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Fossil Fuels
Fossil remains originate from plants and animals that lived over 300 million years ago. Over time, these remains settled into coal, oil and gas deposits beneath the earth's surface, according to the University of Michigan. The energy contained inside these materials can be harnessed and used as fuel. In modern-day society, fossil fuels are a primary source for powering electrical plants and motorized devices. Unfortunately, these fuel sources are non-renewable and result in gaseous emissions that can potentially harm the earth's climate.
Greenhouse Gases
According to the University of Michigan, as much as 85 percent of the energy consumed in the United States uses fossil fuels as a primary source. Coal, oil and gas materials are burned to create energy. This combustion process results in greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide according to the Energy Information Administration. Greenhouse gases are part of the atmosphere and help contain some of the sun's heat within the earth's atmosphere. Ongoing fossil fuel emissions create an excess of these gases that can potentially harm the atmosphere and affect climate conditions.
Global Warming
Global warming is a phrase used to describe the imbalance present within nature's ongoing carbon cycle. The carbon cycle involves how plant photosynthesis processes work to maintain the ongoing exchange of carbon between the earth and the atmosphere, according to the Energy Information Administration. When excess amounts of carbon dioxide are present, the carbon cycle process may be unable to compensate. As a result, global temperatures can gradually increase from ongoing fossil fuel emissions.
Effects
Natural cycles within the earth's atmosphere produce a normal variability in climate conditions, according to the Energy Information Administration. When computer-based models are used to determine the effects of increasing greenhouse gases, an increase in the earth's overall temperature is apparent. As of yet, it's unknown whether fossil fuel emissions actually have a direct impact on global warming considering the normal or natural climate changes that already take place, although increasing numbers of scientists believe that they do. If fossil fuel emissions are changing the earth's climate, the effects may be seen in changing sea levels, weather patterns and altered land-ecosystem balances.
Potential
According to the Energy Information Administration, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel usage showed an annual increase of 1.9 percent between the years 2001 and 2005. Approximately 25 percent of total emissions are produced by the United States; however, developing countries are expected to contribute significant amounts as their economic and production needs continue to increase.