Burning coal also creates airborne sulfur compounds which combine with rain water to create acid rain. Every time it rains here the acidity level of my swimming pool goes (literally) off the chart.
The four major warming gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
Overall, water vapor plays the most important role in keeping the
planet warm, but humans have little influence over how much water vapor
is in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the most important warming gas
that we do influence, because we create it by burning fossil fuels,
cutting or burning forests, and draining wetlands. We also help produce
vast amounts of methane and nitrous oxide through farming and
industrial practices.
Scientists studying air bubbles trapped in ice cores have found that
over the last 650,000 years, CO2 levels in the atmosphere ranged from
about 180 parts per million (ppm) to 300 ppm. Just prior to the
Industrial Revolution, levels hovered at 280 ppm. In 2005, CO2 levels had risen to 379 ppm by 2005, and are
increasing at an average of nearly 2 ppm per year.
As for the other major greenhouse gases produced by
human activities - methane up from
715 ppb i to 1774 ppb in
2005. And nitrous oxide levels from 270 ppb to 319 ppb.
And here's a simple CO2 experiment you'll want to try:
