Fossil fuel pollution reaches into every corner of our lives. While oil, coal, and natural gas have fueled industries and driven economies since the 1800s, they also release pollutants that directly impact the health of people and the planet.

Many households are feeling the pinch of rising energy costs, especially during the hottest and coldest months. But beyond inflation or utility price hikes, there’s a bigger factor at play: the planet is overheating.

What’s the science behind climate change? As the sun heats the earth, it radiates part of that heat back into space as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases interact with this outgoing heat radiation, keeping the surface temperature higher than it would be without them.