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Are you Clear About Carbon? Carbon is the 4th most abundant element in the universe. All known life forms are carbon based – for example plants draw carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. When plants die and decay, underground fossil fuels (such as oil and coal) are formed and stored. When these fossil fuels are burnt they release CO2 back into the atmosphere. The word Carbon is often also used as shorthand for carbon dioxide (CO2) or carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Are you Clear About Carbon? - Information Sheet 1 | November 2012 www.clearaboutcarbon.com 1 the greenhouse effect, global warming and climate change: The Greenhouse Effect Sun Atmosphere 1 6 3 The Greenhouse Effect compares the Earth’s atmosphere 5 2 5 4 1 Solar radiation passes throught the atmosphere. 2 Net incoming solar radiation. 3 Some solar radiation is reflected by the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface. The Greenhouse Effect, Global Warming and Climate Change relate to theories on the impact of increased greenhouse gases being released in to the Earth’s atmosphere, principally as the result of human activity. 4 Solar energy is absorbed by the earth’s surface where it is converted into heat and re-emitted as long wave radiation back into the atmosphere. 5 Some of the infared radiation is absorbed and re-emitted by the greenhouse gas molecules. The direct effect is the warming of the Earth’s surface and the troposphere. 6 Some of the infared radiation passes through the atmosphere and is lost in space. Are you Clear About Carbon? - Information Sheet 1 | November 2012 to that of a greenhouse. Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere absorb solar energy preventing it from escaping into space. Although the Greenhouse Effect is a naturally occurring process, the increase in the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere as a result of human activity leads to the retention of more solar energy and an increase in global temperatures. Global Warming describes how the increase of GHGs in the atmosphere leads to the retention of more of the sun’s energy and the resulting increase in global temperature. Scientific evidence supports this theory with tangible increases in global average temperatures being recorded. Climate Change is based on the theories of Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect. Due to advances in climatic modelling, scientists have found that an overall increase in global temperatures has an impact on weather systems, patterns and events which may not always manifest as heat waves or higher temperature. This highlights a much wider range of climate risks linked to global warming, hence the term Climate Change. www.clearaboutcarbon.com 2 greenhouse gases: A GHG is any gas that is able to absorb energy in the form of heat. There are six groups of gases that result from human activity which cause the most concern and which are actively monitored under the Kyoto Protocol. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important GHG and accounts for 85% of the UK’s man-made GHG emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4) CO2 is released through respiration, decay and combustion and remains in the atmosphere for 50-200 years. Since the industrial revolution human activities such as the burning of oil, gas and coal and deforestation have increased concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere. CH4 is another naturally occurring gas, formed by microbes that break down organic matter in oxygenpoor environments. It remains in the atmosphere for 11-12 years and accounts for 8% of UK man-made GHG emissions. Globally as much as two thirds of methane originates from man-made sources, such as livestock (from digestive gases and manure management), decaying organic waste from landfills and rice cultivation. CH4 can also be accidentally released during drilling for natural gas and coal. Are you Clear About Carbon? - Information Sheet 1 | November 2012 Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) NO2 is a toxic gas that is formed when nitrogen and oxygen are combined at high temperatures. It remains in the atmosphere for between 110-120 years and accounts for around 5% of UK manmade GHG emissions. The most important sources of NO2 are internal combustion engines, thermal power stations, pulp mills, butane gas heaters or cookers, and fertiliser use in agriculture. PFCs are a group of gases which account for less than 1% of UK man-made GHG emissions. However, they are by far the most persistent of the six GHGs and remain in the atmosphere for up to 50,000 years. PFCs are emitted during aluminium smelting and certain PFCs are used in the manufacture of electronic goods such as computers and mobile phones. Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) SF6 is an inorganic, colourless, odourless, non-toxic and non-flammable gas which accounts for less than 1% of UK man-made GHG emissions. Although only making up a small proportion of emissions, it remains in the atmosphere for 800-3200 years. SF6 is used for several purposes including as a gaseous nonconducting medium in the electronics industry, an inert gas for the casting of magnesium and as an inert filling for insulated glazing windows. In addition to these six gases, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and water vapour are other important GHGs: Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) HFCs are a group of gases which account for 2% of UK man-made GHG emissions. HFCs remain in the atmosphere for up to 264 years and are commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment and some types of asthma inhalers. HFCs are also emitted during some manufacturing processes. Control of CFCs, which are also a cause of atmospheric ozone depletion, is covered under the Montreal Protocol (to address the depletion of the ozone layer) which has been successful in phasing out the production of these gases. Water vapour accounts for the largest proportion of the natural greenhouse effect. However, human interventions are thought to have only a marginal impact on concentrations of water vapour. www.clearaboutcarbon.com 3 Measuring & Comparing different greenhouse gases: GHG Multiply by the following figure to obtain the CO2e value: CO2 1 CH4 1 NO2 310 SF6 23,900 HFCs * 140 - 11,700 PFCs * 6,500 - 9,200 * HFCs and PFCs are groups of gases each with different GWPs. Therefore, the GWP values in the table are stated as a range. HFCs and PFCs range greatly in molecular size, generally the larger the molecule, the more heat it is able to absorb and therefore the higher its GWP. The GWPs that are used in UK National Statistics are based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Second Assessment Report. A method has been developed to allow the comparison of different GHGs. This methodology uses the theory that different GHGs absorb heat energy in the atmosphere at different rates. The units used when GHG emissions are compared in this way to show the carbon dioxide equivalence are: To allow this comparison the tendency of each gas to absorb heat energy has been calculated and is referred to as a Global Warming Potential (GWP). For example: 1 tonne of methane (CH4) has an impact equivalent to 21 tonnes of CO2. Therefore, 1 tonne of CH4 has a GWP of 21 tonnes of CO2e. CO2 is the gas that other GHGs are compared to. For this purpose the warming potential of a unit of CO2 is classified as 1. The GWP of a GHG, for instance methane, is then expressed as the equivalent number of units of CO2. The following table sets out the GWP for the six GHGs monitored under the Kyoto Protocol. CO2e CO2eq CO2 Equivalent Units of measure CO2 equivalent (CO2e) is normally reported in tonnes. However for very large quantities it can be expressed in multiples, for example: • Mega Tonne – Mt (1 million tonnes) • Giga Tonne – Gt (1 billion tonnes) Similarly, for lower quantities smaller units of measure may be used such as: • Grams - g • Kilograms - kg Are you Clear About Carbon? - Information Sheet 1 | November 2012 www.clearaboutcarbon.com 4