Because fossil fuels are the remains of once living organisms, they contain reservoirs of ______ that are released into the atmosphere when they are burned.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are formed from the decomposed remains of ancient plants and animals. These organisms originally captured carbon from the atmosphere (through processes like photosynthesis in the case of plants), and when fossil fuels are burned, this carbon is released back into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas.

Because Fossil Fuels Are the Remains of Once Living Organisms