What is "Nitrogen Dioxide" (NO2)?

What is "Nitrogen Dioxide" (NO2)?

Terry Tamminen (Author & Environmental Policy Advisor) gives expert video advice on: What is a "fossil fuel"?; How does our use of fossil fuels cause global warming?; What are "carbon emissions"? and more...

Nitrogen dioxide and other oxides of nitrogen, as the name implies, are a gaseous form of nitrogen, which most living things need to live on the earth as a nutrient. But in excess levels can cause problems. Too much nitrogen in the soil, for example, too much nutrient that runs into water can cause algae blooms which consume all the oxygen or other nutrients in an ecosystem. In the case of our atmosphere too much nitrogen dioxideis a precursor of smog and global warming gases.