Is carbon dioxide the number one greenhouse gas?

Answer 1

Not even close on any scale. Water vapor is the major contributor. 80% of all greenhouse forcing is by water vapor. In terms of volume this is the winner.

If we are talking about forcing ability ethane is many times stringer in its ability to contribute to this very needed effect.

Carbon dioxide makes up less then 0.04% of the gas on our planet. Man produces about 6% of all CO2. Most of that CO2 created by an would occur naturally if we did not create it first. Man produces 0.28% of all green house gas.

Trees produce far more CO2 then humans do.

A:Carbon dioxide (CO2) is not the most abundant greenhouse gas, nor is it the most potent, but it is the number one greenhouse gas responsible for the accelerated greenhouse effect, added by humans burning fossil fuels. CO2 is having the largest effect on the recent increases in global temperature.

The most common greenhouse gas for the natural greenhouse effect is water vapour. Man has no control over its levels. When it gets too high, it falls as rain.