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greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gas emissions arise at every point in the life of a product or activity. Emissions can originate from activities like burning fossil fuels, emissions from livestock or fertilizer applications or indirectly from use of electricity that was produced in a coal powered plant. Below graphics provides some insight of the global contributions of greenhouse gas emissions for different sectors and how for an average Dutch person the emissions are distributed over different activities and consumables. 

Greenhouse gas emissions

The most important and well-known greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide that originates mainly from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, wood, or oil & natural gas. CO2 or carbon emissions are often used as a substitute term for the total of greenhouse gas emissions. As the below graphic shows Carbon Dioxide emissions account for almost 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions although this number varies slightly from year to year. 

Other well-known greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Primary sources of methane emissions are agriculture (livestock and rice cultivation), fossil fuel production (natural gas releases), and the management of waste. Nitrous Oxide (also known as laughing gas) emissions come from agriculture through the application of nitrogen fertilizers to soils1. The same processes occur when we use organic fertilizers such as animal manure. Other (small) emission sources are the use of N2O as anastatic in hospitals and dentists and of course the use as party drug. 

Global warming potential

The most important and well-known greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide that originates mainly from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, wood, or oil & natural gas. CO2 or carbon emissions are often used as a substitute term for the total of greenhouse gas emissions. As the below graphic shows Carbon Dioxide emissions account for almost 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions although this number varies slightly from year to year. 

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