Carbon Dioxide - Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
Carbon dioxide (CO 2) is an important heat-trapping gas, or greenhouse gas, that comes from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), from wildfires, and from natural processes like volcanic eruptions.The first graph shows atmospheric CO 2 levels measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, in recent years, with natural, seasonal changes removed.