... dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3), as well as artificially produced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The indication is that because of human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels, levels of greenhouse gases are now increasing, especially carbon dioxide levels. Research indicates that carbon dioxide levels in the pre-industrial era were 280 parts per million; today they are ... been developed. Though alternative energy sources exist, society has not yet adopted them on a scale that compares to its use of oil. Ironically, even initiatives to develop alte...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... auto and diesel exhaust are also prime contributors, especially along busy transportation corridors. The health effects of particulates are strongly linked to particle size. Small particles, such as those from fossil fuel combustion, are likely to be most dangerous, because they can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, settling in areas where the body's natural clearance mechanisms can't remove them. The ... and the careful balance of greenhouse gases have stayed just right for humans, animals and plants to survive. But today we are having problems keeping this balance. Because we burn fos...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of structures built of stone. Sulfur and nitrogen oxides (often abbreviated SOx and NOx, respectively) are common by-products of fossil-fuel combustion. SOx forms from sulfur impurities in fuels, especially coal and some petroleum products. NOx forms from nitrogen impurities in fuels and from nitrogen in the air used for combustion. Coal- and oil-fired electric power plants are major sources of ... ...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... continues to affect global environment as a whole. The damaging effects coal burning on the environment causes many premature deaths worldwide. In 1999 World Health Organization reported that deaths caused by fossil fuels emissions caused 3 million premature deaths, about 8000 per day. With modern industrialization the demand for energy is rapidly increasing, and coal being a cheap method continues to be the leading electricity ... ...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of vegetation. The solution must come from better land use and the protection of critical watershed vegetation, along with water conservation and recycling. The primary conservation concern here is with fossil fuels. Solutions include improvement in the efficiency of fuel combustion, as well as more intensive explorations of alternatives, particularly from solar energy and other renewable resources. The goals to protect our ... ...

• Word Count: 654
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate