Download UN Climate Council

UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
UN Climate Council
Words in red are defined in vocabulary section (pg. 9)
To minimize the negative effects of global climate change, scientists have advocated for action to limit global warming to
no more than 2° C (3.6 degrees F) relative to the preindustrial level (prior to 1750, before the Industrial Revolution).
Achieving the temperature goal of no more than 2° C will require that greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations be
stabilized at a level well below 450 ppm (parts per million). Earth has already experienced almost 1/2 of the 2.0 °C. In the
last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about 0.8 °C (1.4 °F) with about two thirds of the
increase occurring over just the last three decades.
As a member of the United Nations Climate Council you will work within teams to identify and address the major factors
behind climate change. Using Climate Interactive’s C-Learn Climate Simulation Tool, you will analyze and understand
the degree of change that needs to be achieved through your solution.
Identify three of the greatest factors contributing to climate change. Factors include methods of electricity generation,
certain lifestyles, transportation, deforestation, etc. List them below:
Factor
Why did your team choose this factor?
Gather information regarding climate change and GHG emissions. Read through briefing memo (pg. 2-4). On a separate
page, note at least 5 unanswered questions you need to answer before confirming your choices.
After conducting further research, review your list of the top three factors and modify as necessary.
Factor
Why did your team choose this factor?
1
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
UN Climate Council Brief
Global Emissions by Source
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html
Global Emissions by Gas
At the global scale, the key greenhouse gases emitted by human
activities are:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) - Fossil fuel use is the primary source
of CO2. The way in which people use land is also an
important source of CO2, especially when it involves
deforestation. Land can also remove CO2 from the
atmosphere through reforestation, improvement of soils,
and other activities.

Methane (CH4) - Agricultural activities, waste management,
and energy use all contribute to CH4 emissions.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) - Agricultural activities, such as
fertilizer use, are the primary source of N 2O emissions.

Fluorinated gases (F-gases) - Industrial processes,
refrigeration, and the use of a variety of consumer products
contribute to emissions of F-gases, which include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons
(PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
Global greenhouse gas emissions can also be broken down by the economic activities that lead to their
production.

Energy Supply (26% of 2004 global greenhouse gas
emissions) - The burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for
electricity and heat is the largest single source of global
greenhouse gas emissions.

Industry (19% of 2004 global greenhouse gas emissions) Greenhouse gas emissions from industry primarily involve
fossil fuels burned on-site at facilities for energy. This
sector also includes emissions from chemical, metallurgical,
and mineral transformation processes not associated with
energy consumption. (Note: Emissions from electricity use
are excluded and are instead covered in the Energy Supply
sector.)

Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (17% of 2004
global greenhouse gas emissions) - Greenhouse gas
2
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
emissions from this sector primarily include carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from deforestation, land
clearing for agriculture, and fires or decay of peat soils. This estimate does not include the CO 2 that
ecosystems remove from the atmosphere. The amount of CO 2 that is removed is subject to large
uncertainty, although recent estimates indicate that on a global scale, ecosystems on land remove
about twice as much CO2 as is lost by deforestation.

Agriculture (14% of 2004 GHG emissions) - global greenhouse gas emissions) - Greenhouse gas
emissions from agriculture mostly come from the management of agricultural soils, livestock, rice
production, and biomass burning.

Transportation (13% of 2004 global greenhouse gas emissions) - Greenhouse gas emissions from
this sector primarily involve fossil fuels burned for road, rail, air, and marine transportation. Almost
all (95%) of the world's transportation energy comes from petroleum-based fuels, largely gasoline
and diesel.

Commercial and Residential Buildings (8% of 2004 global greenhouse gas emissions) - Greenhouse
gas emissions from this sector arise from on-site energy generation and burning fuels for heat in
buildings or cooking in homes. (Note: Emissions from electricity use are excluded and are instead
covered in the Energy Supply sector.)

Waste and Wastewater (3% of 2004 global greenhouse gas emissions) - The largest source of
greenhouse gas emissions in this sector is landfill methane (CH4), followed by wastewater methane
(CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Incineration of some waste products that were made with fossil fuels,
such as plastics and synthetic textiles, also results in minor emissions of CO 2.
Trends in Global Emissions:
Global Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil-fuels 1900-2008
Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have significantly increased since 1900. Emissions increased by over
16 times between 1900 and 2008 and by about 1.5 times between 1990 and 2008.
3
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
Emissions by Country
In 2008, the top carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters were China, the
United States, the European Union, India, the Russian Federation,
Japan, and Canada. These data include CO 2 emissions from fossil
fuel combustion, as well as cement manufacturing and gas
2008 Global CO2 Emissions from
Fossil Fuel Combustion and some
Industrial Processes (million metric
flaring. Together, these sources represent a large proportion of
tons of CO2)
total global CO2 emissions.
Emissions and sinks related to changes in land use are not
included in these estimates. However, changes in land use can be
important - global estimates indicate that deforestation can
account for 5 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions, or about 16%
of emissions from fossil fuel sources. Tropical deforestation in
Africa, Asia, and South America are thought to be the largest
contributors to emissions from land-use change globally. In areas
such as the United States and Europe, changes in land use
associated with human activities have the net effect of absorbing
CO2, partially offsetting the emissions from deforestation in other
regions.
Research sites for additional background and solutions:
United Nations Environment Program - http://www.unep.org/
United State Environmental Protection Agency - http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
United States Energy Information Administration - http://www.eia.gov/
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change http://unfccc.int/essential_background/kyoto_protocol/items/1678.php
Natural Resources Defense Council - http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/solutions/
4
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
Solutions
Factor #1:
Solution #1:
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Solution #2:
Solution #3:
5
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
Factor #2:
Solution #1:
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Solution #2:
Solution #3:
6
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
Factor #3:
Solution #1:
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Solution #2:
Solution #3:
7
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
Final Project
Prepare a 1-2 page final report on your findings. List the top 3 factors contributing to climate change and the reasons
why you chose those factors. Then outline how you will address those factors and why you chose those solutions.
Visit C-Learn: Climate Simulation http://climateinteractive.org/simulations/c-learn/simulation
Enter in the following data and run the program.
Based on your solutions, estimate the following:
1) The year that emissions will stop growing in developed ____________ and developing countries ____________ (see
Climate Simulation instructions for definitions of developed and developing countries).
2) The year that emissions will go down in developed __________ and developing countries __________.
3) The percent of the annual reduction ____________%
4) If part of your solution includes reducing deforestation include that number ____________ (this is on a scale of 0 to 1,
0 being no reduction, 1 being high level of reduction) or increasing afforestation __________ (this is on a scale of 0 to 1,
0 being no increase in afforestation, 1 being high increase).
Print your results from the main page and attach with your final report.
8
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
Vocabulary:
Afforestation: The establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there was no forest
Business as usual: A scenario used for projections of future emissions assuming no action, or no new action, is taken to
lessen emissions.
Carbon dioxide: A naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms each covalently double
bonded to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this
state, as a trace gas at a concentration of 0.039 per cent by volume. Some carbon dioxide is produced by plants during
respiration. Carbon dioxide is produced by combustion of coal or hydrocarbons, the fermentation of sugars in beer and
winemaking and by respiration of all living organisms. It is exhaled in the breath of humans and other land animals.]
The environmental effects of carbon dioxide are of significant interest. Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas,
absorbing heat radiation from Earth's surface which otherwise would leave the atmosphere. Burning of carbon-based
fuels since the industrial revolution has rapidly increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, increasing the
rate of global warming and causing anthropogenic climate change. It is also a major source of ocean acidification since it
dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, which is a weak acid as its ionization in water is incomplete.
Carbon sequestration: A natural or artificial process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held
in solid or liquid form. Also known as carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
Deforestation: The removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use.
Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use.
Gas flaring: A gas flare, alternatively known as a flare stack, is a gas combustion device used in industrial plants such as
petroleum refineries, chemical plants, natural gas processing plants, as well as at oil or gas production sites having oil
wells, gas wells, offshore oil and gas rigs and landfills. In industrial plants, flare stacks are primarily used for burning off
flammable gas released by pressure relief valves during unplanned over-pressuring of plant equipment. During plant or
partial plant startups and shutdowns, flare stacks are also often used for the planned combustion of gases over relatively
short periods.
Greenhouse gas: A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits
radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary
greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.
Industrial Revolution: This was the transition to new manufacturing processes in the period from about 1760 to
sometime between 1820 and 1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new
chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, improved efficiency of water power, the increasing use of steam
power and the development of machine tools. It also included the change from wood and other bio-fuels to coal. It
began in Great Britain and within a few decades had spread to Western Europe and the United States. The Industrial
Revolution marks a major turning point in history; almost every aspect of daily life was influenced in some way. In
particular, average income and population began to exhibit unprecedented sustained growth.
Kyoto Protocol: The international Treaty intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It adds additional provisions to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Methane: A chemical compound with the chemical formula CH4 (one atom of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen). It is
the main component of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel. However, because it
9
UN Climate Council: Understanding Climate Change
Student Sheets
is a gas at normal conditions, methane is difficult to transport from its source. Atmospheric methane is a potent
greenhouse gas (per unit, more so than carbon dioxide).
Nitrous Oxide: Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is a chemical compound with the formula N 2O. It is an
oxide of nitrogen. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic effects. It is also used in rocketry and
motor racing to increase the power output of engines. Nitrous oxide gives rise to NO (nitric oxide) on reaction with
oxygen atoms, and this NO in turn reacts with ozone. As a result, it is the main naturally occurring regulator of
stratospheric ozone. It is also a major greenhouse gas and air pollutant. Considered over a 100-year period, it has 310
times more impact per unit mass (global warming potential) than carbon dioxide according to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
Per capita: By or for each person.
Preindustrial: Pre-industrial refers to the time before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which occurred from 1760
to 1830 (different historians give different time periods).
10