When released into the atmosphere, certain gases act like a blanket, preventing heat from escaping. One of the most important heat-trapping gases is carbon dioxide (CO2), which is released when we burn fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas.
Once released, carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for roughly 40 years, though its effects stay much longer; other gases, like methane, are even longer-lived. The cumulative effect is to raise the planet’s temperature.
