General Question

annie's avatar

Do humans release greenhouse gases?

Asked by annie (34points) August 7th, 2007

Not do we cause emmissions - but do we, as carbon-based life forms, release GHGs into the atmosphere when we die? Trees do - seems like we would as well - right?

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6 Answers

GD_Kimble's avatar

Well, I'm no scientist but I think farts are methane.

Tennis5tar's avatar

They are indeed. That's why cows seem to be worrying scientists.

occ's avatar

I guess it depends on which manner of releasing greenhouse gasses. I don't know anything about what happens when we die, but in terms of while we're alive: A bunch of conservative think-tanks have been trying to downplay global warming with ads that have the message that since humans breathe out C02, which is a global warming gas, it's natural and no one should worry about co2 . the ads say, "Carbon Dioxide...they call it pollution...we call it Life."

In a sense, you *could* technically say that we create global warming pollution when we breathe out, but in the end this argument seems pretty silly. The amount of co2 that we emit by exhaling absolutely pales in comparison with the amount that is emitted by gas-guzzling cars or dirty old coal-fired powerplants. And, we need to breathe, but we don't need to create cars that only get 15 mpg. If we found a way to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels, we would not still have a global warming risk just from billions of people breathing in and out.

The point is: we should worry less about the carbon emissions that we can't control--the ones that come naturally from life itself, when we breathe, when we fart, etc--and worry more about the ones that we can control as consumers and voters -- the energy policy and products that big business and government are currently developing. Okay, now off of my soapbox and back to work.

gooch's avatar

Yes both methane and carbon dioxide

segdeha's avatar

Trees actually soak up carbon dioxide.

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