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Carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is the single largest waste product of modern times.
It is also a major contributor (Verursacher) to the Greenhouse Effect. Another contributor are
CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons-FCKW) which are found in aerosols (Spraydosen) and refridgerators.
Yet another contributor is methane which comes from various natural bacteria processes and the burning
of tropical rainforests.
But how exactly does the greenhouse effect develop?
The heat trap: the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps the heat when it is reflected back from Earth. The more CO2 up here,
the more heat is trapped, causing global warming
CFCs: it takes CFCs seven years to reach the stratosphere. Once there, however, one CFC molecule has the same greenhouse
warming effect as 10,000 molecules of CO2
De-forestation: a lot of carbon dioxide comes from burning forests, and more than 26 million acres of it
are being destroyed every year
Methane gas: another warming gas being released into the atmosphere as a result of biological activity in paddy fields
(Reisfelder), and in animal waste
Fossil fuels: about 6 billion tons od carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is being thrown into the atmosphere
every year
Nitrous oxide (Stickstoffoxyd): fuel combustion (Verbrennung) and an increase in the use
of nitrogen based fertilisers is causing a harmful build-up of this gas
Oil and petrol emissions: oil is a fossil fuel. Burning it emits CO2 into the atmosphere. And as there are more
than 30 million vehicles on eg. England's roads, the problem isn't getting less
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