How much any one greenhouse gas influences global warming depends on three key factors.
How much of it exists in the atmosphere?
How long it remains in the atmosphere?
How effective it is at trapping heat?
This is referred to as its global warming potential, or GWP, and is a measure of the total energy that a gas absorbs over a given period of time compared to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide.
Once released into the atmosphere co2 will stay around from 100 to 1000 years. Carbon Dioxide is the most abundant human caused greenhouse gas and accounts for about 76%.of human generated greenhouse gases.
Nitrous Oxide
It accounts for only 6 percent of human generated greenhouses. Methane stays around about 100 years, however it has a GWP 300 times greater than carbon dioxide.
Fluorinated GassesFluorinated gases are man-made. There are four main categories.
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
- Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)
- Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
These gases account for 2 % of human generated gases, however they have a GWP ranging from 1000 times to 10,000 times greater than carbon dioxide. Replacing these HFCs and properly disposing of them would be an important climate action the world could take.
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