• Question: why are greenhouse gasses staying in the atmosphere and not vanishing and why do companies keep on producing them if in hundreds of years to come the earth could be on fire

    Asked by lucaW to Olga, Madhumidha, Connor, Canice, Aruna, Anthony on 10 Mar 2020.
    • Photo: Connor McGookin

      Connor McGookin answered on 10 Mar 2020:

      They are quite thick heavy gases so linger for a long time, methane has a lifetime of around 30 years but CO2 stays for around 200 years.

      Companies keep producing them because at the moment its still cheaper than the alternatives. However, if we had a higher carbon tax charging companies for emitting them then they would have to change.

    • Photo: Aruna Chandrasekar

      Aruna Chandrasekar answered on 10 Mar 2020:

      There are additional steps needed to process “flue gases” that are emitted in certain processes. It is usually a cheaper alternative for industries to simply release into the atmosphere.

    • Photo: Anthony Newell

      Anthony Newell answered on 11 Mar 2020:

      Greenhouse gases take a long time to go away because the natural processes for removing them are very slow. Most carbon dioxide goes away by dissolving into the oceans. Gases don’t easily dissolve in water so this takes a long time. Other ways carbon dioxide goes away is through plants using it and when it reacts with rocks. Companies keep producing them because it’s cheaper than renewable alternatives. Carbon taxes and government funding for sustainable alternatives help them to switch while still making the same money.

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