What Are Some Producers of Greenhouse Gases?

Transportation

• In 2008, transportation was the source of 27 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Transportation is the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and is the nation's largest source of CO2, or carbon dioxide, gas. Carbon dioxide gas is the most prevalent of the greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. Innovations in the areas of alternative fuels and new vehicle technologies are among the approaches being used to reduce greenhouse emissions produced by the transportation sector.

Agriculture

• In the U.S., agriculture is responsible for about 8 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, the figure is around 20 percent. In the agricultural sector, most emissions come not from carbon dioxide but from methane and nitrous oxide. Climate Change and Northeast Agriculture notes that while the amount of methane and nitrous oxide gas in the atmosphere is less than the amount of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have potentially more damaging effects on the atmosphere. According to the Global Warming Potential scale, methane and nitrous oxide gases are 23 and 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide, respectively.

Energy Production

• In the U.S., coal-burning power plants produce some 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, notes the Natural Resources Defense Council. Reducing pollution from power plants is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions; this can be done by utilizing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. The NRDC also states that coal-burning power plants need to be replaced with cleaner plants.