What are the effects pollution from cars have on global warming?

Question

plz help! [part of science exit project]

Answer 1

Most of global warming is the CO2 that comes from burning fossil fuels, and a good share of that is from cars and trucks.

Answer 2

Pollution from cars (and other sources) increases the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

CO2 levels are rising. That is an indisputable fact.

The dispute happens when people argue about how much the amount of CO2 affects global climate, and in what ways. Some people say a lot, some say a little, and some say none at all.

The "greenhouse effect" theory says that increased amounts of atmospheric CO2 will increase global temperatures, and that is generally accepted as true.

The big question is how much difference will it make?

If the world becomes warmer and full of CO2, it may become more fertile, so more trees and plants will grow and take CO2 out of the atmosphere (if we don't cut all the trees down.....).
This is "negative feedback" and could restrict the climate change. (Called negative as the feedback opposes the thing its feeding back to)

If the world becomes hotter and drier, trees will die. This means they will not absorb CO2 (as they do now) and CO2 levels will increase faster.

This is "positive feedback" and would reinforce the climate change, leading to a "runaway" greenhouse effect. That would be very bad. (Positive feedback reinforces the change that caused it)

The fact is, no-one really knows how much the world will change as a result of human activities. By the time we know exactly how much it will change, it is likely to be to late to do anything about it.

Answer 3

Greenhouse gasses are only one relatively minor part of the global temperature story, and CO2 is only one minor component of the greenhouse gasses. Human activity produced CO2 is only a fraction of that produced in the environment. So the answer to your question is little or none. Cars do, however, have other chemicals in their exhausts that can be toxic, sulphur dioxide for example

Answer 4

I think that there is very little effect on global warming, because if you think about it logically the earth is always going in a continuous cycle; ice age=>Global warming=>Global Cooling=>Ice age. Oh by the way, if we stop all the co2 from cars to combat global warming, we will have to do something to combat global cooling, as they are cancelling each other out.

Answer 5

If you want a good grade you will parrot the view that global warming is caused by burning fossil fuels. However, if you want to be scientifically accurate you will state that there is not sufficient evidence to make that type of determination. You could also note that in fact, carbon dioxide started increasing after the tmperatures started climbing so there is good reason to believe burning fossil fuels has nothing to do with climate change.

Answer 6

A recent study actually found that Boats, especially international freighters actually produce more greenhouse gases than your average 100 cars...but yes cars also put out a ton of CO2 and think about the commute each morning...there is no way they are not contributing to warming

Answer 7

No one really knows. There are so many factors involved. Some will say it has a drastic effect, some will say very little but there's no way to prove either side of the argument.

Answer 8

The pollution is a green house gas which collects together causing our atmostphere to be thicker. When it is thicker the sunlight comes through but is trapped by the thickness and stays inside our atmostphere causing it to become warmer and warmer.

Answer 9

CO2! Humans need O2 and don't make CO2

Answer 10

it has a big afect it pierce the ozon layer