1. Fossil Fuels

2. Fossil fuel is a general term for buried combustible geologic deposits of organic materials, formed from decayed plants and animals that have been converted to crude oil, coal, natural gas, or heavy oils by exposure to heat and pressure in the earth’s crust over hundreds of millions of years.

3. Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas come from materials that absorbed CO 2 from the atmosphere many millions of years ago. As fuels they offer high energy density, but making use of that energy involves burning the fuel, with the oxidation of the carbon to carbon dioxide and the hydrogen to water (vapor).

4. Fossil Fuels as part of the Carbon Cycle Plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their own food and grow. The carbon becomes part of the plant. Plants that die and are buried may turn into fossil fuels made of carbon like coal and oil over millions of years. When humans burn fossil fuels, most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

5. Carbon Cycle Diagram Carbon in Atmosphere Plants use carbon to make food Animals eat plants and take in carbon Plants and animals die Decomposers break down dead things, releasing carbon to atmosphere and soil Bodies not decomposed — after many years, become part of oil or coal deposits Fossil fuels are burned; carbon is returned to atmosphere Carbon slowly released from these substances returns to atmosphere

6. Carbon Footprint Everyone has a carbon footprint – the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO 2, which were induced by your activities in a given time frame.

7. Carbon Footprint The carbon footprint is a very powerful tool to understand the impact of personal behavior on global warming. Most people are shocked when they see the amount of CO 2 their activities create! If you personally want to contribute to stop global warming, the calculation and constant monitoring of your personal carbon footprint is essential.

8. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

9. Typical Household Carbon Footprint