Carbon Dioxide CO2 is commonly referred to as a greenhouse gas.  Dim lights Download Embed Embed this video on your site The major source of Carbon Dioxide is the transportation industry; mainly from cars but planes etc also contribute.  The developing nations are increasing their usage of cars and hence an increase in Carbon Dioxide.

Emission of CO2
Carbon Dioxide from Hydrocarbons (HC) and coal burning is the result of combustion (or burning of petroleum and coal).  From 1980 to 1999 32% of CO2 released from HCs and coal are from transportation.  This is one of the largest sources and will continue to grow as the developing nations rely more and more on transportation.  To read about global methane levels rising and how methane that is trapped in ice is being released read this article.

Global Warming from Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide is by far the leading gas that is causing global warming. Radiation enters the atmosphere and reflects off the surface of the earth (some is absorbed).  The reflecting radiation is then trapped by gases this is a normal occurrence.  Without this warming effect it would be much colder and a much more hostile environment.  With man-produced gases such as CO2 entering the atmosphere at ever increasing levels not all can react or escape the atmosphere.  This causes the rise in temperature, which we are seeing.

Sinks for Carbon Dioxide
There are natural sinks that take up excess CO2 but those have limits.  The major sinks are plants; they convert CO2 to energy and the fact that we are destroying some of the largest plant source sinks, the Amazon.  The other major sink is the oceans.  Oceans take up excess Carbon Dioxide in the form of carbonates.  These two sources cannot take up all the CO2 that we are producing causing an excess.  This excess is showing up in the oceans as a rise in the Ph of acid levels, acid ocean waters.

Effects of CO2 Levels Rising
Some of the major effects of global warming – the rise of CO2 and other gases such as Methane – are well known.  The polar ice caps that are melting.  This will cause a rise in sea levels and a large part of the population lives along coastal areas making it a disaster that can be seen coming.  Acid water in the oceans this will have an effect on coral reefs and other small sea animals.  Erratic weather patterns.  This earth is warming and yet we can have some of the coldest winters on record.  It is this more erratic behavior that will become the norm.