We have all been hearing about the reasons to "go green" in the wake of global warming. Automobile seems to have become the favorite target to cut down on the green house gases. I have no problem with that, but I am wondering if automobile is the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions. You see, automobiles stay on the road, so I would think that the trees and other greenery would absorb the carbon dioxide. Whereas, airplanes when they emit CO2, there is no greenery to absorb the emissions. Of course, as we all know, the CO2 is heavier than Nitrogen and Oxygen, so it will slowly descend down and get absorbed. So, I think it should be a combination of both the sources that we need to control, but we don't hear about cutting back on the number of flights, which in fact, are on the increase!
2007-08-01 09:44:08 · 8 answers · asked by Cougrr 2 in Environment ➔ Global Warming
Cars release loads more CO2 than does air travel. However, greenhouse gases from aviation are released higher in the atmosphere, where they will do more "damage". Even so, cars are currently a stronger forcing influence than air travel.
2007-08-01 14:08:31 · answer #1 · answered by SomeGuy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Automobiles by far. Air travel is just not common enough to make an important contribution.
Location is not a factor. CO2 is completely mixed in the air by winds and up drafts and down drafts and distributed evenly all around the world and at all altitudes up to and above where airliners fly.
2007-08-01 16:55:50 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually it's cars...First there are more of them ...They typically are inefficient piston driven engines...Not only do they put carbon dioxide in the air, they also emit unburned fuel .When we were younger we would put a spark plug in the tail pipe and leave a flame trail about 10 foot long....The catalytic converters help they attempt to actually burn off the unused fuel, but even they are not 100% eeffective.....What we need to do is burn alcohol, this leaves no harmful by products....The Jet engines are far more efficient since the fuel is burned at higher temp..as it is forced through the turbines.....
2007-08-01 17:40:22 · answer #3 · answered by Robert L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cows produce more greenhouse gasses than automobiles so quit worrying about CO2.. You should be more concerned with the pollutions that are harm full to a person/animals health. Or cures for diseases and cancers. The earth has been around for billions of yrs temps have been allot hotter and allot colder humans are not going to destroy it with CO2 in a couple hundred yrs.
2007-08-01 17:05:49 · answer #4 · answered by Chris 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The typical American diet is worse than both. If we all stopped overconsuming meat, dairy and processed foods it would not only do more environmental good than eliminating every single car from the road but it would make a big dent in the obesity epidemic and make universal healthcare cheap enough to be feasible.
2007-08-01 17:01:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
In truth, they are both large contributors.
Actually, homes contribute more CO2 to the earth than cars do, so though we should look at cars, we must include houses in that conversation too.
2007-08-01 21:07:33 · answer #6 · answered by julesoriginals 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cars account for more anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (9.9% worldwide) than livestock (5.1%) or airplanes (1.6%). However, air travel is expanding fairly rapidly.
2007-08-01 17:16:27 · answer #7 · answered by Dana1981 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i agree,
turning veg will help co2 emmisions
cows produce more co2 than all cars and lorrys put together
2007-08-01 17:11:48 · answer #8 · answered by coco1200 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋