m methane from wastes in our landfills, raising livestock, natural gas pipelines, and coal, as well as from industrial chemicals and other sources.Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, which contain varying amounts of hydrogen and carbon. All fossil fuels create carbon dioxide when burnt, but some produce more than others. Coal has a high carbon content and then burnt produces mainly carbon dioxide and heat. Coal, unfortunately, is the largest fossil fuel being consumed today. Coal corporations take the resources and run, leaving the area to cope with the results however it may (Lockard 150). The result of the industrial revolution have meant that global mean surface temperatures have increased 0.5-1.0F since the late 19thcentury. The 20th century's 10 warmest years all occurred in the last 15 years of the century. Of these, 1998 was the warmest year on record. The snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere and floating ice in the Arctic Ocean has decreased. Globally, sea level has risen 4-8 inches over the past century. Worldwide precipitation over land has increased by about one percent. The frequency of extreme rainfall events has increased throughout much of the United States. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are likely to accelerate the rate of climate change. Scientists expect the earths temperature to rise 1-4.5F (0.6-2.5C) in the next fifty years, and 2.2-10F (1.4-5.8C) in the next century (Elliot 28). While most scientists will agree that burning fossil fuels is bad for the earth, not every scientist can agree on safer alternatives to these reliable yet depleting resources. There are several options that remain. One of the most debated is nuclear power. World-wide, countries like France, Japan, China, and Korea remain optimistic about nuclear power, while the rest of the world has claimed it to be...
