Category: Greenhouse Gas

A geochemical cycle describes the pathway in which chemical elements transfer within the lithosphere (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2014). Examples discussed in this essay are the carbon and phosphorus cycles which are both essential for the development of life. The groundwater aspect of the water cycle is also included, as it involves the movement of water within the lithosphere. Carbon has many biological functions such as being used in the production of carbohydrates, fats and proteins (Marianne, 2016, pp. 79-92) as well as contributing to the greenhouse effect to keep the Earth at an inhabitable temperature. Phosphorus also has biological functions, as it is an important element in the composition of cell membranes, bones, proteins and molecules such as ATP. Liquid water is a requirement for any life to exist so therefore Earth, as far as we know, is the only planet in our solar system that inhabits life (Genn, 2018, pp. 5-9, 152-157). These cycles can be affected by natural circumstances for example, the density of vegetation, or the presence of oceans and certain types of rocks. These act as large sinks (Middleton, 2019, pp. 1-25) and will have a varying effect on the cycles of ecosystems situated in different locations.

However, anthropogenic activity does have a large role to play in interrupting these natural cycles. There are many of these activities that have an impact but the two largest are related to global climate change and agricultural practices, which will be discussed further in this essay.

The Carbon Cycle

Since the industrial revolution, anthropogenic activities have had a huge impact on the carbon cycle. At the beginning of the industrial period, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere was approximately 280 parts per million. In 1970 it had increased to 325 parts per million and in January 2020, the atmospheric concentration had peaked at over 413.4 parts per million (“Why CO2 matters for climate change,” 2020). It is believed by scientists that the last time the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere were this high was approximately 3 million years ago (“Five ways to reduce your carbon footprint,” 2021). Combustion of fossil fuels is the largest contributor to this increase (Marianne, 2016, pp. 79-92) as carbon is released by oxidation (Middleton, 2019, pp. 1-25) through factories, agriculture and methods of transport. It takes millions of years for fossil fuels to be produced from the remains of deceased organisms containing carbon (“Why CO2 matters for climate change,” 2020) and by burning them it speeds up the pathway from the lithospheric store to the atmospheric store, therefore increasing the atmospheric concentration because rates of release exceed rates of absorption. The greenhouse effect is causing global temperatures to rise which in turn, has impacts on the carbon cycle, as shown on the Quinghai-Tibetan Plateau in China. Biomass on the plateau has increased because of enhanced photosynthesis due to global warming. This also links to the melting of permafrosts which contain 1672 Pg of organic carbon. These large carbon sinks then release this carbon that they have contained for centuries into the atmosphere as CO2 (Chen et al., 2013).

Photosynthesis is an important process involved in the carbon cycle, and many anthropogenic activities disrupt this. Firstly, deforestation has decreased vegetation cover by 40% since the industrial revolution. This decreases rates of photosynthesis and results in less CO2 being absorbed from the atmosphere (Marianne, 2016, pp. 79-92). It also decreases the volume of leaf litter as plants are no longer there to shed their leaves, resulting in carbon concentration in the soils decreasing and reducing nutrient recycling (Chen et al., 2013). On the contrary, afforestation increases photosynthesis and decreases atmospheric concentration of CO2 by absorption. However, photosynthesis is not limited to vegetation alone. Phytoplankton play a vital role in marine ecosystems and can be killed by marine pollution caused by careless human behaviour. This results in less carbon being absorbed out of the water and when they die, they sink to the seabed. They decompose and release the carbon they stored into the sediment, returning the carbon to the lithospheric store where it will be recycled in time (Genn, 2018, pp.148-152).

The most dominant carbon stores are the oceans and carbonate rocks. Under natural circumstances, carbon is liberated by the processes of seafloor spreading, erosion and emissions from the Earth’s crust by volcanic activity (Middleton, 2019, pp. 1-25). However, agricultural practices, such as spreading nitrate fertilisers, can also have influences on the carbon cycle. Carbonate rocks, for example limestones, in the karst region have enhanced weathering due to the release of nitrate and sulfuric acid from artificial nitrate fertilisers used on crops. The weathering releases CO2 into the atmospheric and oceanic stores, speeding up the carbon cycle’s natural time scale (Li et al., 2020).

The Phosphorus Cycle

Anthropogenic activities also effect the phosphorus cycle in multiple ways. Firstly, the mining of phosphate rocks. Calcium phosphate is the raw material mined from the earth and taken out of the lithospheric store. It is then converted to ammonium phosphate which can be used for phosphate fertilisers as it is more soluble. This is important for the plants as it makes the phosphate easier for them to uptake and then it can be used in the necessary biological processes. A less destructive method than mining is to extract ammonium phosphates from seabird guano, found in dry areas such as Peru or tropical islands (Genn, 2018, pp.152-157). However, the majority of seabird guano accumulations have already been exploited.

Not only does mining phosphates impact the phosphorus cycle but using the fertilisers themselves also have their effects. Phosphate fertilisers are used because phosphate is a main component of the biological molecule, ATP. ATP is a fundamental part of photosynthesis, therefore without it, plants would suffer stunted growth and would result in a food shortage for people (Izen, 2015, p.88). To avoid this problem, farmers spread artificial phosphate fertiliser so prevent this from happening and increase crop yield. This increases the soil concentration and plant stores, but consequently decreases the lithospheric store. Spreading fertilisers also causes eutrophication as the desired effects it has on plants also effects photosynthetic algae in nearby water sources (Genn, 2018, pp.152-157).

An example of anthropogenic activity influencing the phosphorous cycle is in the mangrove forests of China. Asia and South America run fish and shrimp farms in the mangrove forests because of effective nitrogen abstraction and phosphorus preservation. These features are used to filter the wastes from these farms. This effects the sediment profile, as there was a substantial difference in phosphorus concentration between sediments that are found around the farms and un-touched sediments in other locations (Jiang et al., 2018). This supports the statement that humans do have impacts on the phosphorus cycle.

The Water Cycle

Water is a renewable resource in ample supply which is affected by anthropogenic activities that cause imbalanced distribution and impacts its abundance and condition. Us as humans abstract water for 3 purposes, agricultural, domestic and industrial. 70% of water is used for irrigating crops, 22% is used in industry and 8% for domestic uses. The requirement for water is increasing because of growing global population, as more crops must be grown for food and the demand for domestic purposes increases (Genn, 2018, pp.114-119).

An aquifer is a valuable source of water that is found underground in permeable, porous rocks. It is renewable as it is recharged by groundwater sources. However, aquifer depletion is becoming increasingly common as rates of abstraction exceed rates of recharge. This is the first anthropogenic impact and effects aquifers directly (Genn, 2018, pp.114-119). Global climate change is another that indirectly effects groundwater levels and aquifer recharge. The release of greenhouse gases and aerosol particles alter pathways of water elsewhere in the water cycle, such as precipitation quantities and occurrence (Allan et al,. 2020). Changes in precipitation result in varying levels of groundwater due to altered infiltration, therefore changing aquifer recharge rates. Other activities that can affect infiltration rates are deforestation, afforestation, soil compaction by agricultural practices and urban development. Aquifers can also be recharged artificially, by pumping surplus water from periods of high rainfall back underground, ready to be used in the future. (Genn, 2018, pp.114-129).

Conclusion

Overall, this essay has described that anthropogenic activity has a vast impact on the natural geochemical cycles. Agricultural practices appear to have the widest range of impacts, having affected each cycle individually, particularly the spreading of artificial fertilisers. Global climate change is also having an influence on many aspects and both these impacts have proved to be very destructive in many ways. We as humans must look carefully into preventing these influencers to create a sustainable future for many generations to come.

Methane is a chemical compound (CH4) including one atom of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen.And it was discovered and isolated by Alessandro volta during his studies between 1776 and 1778 when he was studying marsh gas from lake maggiore.

It’s a tetrahedral molecule with four C-H bonds and at room temperature (20 °C) and standard pressure (105 Pa) is a colorless and deodorized gass. It is simplest alkane and it’s the main component of natural gas. Abundance of methane on our planet makes it an economically attractive fuel and it is major integrant of natural gas (87% by volume).Methane is used in industrial chemical processes and can be transported as a refrigerated liquid (liquefied natural gas or LNG). While leaks from a refrigerated liquid container are initially heavier than air due to the increased density of cold gas, gas at room temperature is lighter than air. Pipelines distribute large quantities of natural gas, of which methane is the main component; and it used as a fuel for furnaces, homes, water heaters, furnaces, automobiles, turbines and others. Activated carbon is used to store methane. Refined liquid methane is used as rocket fuel, when combined with liquid oxygen, as in the BE-4 and Raptor engines

The greenhouse effect is the process whereby radiation from the atmosphere of a planet warms the planet to a temperature higher than without this atmosphere.

In 2010, methane levels were estimated at 1850 nmolmol in the Arctic. In the last 400,000 years, this amount is about twice as high as at any time. During the glacial cycles generally referred to as ice ages, historical methane concentrations in the world atmosphere ranged between 300 and 400 nmolmol, and between 600 and 700 nmolmol during the warm interglacial periods. A possible significant source of Arctic methane is the Earth’s oceans. Methane is a major greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 34 over a 100-year cycle compared to CO2(potential of 1), and 72 over a 20-year period. Since 1750, the Earth’s concentration of atmospheric methane has risen by about 150%, accounting for 20% of the overall radiative forcing of all long-lived and globally mixed greenhouse gases (these gases do not include water vapor, which is by far the largest portion of the greenhouse effect)

Sharp increases in levels of atmospheric methane have been reported from 2015 to 2019. In February 2020, methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry were confirmed to have been dramatically underestimated. Climate change will raise the levels of atmospheric methane by increasing the production of methane in natural environments and providing input on climate change.

Methane is non-toxic, yet extremely flammable, and may form explosive mixtures of air. Methane is also an asphyxiant when the concentration of oxygen is reduced to less than about 16 per cent by displacement, as most people can tolerate a reduction from 21 per cent to 16 per cent without adverse effects. The concentration of methane at which the risk of asphyxiation becomes significant is much higher than the 5–15 percent concentration in a flammable or explosive mixture. Methane gas can penetrate the interiors of buildings near landfills and expose the occupants to significant levels of methane. Some buildings have specially designed recovery systems below their basements to actively capture this gas and remove it from the building.

CH4 reduction gives different advantages such as energy stability, environmental decrease Contamination. CH4 reduces global warming, on the other hand, which alleviates global warming Shift in the atmosphere.Methane reduction offers a global opportunity to increase air quality, and can be a cost-effective part of international ozone management that offers several advantages ,Quality of air, atmosphere, farming and human health.

We see every day the use of person vehicles and how much we depend on them as a society. People in this society travel to work or school by car as it is seen as the most efficient way. We can complain about the issue of traffic, but the individual would still sit in traffic, waste fuel, and increase greenhouse emissions every day as needed. This issue is seen every day and as a society we accept it regardless of its consequences.

Everyone has heard about climate change, global warming, and the greenhouse effect. “The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat” (NASA). This is the basic idea of how planet Earth stays warm. The sun warms up the Earth’s surface through sunlight and the heat is then trapped by the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. This effect is not particularly a bad thing because this is how our planet stays warm. The issue is that humans impact the greenhouse effect due to human activities. Burning coal and oil are the main practices used today by our society. These practices are putting more and more greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, which leads to more heat being trapped as well. A huge contributor, if not the biggest, to greenhouse emissions in the United States is transportation.

In 2017, transportation was the largest contributor to greenhouse emissions at twenty-nine percent in the Unites States. “The transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to anthropogenic U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 1990–2017” (EPA). Almost sixty percent of transportation emissions were from light duty vehicles. Commuters from Washington DC and Southern California spend up to eighty hours in traffic per year. Commuters in Chicago spend up to sixty hours in traffic per year. As transportation is the main contributor, it is in our best interest as a society to try and lower these numbers. A great way to lower the use of cars would be the improvement of rail systems. “Rail is one of the most energy efficient ways that we can move materials from place to place. It is many times more efficient than cars and trucks and is on a par with barge freight energy usage” (Brinkmann 169). Japan has one of the best metro systems in

the world. Their metro system is very efficient, and a lot of commuters use it every day. A big problem in the United States is the underdevelopment of rails. We see everyday that there is constant construction being done on our roads. It is comical to hear about consumers complaining about roads not being fixed up when most funding is used for road/highway infrastructure. We do not see innovation when it comes to trains and rails. Japan did not focus on one single method of transportation like us. They are implementing high speed rails which can take you from Tokyo to Osaka in little over an hour. A good comparison to this would be traveling from New York to Washington DC. The amount of time it would take with Japan’s high-speed rail innovation is less than an hour. There is a lot of room for improvement in the United States for railroad improvement/implementation.

Traffic is something everyone experiences or sees every day. Traffic will only get worse in urban cities as the growth of populations increase on the daily. There are two simple solutions to reducing traffic which is to widen the highway or build rail lines. Highway projects are cheaper than rail-road projects and we can see it in society today the constant construction of roads and highways but little to no rail-road construction. The issue with approaching a problem like this is the inability to predict or consider the growth of traffic. The increased capacity will also encourage more commuters to drive. If the capacity is only increased to accommodate the current overflow of drivers, then the capacity will need to be increased more. We should be working on widening highways and the production of rail lines. This would improve both options of transportation. Another benefit of the production of rail lines is the increase in manufacturing jobs. If rail lines are funded around nearby urban cities, then a lot of manufacturing jobs will be created. This would increase the population around urban cities bringing in more money to the city.

There has been a decrease in transit ridership, and it is seen in multiple cities. “15 percent or more since the year of highest ridership in each region in the last decade” (O’Toole 3-4). The United States has recovered from high gas prices as America’s oil industry has been soaring. Gas prices are low which encourages more commuters to drive. Transit systems have poor infrastructures and with the decline in riders, the system can only get worse. Chicago has one of the best public transportation systems in the United States but there are still a lot of commuters who drive instead. Individuals who need to commute to the city from a suburb would much rather drive as the time it takes from the suburb by train could take longer. The price of driving may be more, but the time needed for public transit negates that issue. Japan’s transit system is very efficient and by following their infrastructure, a lot more commuters would appeal to public transit in the States. By doing this, we would reduce the number of cars on the road, reduce the amount of time cars sit in traffic, and ultimately reduce greenhouse emissions.

Another mass transit option are busses. Besides the use of trains/rail-lines, all cities have a public bus system. Busses are a great way to have less journeys needed by person. Essentially, having twenty people travel on one vehicle versus twenty separate vehicles is a lot more efficient. The more consumers use bus transit, the less cars there will be on the road. Less cars would mean less greenhouse emissions, which would conclude that busses are a greener option. Living in Chicago, it is seen daily that busses are not any faster than personal vehicles. This is because busses share the same driving lanes as cars. If anything, busses will increase the amount of traffic due to the need for entering and exiting shared lanes frequently. Exclusive bus lanes are common in other countries and would make bus transit a lot more efficient. If there are lanes dedicated for busses than there would not be any traffic mixing. There was a test done in Seoul, South Korea testing the performance impact of reserved bus lanes. “The reserved bus lane has positive impacts on the bus performance in terms of average travel speed, and the significance of performance improvement was dependent upon right turning movements of the buses and the type of bus lane markings in reserved bus lanes” (Kim 45). The data in the article shows that the average travel speed was higher in reserved bus lanes and there was only improvement when the lanes were only for busses. This can be compared to Chicago and how the busses are not bus only lanes. During peak rush hours, two different busses on the same route are behind each other due to traffic and the need to share lanes.

Technology is advancing every day and the dependence of batteries will only increase in the future. Most cars today are fueled by gasoline as they have been for many years. It was mentioned before that transportation is the main contributor to greenhouse emissions in the Unites States. If cars are the most used type of transportation, then the conversion to electric cars would be the best way to reduce emissions. “The CO2 emissions are 4.5 times higher for a combustion engine car compared to an electric car when the electricity comes from renewable energy sources” (Holmberg & Erdermir 1). If every single car being used right now is electric, then greenhouse emissions would be lowered significantly. This is unrealistic but a long-term goal of having eighty percent of all cars used daily being electric would reduce the contribution of emissions from twenty-nine percent to about fourteen percent. This is only considering light-duty cars as trucks require a much bigger combustion engine. The conversion from combustion engines to electric engines might take a few decades. One of the main issues of having electric cars is that the current technology for batteries is not enough for the average consumer. Tesla is the biggest and most well-known manufacturer for electric vehicles. The Tesla model 3 will be used as a reference since it is the cheapest Tesla model car that can be purchased, and it would be considered most obtainable to the average consumer. The range for this car is two-hundred and twenty miles per charge. This would be a great car if it was used day to day for work. Traveling long distances with this car is not ideal since charging stations are not accessible everywhere. As technology advances, batteries will become more powerful, compact, and efficient. Electric cars are the future as it can reduce greenhouse emissions significantly.

Another type of transportation that can be used are bikes. Bikes date back to the early nineteenth century and are still used in present day. They do not require fuel such as gasoline or even electricity. They can be used as a feeder to mass public transit systems. A lot of suburbs have issues with having access to rail-lines and if traveling to a train station with a bicycle is not an issue then it would encourage more commuters to travel by bicycle and train. If there is a well-planned infrastructure for the use of shared bicycles and the use of rail-lines, then it can potentially be more efficient for an individual to travel. Bicycle is an environmentally sustainable transport mode, which can be used as a main transport mode as well as a feeder to mass public transit systems. However, in many parts of the world, it is becoming unattractive due to insufficient and/or unplanned infrastructure (Agarwal, Ziemke, Nagel 20). Living in Chicago, there are shared bicycles all over downtown. There are a good amount of shared bicycle racks and there seems to be somewhat of a structure to where they are located. If these shared bicycle racks are closer or next to train stations, then the number of consumers who commute by train and by bicycle would increase. This will ultimately decrease the number of cars on the road leading to a decrease in greenhouse emissions.

Recently, the use of Uber and Lyft has been popular. The use of these apps and transportation can be considered the most efficient way to travel by many consumers. These apps are essentially taxis that arrive based off the consumer’s needs. They are advertised as a safe way to travel at the fraction of the cost. The cost of trips is cheaper than taxis. The issue with this ride-sharing app is that traffic congestion increased and the use of public transport in the city decreased. Another issue is that these companies advertise that the average consumer can make a good income from working for them. This leads to an increase of drivers, increase of cars, increase of fuel consumption, and increase in greenhouse emissions. “The latest study looks at traffic levels in San Francisco between 2010 and 2016, dates which reflect the pre-Uber/Lyft era and the time when Uber and Lyft were well established. It found that traffic congestion – measured in journey times – increased by 62%, and at least half of that increase was attributable to Uber and Lyft. At the same time, use of public transport in the city has decreased” (Bowers). There is a high demand for these shared rides. It is considered more convenient for consumers who need to travel into the city instead of using public transport. Travelers would have the luxury of traveling to the city in a short amount of time and not having to worry about parking their own vehicle. This proves that public transit is not the most efficient way to travel but it should be improved.

It is a well-known that the climate is changing, and the Earth is getting warmer. The increase in greenhouse gasses due to human activity is something that needs more attention and action. Consumers see every day that greenhouse emissions are increasing, and we sit in traffic not thinking about what can be done to prevent it. It is ironic that by sitting and doing nothing can be one of the worst things for our planet. People sit in traffic every single day of the week. Public transit is a great way to prevent this and the efficiency of this infrastructure needs to be improved so the average consumer can help reduce greenhouse emissions based off of urban sustainability.

During a 2014 Climate Summit, the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon stated, “Climate change has happened because of human behavior, therefore it’s only natural it should be us, human beings, to address the issue.” It may not be too late if we take the decisive actions today. Ban Ki-Moon gave this speech 5 years ago and his words are just as true in 2019. It is our responsibility to limit our gas emissions and air pollution while we still can try to halt global warming. Our global thermostat has already risen 1°C since pre-industrial times and it is expected to rise to 1.5°C or 2.0°C within the next 50 years if we do not change our ways. If that happens, our children and grandchildren will experience a different earth than we have. ​With the implementation of cleaner gasoline and green energy sources as well as use of electric and hybrid cars, gas pollution can be reduced. ​We need to make a change now to leave this earth better for our descendants.

Scientists have almost unanimously agreed that once our global temperature reaches past a 2°C rise from our pre-industrial temperature that the environmental consequences would be irreversible.​ ​An article from CBS News states, “U.N. and U.K. climate analysts recently concluded that the Earth has already warmed by 1 degree Celsius, with 2015 the hottest year ever recorded.” This leaves us with a margin of 1°C before we damage the earth permanently. We are expected to rise at least half a degree or more very soon if we do not take immediate action. In a rise of 0.5°C, around 14% of the world population will be exposed to extreme heat waves. However, in a rise of 1°C, almost 37% of the world will experience life-threatening

temperatures, especially in the topics. This would lead to droughts and water scarcity to millions of people, especially in already water-insecure locations. The arctic will start melting at exponentially increasing rates which will cause the sea levels to rise. Island nations and coastal areas will erode and then flood and then disappear completely into the ocean if the sea levels rise enough. The full scope of global warming extends further and is more encompassing than scientists can predict. However, it is undeniable that we are seeing the effects of climate change already.

One crucial step that we can take to combat climate change is reducing gas emissions from vehicles. When gasoline is used in combustion, which powers vehicles, it yields byproducts that are harmful to earth’s ozone layer and that contribute to air pollution. The major chemical reaction that occurs in a combustible engine consists of octane, one of the main components of asoline, mixed with oxygen and exposed to heat.

2C​8​H​18​ + 25O​2​ → 16CO​2​ + 18H​2​O

Notice that water vapor and carbon dioxide, CO​2​, is a byproduct in the combustion reaction. Because gasoline is not solely made of octane there are other gases produced during combustion such as, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and unburned hydrocarbons. All of these substances contribute to air pollution and are greenhouse gases.

The greenhouse effect keeps the surface of the Earth at a consistent temperature which supports life. The Sun’s radiation streams through the atmosphere to come to the Earth’s crust but reflects back some light into outer space. In the same manner, most greenhouse gases and infrared radiation that is emitted from Earth pass through the atmosphere, but some is reflected back and is trapped in-between the surface and the atmosphere. The more greenhouse gas we produce, the more that is unable to breach the atmosphere and is circulated between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. This effect that is supposed to keep the earth at a life-sustaining temperature is slowly killing it. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States used about 392 million gallons of gasoline each day in 2017. This includes gas used in cars, motorcycles, trucks, boats, and other mechanical equipment. Gasoline emissions make up about 1/5 of the total United States’ global warming contribution, but we can combat that by finding ways to limit the use of gasoline or by using cleaner gasoline.​ ​Currently, scientists are studying ways to create fully electric vehicles, using solar energy to power cars, and engineering biofuels that reduce gas emissions.

Electric vehicles are powered only by electricity, which can mean it runs on fully sustainable and renewable resources. Even though there are no direct gasoline emissions through combustion, electric vehicles still produce around 4,450 pounds of CO​2​. However, that is still less than one-half the emissions from a traditional, gasoline-powered car. The way that the electricity is generated to charge the vehicle can affect how much greenhouse gas is given off indirectly by powering it. Most of the United States uses natural gas for electricity, but some locations are powered by coal still, even though it is known to be one of the worst fuels for the environment.

To reduce gas emissions even further than just using an electric car, solar panels can be installed at home to charge the car. The technology for harnessing solar power is still being researched and it is only in its infancy, but home-based solar charging can power an electric vehicle for short trips. The first fully solar-powered car, nicknamed Stella, was created in 2014 to show Americans that it is possible to use the Sun’s energy as a substitute for gasoline.​ ​Electric cars are steadily becoming more available to the general public and are a viable option to reduce gas emissions from vehicles.

Replacing all the vehicles that use gasoline with electric vehicles is a potential solution to the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions. However, scientists are also looking into alternative fuels such as biodiesel, hydrogen, and natural gas. Biodiesel is made from recycled grease and vegetable oils as well assome kinds of animal fats. It is incorporated into fuel and the vehicles’ gas emissions drop with the increase of the percentage of biodiesel in the fuel. As you can see from Figure 2, the amount of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matter (PM) all decrease steadily when the amount of biodiesel used in the fuel rises. However, the use of biodiesel does increase the amount of nitrogen oxides in the air (NOx).

Another type of fuel that is rising in popularity is hydrogen used in fuel cell electric vehicles. Just like with other electric vehicles, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from these cars depend on the sources of hydrogen they use. Hydrogen can be used in a traditional combustion engine and it does reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced when compared to gasoline. However, when used in a fuel cell vehicle, they give off no direct gas emissions, just like with electric vehicles.

Natural gas is increasingly common as an easily available source of fuel that limits greenhouse gas emissions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets rules for fuel providers and for vehicles demanding that they restrict gas emissions. Natural gas is one of the easiest additions to gasoline to lower the gas emissions from the vehicle.​ ​There is ever evolving legislation being written in the United States that helps reduce the amount of gas emissions like the Clean Air Act, first passed by the EPA in 1970. This bill worked towards removing lead in gasoline, reducing the risks of gasoline leaks in gas stations and pipelines, and supplying gasoline that has little to no sulfur in it. The United States only plays a small part in reducing gas emissions that affect the Earth; every country needs to pass laws and conduct research that support the fight to reduce global warming before it rises to the critical 2°C level.

In an effort to rally the countries of the world together to set goals for reducing actions that contribute to global warming, the Paris Climate Conference was held in September of 2018 by the United Nations. The purpose of these summits is to celebrate achievements of countries reaching their set goals for reducing contributions to climate change, put into place new action plans for each country, and give and receive aid when necessary. The graph below, Figure 3, shows what would happen if no action is taken to limit our gas emissions. We would reach an estimated 4.2°C above the global temperature of our pre-industrial Earth. Even if each country meets their goal, the Earth will still warm above the 2°C point by mid-century.​ ​This shows that not only the United States needs to work harder the advance technology and cut back gasoline emissions immediately, but the entire world needs to do the same. Our dependence on gasoline as the primary power source for American vehicles needs to end soon or the Earth will face dire climate and environmental changes. There are great strides being made in technology and research into alternate fuels and electric and solar powered vehicles. Every person who makes the switch from driving traditional combustion engine vehicles to one that emits less greenhouse gases, whether it be an electric vehicle or using alternative fuels, plays a crucial role in limiting climate change.