Sooner or later, yes. Because CO2 stays in the atmosphere for about a century, simply freezing the annual emissions won't stop the atmospheric concentrations rising. To stabilize the atmospheric levels of CO2, be it at double, triple, quadruple preindustrial levels (or more), will eventually involve phasing out fossil fuels entirely. This is extraordinarily difficult.Fossil fuels are the basis of modern urban civilization.

For the U.S., carbon dioxide released by burning oil, coal and natural gas makes up 82% of total greenhouse gas emissions (weighted by climate-change impact), according to the federal Department of Energy. The remainder is methane (9%, from landfills, coal mines, oil and gas operations and agriculture); nitrous oxide (5%, from burning fossil fuels and from certain fertilizers); refrigerants and other "engineered" chemicals (2%); and carbon dioxide from other sources (2%).

Based on 2002 data (the latest available), the U.S. is responsible for nearly 22% of the world's CO2 emissions from fuel-burning. Because fewer than 5% of the world's people are Americans, per capita we emit 5 to 6 times as much CO2 as the average non-American; historically, the disparity is even greater. (Carbon dioxide molecules persist in Earth's atmosphere for around a century, which means that our past emissions are causing climate change now and in the future.

The greenhouse gas estimates presented here are full fuel-cycle estimates, combining the three major greenhouse gases emitted by motor vehicles: Full fuel-cycle estimates include all steps in the use of a fuel, from production and refining to distribution and final use. This gives a more complete picture of the climate change impacts of using a particular fuel. Some greenhouse gases have greater impacts on climate than others.

Natural gas is primarily methane, which is a major greenhouse gas. Methane is emitted directly to the atmosphere from sources such as leaks in natural gas wells and pipelines and is produced in landfills, sewage treatment facilities and livestock operations. Other major greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides are produced when natural gas is burned for heating and electric power production.

All Canadians need to get involved in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, as well as air pollution. Making use of the Government's public transit tax credit and increasing your use of public transit to help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in our cities, and greenhouse gas emissions that impact on our climate. Consulting the ecoENERGY for Personal Vehicles program to help you choose more eco-friendly vehicles.

There are forms of energy which produce little or no carbon. However, currently, there is no known source (with the possible exception of nuclear energy capable of producing the massive amounts of energy the world will need. Hydroelectric power is essentially carbon free, but the available rivers have all been exploited and hydro will never contribute more a few percent of the total.

Major industrial sectors, including electricity produced by combustion, oil and gas, base metal smelters, iron and steel, some mining sectors, cement, forest products, and chemicals production contribute about half of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Industry produces about half of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and our plan sets mandatory targets for them to reduce these emissions.

Businesses that take steps to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions are likely to see an increase in efficiency, helping them save money and setting the bar higher for their competition. Considering that most lawmakers and citizens believe regulatory limits on GHG emissions are inevitable, companies that are early to respond to climate change and pollution will have a technological and economical advantage over their competitors.

the country level, CAIT includes emissions of (1) CO2 from fossil fuels and cement (1850-2002), (2) CO2 from land-use changes (1950-2000), (3) and non-CO2 gases, such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) (1990, 1995, 2000). CAIT also includes sector-level GHG data, broken down by energy (with five subsectors, such as electricity & heat), industrial processes, agriculture, land use change and forestry, waste, and international bunkers.

Once emitted, GHGs can remain in the atmosphere for many years, from approximately 10 years to thousands of years, depending on the gas. This means that emissions from a long time ago are still in the atmosphere and still affecting the Earth's climate system. Countries in the developed world have been emitting substantial quantities of GHGs since the start of the industrial revolution in the mid-18th Century.

More than 85 percent of the energy used by the United States comes from fossil fuels. Oil supplies about 40 percent of our energy; natural gas provides about 25 percent, while coal provides about 20 percent.

Fossil fuels touch every moment of our lives - when we wake up or sleep, when we eat, when we use our eyes to see, when we play or work, or when we are ill. For example, oil not only can be refined into fuels, such as gasoline, to power engines, it can also be processed into petrochemicals from which plastics, medicines, paints, etc. can be made.

Current atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases are projected to increase global temperatures by an additional 1oF in coming decades. Thus some degree of continued climate change is inevitable, despite efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but emissions reductions will aid in reducing the magnitude of that change and stopping human-induced increases in global temperatures.

One of the strongest pieces of evidence for human-induced climate change is the consistent rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) in modern times, as measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, where CO2 has been observed since 1958. As of 2005, the concentration of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere was about 378 parts per million (ppm).

There are six main greenhouse gases, the most common of which are carbon dioxide (C02), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N20). These are all produced from human activity - C02 from transport and energy; CH4 mainly from animals burping out the gas as they digest their food; N20 mainly from agriculture such as the use of fertiliser and when animals urinate.

This is an answer from a scientist to the question of alternatives to fossil fuels. The opposition could use this to support several of their arguments This is an article from Science Daily. It argues that fossil fuels can be replaced by microorganisms. This is a great graph from the Christian Science Monitor that shows all the alternatives to fossil fuels. It will be useful for the proposition team. This comes from the department of energy.

First, the United States has enough fossil fuels - especially coal and natural gas - to provide energy for decades and possibly, for centuries. At the rate we currently use coal, for example, this country has enough to last for more than 250 years. There is enough natural gas to last until well after the year 2060, possibly enough to last for a hundred years or more. There is even a lot of oil left in the ground, even though the United States produces only half of the oil it uses.