Post written by Maiya Justice, Intern, George Mason University, Class of 2024

Greenhouse gases have consistently been a “hot” topic – if you pardon the pun - in discussions about climate change, but what does that mean? What are these gases, and why do they impact the globe the way that they do?

While greenhouse gases (GHGs) have different chemical compositions, they do have one thing in common: the ability to trap heat. There are many ways in which greenhouse gases are released, but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the main sources of emissions in the United States are transportation and electric power. 

Once released into the atmosphere, greenhouse gases allow sunlight to pass through, but make it more difficult for the heat to leave back through the atmosphere. This causes increased temperatures worldwide, leading to all sorts of problems. Some of these issues include the melting of the polar ice caps, the sea level rising, weirder weather, and much more.

While greenhouse gases tend to get a pretty bad rap, the gases themselves are not necessarily bad. It is the amount of them, and the rate by which they are increasing in the atmosphere, that is the concern. GHGs play a part in the normal cycle that helps our Earth maintain its temperature, but since the era of the Industrial Revolution (1760-1849), things have taken a pretty big turn. With increasing emissions of gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), it’s all gotten rather out of hand.

^{Click the graphic above to enlarge.}

The pie chart on the left side is sourced from U.S. EPA's Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions webpage and the bar chart on the right is sourced from Fairfax County's Overall Emissions Metrics webpage. 

What is Fairfax County doing to help reduce emissions?

Fairfax County has committed to community-wide carbon neutrality by 2050 and carbon neutrality in county operations (Fairfax County Government) by 2040. Carbon neutrality is defined as a achieving a balance of carbon emissions - that is removing as much CO2 from the atmosphere as is emitted in a defined period of time. There are many ways we are working to accomplish this – by setting goals for individual sectors within Fairfax County, we hope to target the major problem areas within greenhouse gas emissions. Some of our goals include retrofitting at least 100,000 households with energy efficiency measures by 2030, increasing transit and non-motorized commuting, as well as achieving 90% of waste diverted from landfills by 2040. 

What can you do?

Small actions can lead to big changes. Reducing your carbon footprint may seem daunting, but it is most certainly possible! If you need ideas, check out Fairfax County’s Climate Action Checklist! We have 70+ actions you can take to help the environment, as well as five smaller and more specific checklists all with their own theme that you can try.

Learn More

• Greenhouse Gases from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Overview of Greenhouse Gases from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP)
• Fairfax County's Climate Action Dashboard

Climate Matters is the blog of Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, where we share stories, insights and information related to climate change and environmental sustainability. Posts are written by knowledgeable and passionate OEEC staff members and guest authors. To read all blog posts, visit Climate Matters.