[INFORMATIVE] Fossil Fuels and Global Warming—What’s the connection?

Fossil Fuels and Global Warming—What’s the connection?

Written by Navya Mittal

Ash spews from a coal-fueled power plant in New Johnsonville, Tennessee, United States.

At school, work, home, and everywhere else, global warming is a buzzing topic anywhere you go. But have you ever wondered what exactly it is, and what causes global warming? Global warming is the long-term warming of the planet’s overall temperature. Although this warming has been going on for a long time, its momentum has significantly increased in the last hundred years due to the burning of fossil fuels. The temperature of the Earth has increased by roughly 1.1°C (2°F) during the 1800s. By the end of the century, global temperatures are predicted to have increased by 2.7°C (4.8°F). It is impossible to forecast with precision how long-term changes in weather and temperature will impact the delicate, intricate ecosystems that support life on our planet. Animals are affected when changes occur in one region since they have an effect on other locations as well. Fossil fuels are made from decomposing plants and animals. These fuels are found in Earth’s crust and contain carbon and hydrogen, which can be burned for energy. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas. Burning them causes what is known as the “greenhouse effect” in Earth’s atmosphere. According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, 81 percent of the total energy used in the United States comes from coal, oil, and natural gas. The sun's rays can enter the atmosphere and cause the greenhouse effect when they reflect off surfaces, preventing the heat from escaping back into space. Gasses produced by the burning of fossil fuels prevent the heat from leaving the atmosphere. These greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide. The excess heat in the atmosphere has caused the average global temperature to rise over time, otherwise known as global warming. Climate change is a new problem brought on by global warming. While these terms are occasionally used synonymously, they have different meanings. The term "climate change" describes modifications to global growth seasons and weather patterns. It also describes the rise in sea level brought on by the melting of glaciers and ice sheets and the expansion of warmer oceans. Climate change, a result of global warming, threatens life as we know it by bringing catastrophic weather patterns and extensive flooding. Some other factors that contribute to global warming include factory farming and the consumption of animal products, deforestation, transportation, and manufacturing goods. Additionally, numerous species' migration patterns, including fish and marine animals as well as birds and butterflies, are changing significantly due to climate change. Temperature, day length, and food availability are only a few of the environmental cues that drive migration, which is a complicated and highly coordinated process. Rising temperatures affect vegetation, food sources, access to water, and much more. Ecosystems may become uninhabitable for certain animals, forcing wildlife to migrate outside of their usual patterns in search of food and livable conditions, while causing other animals to die off. In just the last fifty years, the frequency of weather-related natural disasters including hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts has increased fivefold. People, pets, and wildlife all suffer catastrophic losses in life and habitat as a result of these tragedies. For instance, the Black Summer bushfires in Australia from 2019 to 20 are estimated to have destroyed or displaced three billion koalas, kangaroos, and other creatures. The flames scorched 186,000 square kilometers (72,000 square miles). You can do your part to help reduce the harmful impacts of global warming by reusing and recycling, saving electricity and water, using less paper, eating a plant-based diet, and walking rather than driving.


Works Cited
“Global Warming.” Education, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/global-warming/. Accessed 11 Aug. 2024.

Drishti. “The Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife Blogs Home.” Drishti IAS, 3 March 2023, https://www.drishtiias.com/blog/the-impact-of-climate-change-on-wildlife. Accessed 11 August 2024.

“Fossil Fuels.” National Geographic Society, 19 October 2023, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/fossil-fuels/. Accessed 11 August 2024.

“the impact of climate change on our planet's animals.”

International Fund for Animal Welfare, 28 February 2022, https://www.ifaw.org/international/journal/impact-climate-change-animals. Accessed 11 August 2024.