The steam engine can easily be considered one of the most important inventions of the entire industrial revolution. The steam engine was introduced in 1769 and revolutionized American industry and transportation. Carbon dioxide was relatively small and stable before 1769. With the invention of the steam engine came a dramatic increase in carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, as seen below in Figure 1: CO2 Concentrations. Over the last few centuries, the increase in fossil fuels by humans has caused a near irreversible balance in the atmosphere. The steam itself does not have any CO2 since it is just a simple water vapor system. However, the burning of the coal to fuel the steam engine produces quite a bit of C02 that is eventually released into the atmosphere. Complete combustion of one ton of coal releases nearly 5760 pounds of carbon dioxide in the air. It is obvious that since the invention of the steam engine, humans have been releasing CO2 into the atmosphere at an alarming rate.
Figure 10: CO2 Concentrations by Year
References:
http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/coal/quarterly/co2_article/co2.html
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