The Truth About Fossil Fuels and Climate Change

Fossil fuels are an energy source that has been used by humans for many years already. Yet, the combustion of fossil fuels for energy generates many consequences for the environment, including the enhancement of the global climate change.

The combustion of fossil fuels release greenhouse gas emissions which cause more heat to be trapped in the atmosphere with the greenhouse effect. This then causes a series of problems:

Firstly, the direct raise in global temperatures can lead to more melting of land and sea ice at the poles. The melting of sea ice deplete habitats for polar animals such as polar bears, threatening their lives by eliminating places on land where they can rest at during the intervals of their long swims. The melting of land ice creates threats by rising the global sea level, submerging coastal cities with the rising water.

Secondly, the rise in global temperatures can cause permafrost at the high latitudes to melt. These permafrost are the place where many methane is stores, so their melting further causes more emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, more warming, and thus more melting in a positive feedback loop.

Moreover, there tend to be unintended consequences to the melting of permafrost and glaciers. Permafrost can contain many ancient pathogens that causes small pox and anthrax – diseases that has long been eradicated. Glaciers also contain ancient carbon dioxide, which will be added to the atmosphere if released by melting.