How does burning fossil fuels fit into global warming?
It’s very complex. Atmospheric carbon dioxide caused by burning fossil fuels has increased since the 1750s and especially since 1945. Global temperatures have increased during the same period. However, there isn’t a simple, one-to-one relationship between carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and temperature. We expect most of the warming to be at night, during the winter, in the higher latitudes. We might see very little warming during the summer in Georgia. If we don’t know the impact of fossil fuels, why do anything? We’re polluting our environment from coal-fired power plants and driving cars that produce health-harming pollutants. Our national security and economy depend on imported oil. So to control our own destiny, we need to develop alternative fuels. For Georgia, that means relying much more on solar power. Biofuels from agricultural and forestry waste show outstanding potential here. Along the coast, wind energy can be developed for peak power demands. No single energy source wil
