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Nitrous oxide is about 300x more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2[1]. It also depletes the ozone layer. So yes, this could be a major issue for climate change.

Nitrous oxide is about 300x more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2[1]. It also depletes the ozone layer. So yes, this could be a major issue for climate change. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide

refurb 11y ago
Is nitrous oxide a major component of the nitrogen oxides from car exhaust? I thought it was mostly nitrogen dioxide (NO2)and dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4). I haven't heard of nitrous oxide (N2O) being much of a concern.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
qbrass 11y ago
N02 not N20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_dioxide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_dioxide
- rcthompson 11y ago
  Wait, which one is emitted by diesel engines?
dragontamer 11y ago
N20 is different from NOx... which actually causes global cooling. Its bad for health reasons which is why there are strict standards on it. But global warming is not the end-all be-all of problems.
bullfightonmars 11y ago
These are NOx[1] species not N2O. They do not get into the upper atmosphere, like the ozone layer in the Stratosphere. They are instead constrained to the Troposphere, where we live. NOx emissions are highly reactive and in the presence of sunlight turn into O3, Tropospheric Ozone [2] the same chemical compound as that in the Stratosphere, but very different in it's effects. In the Troposphere, Ozone is a highly reactive oxidizing agent and can have serious negative health effects. You can look at a map of daily ozone generation [3] from pollution. Peak production of ozone occurs at the part of the day where sunlight is most intense following the highest levels of traffic. It then mostly reacts and then levels drop again at night. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOx [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone [3] http://www3.epa.gov/airnow/2010/20100929/anim_aqi_sanfrancisco_ca.gif http://www3.epa.gov/airnow/2010/20100929/anim_aqi_sanfrancis...
InclinedPlane 11y ago
Nitrous oxide (N2O or just "nitrous") is an oxidizer that is consumed in engines, nitrous oxide injection is often used to boost engine performance because it increases the capacity of the engine to burn more fuel per stroke (more oxidizer, more fuel). Nitrogen dioxide, however, is a pollutant produced when atmospheric air is heated to very high temperatures. They are not the same thing.

refurb 11y ago

Is nitrous oxide a major component of the nitrogen oxides from car exhaust? I thought it was mostly nitrogen dioxide (NO2)and dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4). I haven't heard of nitrous oxide (N2O) being much of a concern.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

qbrass 11y ago

N02 not N20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_dioxide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_dioxide

rcthompson 11y ago
Wait, which one is emitted by diesel engines?

dragontamer 11y ago

N20 is different from NOx... which actually causes global cooling. Its bad for health reasons which is why there are strict standards on it. But global warming is not the end-all be-all of problems.

bullfightonmars 11y ago

These are NOx[1] species not N2O. They do not get into the upper atmosphere, like the ozone layer in the Stratosphere. They are instead constrained to the Troposphere, where we live. NOx emissions are highly reactive and in the presence of sunlight turn into O3, Tropospheric Ozone [2] the same chemical compound as that in the Stratosphere, but very different in it's effects. In the Troposphere, Ozone is a highly reactive oxidizing agent and can have serious negative health effects. You can look at a map of daily ozone generation [3] from pollution. Peak production of ozone occurs at the part of the day where sunlight is most intense following the highest levels of traffic. It then mostly reacts and then levels drop again at night. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOx [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone [3] http://www3.epa.gov/airnow/2010/20100929/anim_aqi_sanfrancisco_ca.gif http://www3.epa.gov/airnow/2010/20100929/anim_aqi_sanfrancis...

InclinedPlane 11y ago

Nitrous oxide (N2O or just "nitrous") is an oxidizer that is consumed in engines, nitrous oxide injection is often used to boost engine performance because it increases the capacity of the engine to burn more fuel per stroke (more oxidizer, more fuel). Nitrogen dioxide, however, is a pollutant produced when atmospheric air is heated to very high temperatures. They are not the same thing.