Fossil Fuels and Climate Change
Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, contain carbon-based compounds formed from organic matter buried deep within the earth’s crust. The extraction, processing, transportation, and burning of fossil fuels for energy production release carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), into the atmosphere, which have adverse effects on air quality, human health, and ecosystems.
In contrast, solar panels help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) released into the air by decreasing the use of fossil fuels. The carbon footprint of rooftop solar panels is roughly 12 times less than natural gas and 20 times less than coal, in terms of CO2 emissions per kWh of electricity generated. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, “Solar produces less life-cycle GHG emissions than conventional fossil fuel energy sources.”