Burning fossil fuels

In fossil fuels, the carbon is stored in long-chain hydrocarbons, and then through combustion with oxygen in our cars or in factories, the carbon is converted to CO2, which is released to the atmosphere. And in addition, a number of other byproducts are also produced through inefficiencies in combustion like CO which are atmospheric pollutants.

Transcript

Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher

In fossil fuels, the carbon is stored in long-chain hydrocarbons, and then through combustion with oxygen in our cars or in factories, the carbon is converted to CO2, which is released to the atmosphere. And in addition, a number of other byproducts are also produced through inefficiencies in combustion like CO which are atmospheric pollutants.

Acknowledgements Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)