There are many methods used to obtain energy for use in our daily lives. Some of these methods have possible environmental consequences to rivers, groundwater, and organisms. One type of pollution involves excess carbon dioxide being released into the air. Some of the carbon dioxide reacts with water to form acid rain. Which energy sources can release carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide waste into the atmosphere?

Coal, oil, and gas consist largely of carbon and hydrogen. The process that we call "burning" actually is chemical reactions with oxygen in the air. For the most part, the carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2), and the hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water vapor (H2 0). In both of these chemical reactions a substantial amount of energy is released as heat. Since heat is what is needed to instigate these chemical reactions, we have a chain reaction : reactions cause heat, which causes reactions, which cause heat, and so on. Once started the process continues until nearly all of the fuel has gone through the process (i. e., burned), or until something is done to stop it. Of course, the reason for arranging all this is to derive the heat.