
While carbon dioxide and methane are the two primary heat-trapping gases, nitrous oxide (N2O) is another potent contributor to climate change. Nitrous oxide is also on the rise. This gas has been used in aerosol sprays, rocket fuels, car engines and medicine, where it is commonly known as the anesthetic laughing gas. Most nitrous oxide emissions today come from the burning of fossil fuels, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, manure used in agriculture and other industrial processes.
The nitrous oxide molecule is made of two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. It is nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Concentrations of this gas have surged in recent decades. Compared to levels before the industrial revolution, our atmosphere now contains about 25% more nitrous oxide.
By emitting nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, people are causing the climate to change. We are seeing the advent of a hotter Earth plagued by intense heat waves, extreme drought, devastating floods, melting polar ice and surging sea levels. Hopefully, people will soon figure out how to reduce emissions and mitigate the climate crisis.