The chemical compound, CO2, is released when oil, coal, or natural gas is burned. CO2 then becomes part of the Earth’s atmosphere. This becomes an issue for maintaining the current climate on Earth that humans have become reliant upon for survival. The CO2 in the atmosphere acts as an insulator, preventing heat from escaping the Earth. Thus, causing the average global temperature to rise slowly and steadily. With the current amount of CO2 that is being added to the atmosphere every year, the Earth will become much warmer, causing harmful ramifications to ecosystems around the planet. A primary consequence troubling scientists and environmentalists is that the ice in the Arctic will melt (this is already happening) and the oceans will rise, destroying coastal cities. Furthermore, deserts would become larger, there would be more frequent wildfires, and crops would provide less reliable harvests. The many negative effects that would come with a warmer planet will make human survival much more difficult. The future generations of humanity would suffer the effects of these climate changes. Therefore, it is up to us now to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by fossil fuels and other forms of pollution to prevent disaster in the future.