The Big Answer

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(Source: Environmental Protection Agency)

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. In 2011, CO₂ accounted for about 84% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere as part of the Earth's carbon cycle (the natural circulation of carbon among the atmosphere, oceans, soil, plants, and animals). Human activities are altering the carbon cycle—both by adding more CO₂ to the atmosphere and by influencing the ability of natural sinks, like forests, to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. While CO₂ emissions come from a variety of natural sources, human-related emissions are responsible for the increase that has occurred in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. The main human activity that emits CO₂ is the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) for energy and transportation, although certain industrial processes and land-use changes also emit CO₂. (Source: Greenhouse Gases)

Further, scientists at Oregon State University predict that global warming could cause massive fires in up to 90 percent of North America in the next 50 years. The fires would inject huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, compounding the greenhouse problem.