Asked by anonymous

This graph shows how the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has increased with time. Where is this CO2 coming from? Discuss the primary source of the CO2 and some of the activities that release the CO2 into the atmosphere.

(2 points)
6th grad

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Most of the extra CO2 in the air comes from people burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) are made from ancient plants and animals, and burning them for energy releases the carbon they stored long ago.

Examples of activities that release CO2:
- Cars, trucks and buses burning gasoline or diesel
- Power plants that burn coal, oil, or gas to make electricity
- Factories and industrial processes
- Airplanes and ships
- Heating buildings with oil or gas
- Cutting down forests (deforestation) — fewer trees means less CO2 is removed from the air
- Making cement — a chemical part of the process releases CO2

Natural sources (like respiration and volcanic eruptions) exist, but the recent large increase shown in the graph is mainly from human activities listed above.