Figure 41 The carbon capture system of this power plant in West Virginia helps to reduce the CO₂ emissions from burning coal.

Limiting Global Warming Despite the known effects of greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuels remain a widespread energy resource. More than 85 percent of the world's energy needs are supplied by fossil fuels. Power plants burn coal; cars burn gasoline or diesel. How, then, can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions? There is no single easy solution, but we have a number of options available to us.

One of the simplest ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to conserve energy. By eliminating bad habits that waste electricity, you consume less energy, which means less fossil fuel burned and less CO₂ emitted. Another option is to improve the efficiency of energy- consuming technologies. For example, developing more fuel-efficient cars will allow drivers to get more miles per gallon of fuel. At home, you can save energy by using more efficient lighting technologies, such as compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Clean energy sources offer a more groundbreaking solution to the global warming problem. Clean energy refers to energy sources that release very low amounts of greenhouse gases. Examples include solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, tidal, and nuclear energy. Switching to clean energy for even a small portion of your daily energy consumption—such as heating hot-water or recharging electronic devices—can add up to a substantial reduction in CO₂ emissions.

Another technological solution is carbon capture, shown in Figure 41. In conventional coal-burning power plants, the CO₂ produced during combustion escapes into the atmosphere as exhaust. However, CO₂ can be removed either during or after the combustion process. The collected CO₂ then is pumped back into the ground. This process greatly reduces the “carbon footprint” of coal-burning power plants.

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