Transcript 8.6.11 Global Warming – Effects and Remediation

Presented by Joshua Roberson
IB Physics SL
2014
Identify some possible solutions
to reduce the enhanced
greenhouse effect.
 Greater efficiency of power production.
 Replacing the use of coal and oil with
natural gas
 Use of combined heating and power systems
(CHP)
 Increased use of renewable energy sources
and nuclear power
 Carbon dioxide capture and storage
 Use of hybrid vehicles.
“Natural gas is a dangerous replacement
for oil and coal”
 Natural gas burns off less carbon
dioxide, however it releases higher
levels of methane.
 Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas having a
stronger negative effect on global warming.
“ CHP is not a single technology, but an integrated
energy system”
 CHP captures energy lost to heat.
 Requires less fuel.
 Produces less greenhouse gasses.
“More than 70 percent of America’s emission-free power
comes from nuclear energy sources.”
 Nuclear power facilities can produce
energy at 91 percent efficiency.
 13 percent of the world’s energy comes from nuclear
power, releasing little to no greenhouse gasses.
 “Highly efficient modern coal plants emit up to 40% less
CO2 than the average coal plant currently installed.”
 Fluidised Bed Combustion
– burning coal with a gas. 40% efficient.
 Supercritical & Ultrasupercritical Technology – very high
pressure turns water straight to steam. Up to 50% efficiency.
 Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) – making a
gas to be burned in a turbine from pulverized coal, oxygen, and steam. Up
to 50% efficiency
 “By the end of 2015, global solar capacity is expected to
reach more than 200 gigawatts.”
 The earth gets 174 petawatts of
incoming solar radiation in the
upper atmosphere.
 More physical uses than just electricity.
The Greenpeace predicts 2,300 GigaWatt
Capacity by 2030.
 The United States currently has
61,110 MW of installed wind project
capacity, comprising 5.7% of total
U.S. installed electric generating
capacity.
 2013 - Wind power had effect of reducing power-sector
CO2 emissions by 4.4%, or effectively removing 16.9 million cars
from the roads.
 “Geothermal power plants in the Philippines and
Iceland contribute around 30% of their electricity
production. In the USA it is less than 1%.”
 Geothermal power is clean, reliable
and cost effective but its availability is
often limited to areas near tectonic
plate boundaries.
“CCS applied to a modern conventional power plant
could reduce CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by
approximately 80–90% compared to a plant without
CCS.”
 The gasses can be stored on the ground.
 The co2 can be scrubbed for clean air.
 Unfortunately, this increases fuel consumption of a
plant by 21-91%
“A hybrid vehicle typically contains a combustion engine in
conjunction with an electric system with one or more electric
motors”
 A hybrid vehicle can capture
energy lost to the brakes, by
using electric motors to brake and recharge
the batteries simultaneously.
 Reduces carbon emissions.
 Discuss international efforts to reduce
the enhanced greenhouse effect.
 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
change.
 Kyoto protocol.
 Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean
Development and Climate.
 Established in 1988.
 Includes representatives from the scientific
community of over 100 different countries.
 Keeps an up to date record of international evidence
for global warming.
“The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement
linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, which commits its Parties by setting
internationally binding emission reduction targets”
The United States, and Australia are NON Signers.
 Represents about 50% of the world’s energy use.
 USA and Australia ARE partners.
 The countries work together to set goals to meet for
energy, security, air pollution, and climate change.