Download Beckt_EnviroSci_FinalAssignment - G-Beckt

2009 Summit
Global Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases
Taken from NASA Article “EVIDENCE: Carbon Change How Do We Know?”
For more information go to http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/evidence/.
This graph, based on the comparison of atmospheric samples contained in ice cores and more recent direct
measurements, provides evidence that atmospheric CO2 has increased since the Industrial Revolution. (Source: NOAA)
The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been
seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about seven thousand
years ago, marking the beginning of the modern climate era —and of human civilization. Most of these
changes are attributed to the very small changes in the Earth’s orbit changing the amount of solar
energy the Earth receives.
The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is very likely human-induced
and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years.
Earth-orbiting satellites and other technological advances have enabled scientists to see the big picture,
collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate on a global scale.
Studying these climate data collected over many years reveal the signals of a changing climate.
Certain facts about Earth's climate are not in dispute:
 The heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th
century. Their ability to affect the transfer of infrared energy through the atmosphere is the
scientific basis of many JPL-designed instruments, such as AIRS. Increased levels of
greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response.
 Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the
Earth’s climate responds to changes in solar output, in the Earth’s orbit, and in greenhouse gas
levels. They also show that in the past, large changes in climate have happened very quickly,
geologically-speaking: in tens of years, not in millions or even thousands.
The evidence for abrupt climate change is compelling:
Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the
last century. In the last decade, however, the rate of rise
nearly doubled.3
Aitutaki atoll: Vulnerable to rising sea levels
Levels of Carbon Dioxide are higher today than at anytime in
past 650,000 years.
Scientists reconstruct past climate conditions through
evidence preserved in tree rings, coral reefs and ice cores.
For example, ice cores removed from 2 miles deep in the
Antarctic contain atmospheric samples trapped in tiny air
bubbles that date as far back as 650,000 years. These
samples have allowed scientists to construct a historical
The Keeling Curve shows a pattern of steadily record of greenhouse gas concentration stretching back
increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
hundreds of thousands of years.
since 1958.
Global surface air temperatures rose three-quarters of a
degree Celsius (almost one and a half degrees Fahrenheit) in
the last century, but at twice that amount in the past 50 years.
Eleven of the last 12 years (1995-2006) are the warmest
since accurate record keeping began in 1850.4
The effects of climate change will likely
include more frequent droughts in some areas
and heavier precipitation in others.
The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with
the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing
warming of 0.18 degrees Fahrenheit since 1955.
The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have shrunk in both
area and mass. Data from JPL's Gravity Recovery and
Climate Experiment show Greenland lost 150 to 250 cubic
kilometers (36 to 60 cubic miles) of ice per year between
2002 and 2006, while Antarctica lost about 152 cubic
kilometers (36 cubic miles) of ice between 2002 and 2005.
Flowing meltwater from the Greenland ice
sheet
Mountain glaciers and snow cover have declined on average
in both hemispheres, and may disappear altogether in certain
regions of our planet, such as the Himalayas, by 2030.5
The disappearing snowcap of Mount
Kilimanjaro, from space.
Many species of plants and animals are already responding
to global warming, moving to higher elevations or closer to
the poles.
Precipitation and evaporation patterns over the oceans have
changed, as evidenced by increased ocean salinity near the
equator and decreased salinity at higher latitudes.6
For more endence on the global climate change go to http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/keyIndicators/.
What Can We Do?
Taken from Princeton website on the Carbon Mitigation Initiative
For more information go to http://www.princeton.edu/~cmi/resources/stabwedge.htm.
In order to avoid a doubling of CO2 and dramatic climate change, society needs to act quickly to
deploy low-carbon energy technologies and enhance natural carbon sinks.
The "stabilization wedges" concept illustrates the scale of emissions cuts needed in the future, and
provides a common unit for comparing the carbon mitigating capacities of various energy and storage
technologies.
There are currently fifteen wedges that can implemented in different areas in order to stabilize our
carbon emissions. These wedges are shown below in the table.
The
Unite
d
States
Needs
to
Start
Using
Wedg
es
NOW
Certain
wedges
are
more
accepta
ble to
differe
nt
areas of the world. Every country has different factors that determine which wedges are more likely to
succeed, and which wedges have more potential. The United States is no exception.
The top eight wedges that best meet the United States goals are listed below, along with benefits and
information about each one and why it is a good wedge for the United States to implement.
A. Wedges

Efficient Vehicles
a. This wedge increases the efficiency of vehicles that are used everyday in the United
States. By increasing the miles per gallon on cars, and decreasing the energy that is
wasted in converting fuel into energy for the car we decrease the amount of fuel used,
thus decreasing the overall dependency of this fossil fuel thus decreasing our greenhouse
gas emissions.

Efficient Buildings
a. By using this wedges we would increase building efficiency, thus decreasing the overall
energy that is wasted, and decreasing the overall energy used in buildings. By doing this
we reduce the amounts of fossil fuels that we use in producing the energy thus
decreasing our dependency on fossil fuels and working toward a more sustainable
future. Heating, electricity, etc. can all be made more efficient for the building in
America thus making it more environmental friendly and taking away a wedge on our
carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.

Nuclear Power for Coal Power
a. By replacing our energy that we get from coal with energy derived from nuclear power,
we reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the United States and emit fewer harmful
products that coal produces.

PV Power for Coal Power
a. By funding production of photovoltaic cells in the United States we could used the sun's
energy to power our homes, and generate electricity. Using the sun's energy to generate
electricity has almost no emissions, thus making it much more environmentally friendly
and allowing us to take another wedges off of our carbon emissions.

Wind Power for Coal Power
a. Like PV Power Wind Power can be funded and used to replace power derived from coal.
Wind Power has almost no emissions, thus making it more environmentally friendly and
allowing us to take another wedge from out carbon emissions. Wind power is more
efficient and if we took advantage of areas with high wind potential then we would have
a better way to produce energy in the United States.

Biomass for Fossil Fuel
a. Ethanol and biodiesel use is already growing in the United States. Biofuels have fewer
pollutants than fossil fuels as well as more efficient. However, biomass converters could
be funded for animal farms to turn the waste that animals produce that is harmful to the
environment into a usable fuel that not only is more environmentally friendly in terms of
electricity but also reduces the animal waster in ecosystems.

Reduce Use of Vehicles
a. The United States' roads are filled with cars. In order to achieve this wedge better public
transportation could be funded, as well as making it cheaper to use public transportation.
In recent years we had a massive increase in gas prices, more people than ever before
began using public transportation, and if there is a decrease in the cost for gas for the
public transportation companies then they can make the charge per person much
cheaper.

Capture CO2 at baseload power plant
a. By capturing the carbon produced as power plants the United States can reduce their
overall emissions very drastically. Thus taking out yet another wedge in our carbon
emissions.
B. Possible Wedges

Reduce deforestation, plus reforestation
a. Trees provide a carbon sink that takes up carbon every day. If we reduce the number of
trees we cut down and practice reforestation, not only will the environment benefit by
having more homes for organisms, but we can offset our carbon emissions and use the
trees to take up carbon that we are releasing. Thus taking a wedge from our carbon
emissions,

Wind H2 in fuel-cell car for gasoline
a. The United States is fairly wealthy, and by putting funding towards developing fuel cell
cars we can provide an alternative for the fuel that is used in cars everyday. The
dependency on fossil fuels would decrease thus allowing us to take another wedge from
out carbon emissions.
Why Is This Necessary?
Taken from NASA Article “EFFECTS: The Current and Future Consequences of Global
Change”
For more information go to http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/effects/.
These are only some of the effects of the global climate change on recent times as well as on the future:
In the end our
carbon emissions
need to be
controlled and we need to move away from our dependency on fossil fuels. Else the Earth will not be
able to sustain itself for much longer and we will be the ones to suffer.
How Do We Do This?
Some Clean Development Mechanisms in place in North America are listed in the table below:
Taken from 2009Summit Wikispace “North America Effects CDM”
For more information go to http://2009summit.wikispaces.com/North+America+Effects+CDM.

Better efficiency practices in homes and businesses.

Double efficiency of world’s cars/halve miles traveled.

Produce today’s electricity capacity w/ ½ emissions.

Substitute 1400 gas plants in for coal plants.

Implement CGS at coal plants/ hydrogen plants/ nat. gas plants.

Triple the world’s nuclear electricity capacity by 2055.

Install 1 million 2MW windmills/ use 2 million windmills to produce hydrogen.

Scale up current ethanol production by 30.

Install 20000 sq km’s by 2054.

Eliminate tropical deforestation/ plant new forests the size of continental USA/ use conservative
tillage on all cropland.

Subsidize CFLs, effective permaculture, increased insulation.

Invest in fauto companies/ develop public transportation systems.

Install hybrid systems and use higher quality materials.

Fund natural gas plant production.

Increase funding for and production of pilot plants w/ CGS technologies.

Research in fusion/ increase recycling practices to obtain higher efficiency.

Fund windmill production in Midwest, Western sierras, and along all set wind currents.

Don’t use corn ethanol, but substitute organic matter waste. Research algal oil production.

Desert regions are prime targets for PV and stirling systems.

Canada and Northwestern United States establish logging forests, and plant others. Implement
friendlier farming techniques across grain belt.
North America is an interesting combination of both wealthy, CO2 emitting nations and a poorer, less
developed nation. It is imperative that countries like the United States and Canada strive to utilize CO2
capture and storage strategies, pollution control, and alternative energy solutions, while Mexico needs
to receive funding from its neighbors for ‘additionality’-certified projects.
Energy industries, mineral mining/ production industries, and pollution mitigation projects would be
most applicable to North America as a whole. This recommendation stems from the fact that the United
States and Mexico generate large, unclean amounts of energy, have lucrative mining industries, and are
in dire need of pollution control. If these three CDM mechanisms are made the focus for North
America, environmental and standard of living improvements would be recognizable within a short
number of years.
CO2 Carbon Sequestration:
Ongoing CDM Projects in Mexico: