List of Main Causes of Global Warming by % of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions
This is a list of global greenhouse gas emission by cause and gas. As the list reveals, fossil fuel use is the major source of global warming with almost 60 % of total global greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide the most significant gas, standing for about 3/4 of total global gas emissions.
For a more detailed list of sources of human caused sources of global gas emission, go to: Global greenhouse gas emission by source.
|
Cause |
% of total global greenhouse emissions |
Gas |
Effect |
|
Fossil fuel use |
57 % |
More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that contributes to the greenhouse effect |
|
|
Deforestation, Decay of Biomass, etc. |
17 % |
Less carbon dioxide are absorbed by the earth. |
|
|
Industry, Agriculture, Waste from homes and business etc. |
14 % |
Methane contributes to the greenhouse effect in a way similar to the effect of carbon dioxide. The quantities of methane gas in the atmosphere are low compared to carbon dioxide but methane is about 20 times more efficient at trapping radiation than carbon dioxide. |
|
|
Agriculture soil management (69 %), transportation, Industry, etc |
8 % |
Contributes to the greenhouse effect in a way similar to the effect of carbon dioxide. The quantities of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere are much lower than the quantities of carbon dioxide and methane, but the impact of nitrus dioxide warming the atmosphere are about 300 times higher than the impact of the same quantity of carbon dioxide. |
|
|
Various |
4% |
Various |
Various |
Note: The statistics are from 2004 to 2011
Sources: EPA-United States Environmental Protection Agency, wikipedia.org
