other words it allows the Sun's rays through to heat the ground, but it stops the ground's heat being radiated away into space because the ground is at a much lower temperature and its radiated heat is therefore at a longer wavelength that is blocked by CO2.

What happens if the CO2 concentration is allowed to get too high can be seen on the planet Venus, which has a 95% CO2 atmosphere and surface temperatures of 400-500 degrees C.

Of course, we are nowhere near that yet, but we know than even a few degrees of temperature rise could be disastrous for our present way of life.

Answer 2

Burning fossil fuels can contribute to Global Warming because it can add toxic gasses to the atmosphere. Toxic gasses have the potential to burn holes through the atmosphere.