Final answer:
The prevailing trend in CO2 emissions from fossil fuels shows a reduction in the U.S. due to decreased coal usage, but globally, fossil fuel use is still rising. Efforts to transition to less CO2-emitting alternatives, like natural gas and renewables, are underway to mitigate environmental impacts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Despite increased global usage of fossil fuels, there is a trend towards reducing emissions, particularly in the United States where coal use has declined dramatically. This shift is partly due to coal being substituted by natural gas which emits less CO2. Even with the current levels of fossil fuel consumption, there is an ongoing discussion about tapering off their use to mitigate the rise in CO2 levels and global warming. It is clear that CO2 emissions have contributed significantly to the greenhouse effect, increasing surface temperatures due to the absorption of heat that would normally be radiated into space.
In the U.S., the usage of coal is less than the global per-capita average, reflecting a significant decrease in coal consumption for electricity production. However, globally, fossil fuel use is still rising, which contributes to higher CO2 emissions. This highlights the importance of transitioning to alternative energy sources and implementing strategies for effectively reducing fossil fuel dependency to mitigate climate change.