Global warming is a huge problem. Fossil fuels are a huge reason for it. How? Well, when fossil fuels are burned (as they are burned to produce energy), they release carbon dioxide (or CO₂) into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. (A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Why "greenhouse", though? The Earth and its atmosphere can be compared to a greenhouse. The heat from the sun hits the Earth and tries to go back up into space. The gasses in the atmosphere (or the glass walls of the greenhouse) trap the heat in.) The Greenhouse Effect, and greenhouse gases, are a natural part of life on Earth. However, when there are too many greenhouse gasses that trap too much heat in the Earth's atmosphere, the Earth heats up. 

According to Fossil fuels and climate change: the facts, the average temperature of the world has already increased by 1°C! Fossil fuels and climate change: the facts also say that the International Panel on Climate Change has found that "emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming. In 2018, 89% of global CO2 emissions came from fossil fuels and industry."

Now that we've covered how fossil fuels cause global warming, what are the effects of global warming? There are many different ones that all contribute to each other. For example, while flooding is occurring more and more often, droughts are also becoming increasingly common. Another water-related effect of global warming is snow melting. In some places, people get their fresh water from melted snow, but as the temperature rises, less snow is available, and snow melts earlier, making this an unreliable source of water. Food is another concern thanks to global warming. Other effects of global warming, such as the growing scarcity of water and human health problems, contribute to this problem, along with things such as increased temperatures, diseases, and weather. Finally, as just mentioned, human health is impacted by global warming. Global-warming-related heat, wildfires, and hurricanes can and do kill people. And, as floods happen, waterborne diseases spread.

In conclusion, fossil fuels cause global warming, which causes a plethora of problems, ranging from droughts to diseases to real human deaths.

Pollutants are a byproduct of burning fossil fuels. A byproduct, according to the Oxford Dictionary, "Is a secondary result, unintended but inevitably produced in doing or producing something else." When fossil fuels are burned, Nitrogen Oxide, Sulfur Oxide, Carbon Monoxide, Mercury, and particulate matter are the byproducts, and they can cause major health issues in individuals. 

Now, you may ask, "What environmental and health effects do all these byproducts cause?" According to the EESI (Environmental and Energy Study Institute), "At least a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuels is absorbed by the ocean, changing its chemistry (pH)." In simpler terms, Carbon Dioxide and other chemicals are absorbed into the ocean and change the acidity of the ocean. This makes it harder for certain organisms to build shells and coral skeletons. Sadly, this is not the most severe cause of the byproducts caused by burning fossil fuels. Nitrogen Oxide, Sulfur Oxide, and Carbon Monoxide, when mixed cause acid rain and smog, which harms crops, wildlife, and causes eutrophication. Eutrophication is the excessive growth of algae, which causes algae blooms that deplete the oxygen supply and other nutrients from the ecosystem they are in. Algae blooms are awful to aquatic life such as fish because they can block sunlight and tend to use all the oxygen and nutrients that fish and other organisms need. 

Air pollution is another type of pollution caused by fossil fuels. It is a huge challenge because it causes many health problems and environmental challenges. It increases the chance of getting a respiratory infection, heart problems, and, lung cancer. Particulate matter is the most dangerous of air pollutants, and they cause a wide variety of problems such as premature mortality, asthma, and heart attacks. They also contribute to environmental obstacles, like as harming animals and crops, ozone depletion, and habitat destruction.