We use fossil fuels to generate electricity, to power our vehicles and to heat our homes, even the breakdown of waste releases GHGs. When we burn these fuels, the combustion releases greenhouse gases (GHGs), like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, among others into the atmosphere. Our natural systems can capture some of these emissions, for example trees capture and process carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but the amount and type of emissions humanity is creating globally cannot be reduced by these natural ‘sinks’. These greenhouse gases increase the amount of the sun’s energy and heat that are trapped in Earth’s atmosphere, thus increasing temperatures. This is known as the greenhouse effect and climate change.
Community Climate Action Plan
Raleigh’s Community Climate Action Plan addresses emissions in three categories: Buildings and Energy, which accounts for XX% of emissions in Raleigh, Transportation and Land Use, which accounts for XX%, and Resilience and Cross-cutting—including waste—which accounts for the remaining XX%.