Transcript Slowing anthropomorphic climate change

“Anthropogenic” – we did it, so we
need to fix it.
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and 2.4 details
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Slowing anthropogenic climate change
350 ppm
 Considered to be the safe limit for CO2
So if we’re going to fix it,
we need to be strategic.
What are the greenhouse gases, what are
their sources, which should be of greatest
concern?
Greenhouse gases
 CO2
Methane CH4 (25x more heat trapping ability than
CO2!)
N2O Nitrous Oxide
Water!
CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons)
And O3
Greenhouse Warming potential
Gas
2010
Concentration
Global warming
potential (over
100 years)
Residence time
in atmosphere
Water vapor
Variable with
temperature
<1
9 days
CO2
390 ppm
1
Highly variable
CH4
1.8 ppm
25
12 years
N2O
0.3 ppm
300
114 years
CFCs
0.9 ppm
1,6000 to 13,000
55 to >500 years
You’re in charge. What
would you suggest?
Improved vehicle efficiency
 Using less gas = fewer
combustion pollutants
 Hybrids use friction from
breaking to charge
electric battery
“regenerative breaking”
 Computer switches
engine from gas to
electricity.
Electric vehicles – Volt, Tesla,
Leaf
Technology solution: fuel choices
 Burn low-sulfur coal
(anthracite)
 Gasification turns
solid coal to gas
before it is burned –
fewer particulates,
SOx
 Natural gas creates
½ CO2 of coal!!
Fuel choices
 Using natural gas to
produce electricity
instead of coal
produces ½ the
CO2
Fracking . . . .
 Major source of CH4
leaks.
 Flaring – when CH4
can’t be sold
profitably, it is flared
off.
 Eagle Ford – since 2009
burned billions of cubic feet
of CH4 – enough to heat
335,000 homes/yr
 Need for pipelines/storage?
Switch to alternative energies!
 Wind power
 Solar power
 Hydro power
 Tidal power
 Geothermal heating and cooling
Energy Star appliances
HOW appliances and electronics
are used
 Wash full loads
 Wash coolest,
quickest setting
possible
 Shutting off
appliances when not
in use
 Avoiding
ghost/vampire
charges
Lighting options: Incandescent  CFL  LED!
Carbon sequestration
 CO2 can be injected
to enhance oil
production, leaving
CO2 underground
 Does not have to be
part of secondary oil
production – can
just be done to
reduce atmospheric
CO2 concentration.
NRG plans to cut 90% of its
carbon emissions
 Petra Nova project at WA Parrish:
 Post-combustion carbon capture project.
 CO2 will travel 80 miles through a pipeline for
use in secondary oil recovery
 “A response to pressure from consumers and
investors, and cheaper wind and solar
plants.”
The divestment movement
 Individuals, universities and companies are
dropping their investments in fossil fuels to
send an economic message. An incentive for
energy companies to move towards
sustainables.
Three policy options
 Cap and Trade
 Carbon Tax
 Carbon offsets
Government actions
 Cap and Trade
 EPA sets total
emissions for an
area (cap)
 Divides total by
number of sources
 Each source has
permits to emit their
fair share
 Extra permits can be
sold or saved (trade)
Carbon Tax
 Adding tax to
gasoline or other
fossil fuels would
reduce their use and
bring in money to
invest in cleaner
technologies
Sustainability.
It’s worth it.
Carbon Credits/Carbon offsets
 Individual or company pays extra money
when they create CO2. The money goes to a
third company which plants trees or invests in
clean technology
Lesson from the Ozone Hole:
 1930’s – CFCs invented
 1970’s – mechanism of O3 destruction understood; models of
possible effects suggest general thinning of O3 layer
 1985 – Ozone hole documented as complete surprise – models
were wrong.
 1987 – Montreal Protocol ratified despite
political and scientific uncertainty and the
efforts of CFC manufacturers to fund
disinformation campaigns
Which country is
producing the most CO2?
Check out the interactive map on this site!
International cooperation
 Kyoto Protocol

1997 – 161 nations
Required developed nations to reduce GHG by 5% by
2012
Developing nations not required to cut
Emissions trading created (carbon offsets)
US, Australia, and Russia declined to participate

Has now officially expired
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International cooperation
 Last Fall – talks in Peru.
 2015 Paris – next international meeting
 November 2014 – US/China agreement to
get serious about climate change
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Committed to working out 2015 plan
US by 2025 will be 25% below 2005 CO2
levels
China – peak fossil fuel emissions by 2030
and will derive 20% of energy from
sustainables by that point
From the US/China agreement:
 At the same time, economic evidence makes increasingly clear
that smart action on climate change now can drive innovation,
strengthen economic growth and bring broad benefits – from
sustainable development to increased energy security, improved
public health and a better quality of life. Tackling climate change
will also strengthen national and international security.
 Technological innovation is essential for reducing the cost of
current mitigation technologies, leading to the invention and
dissemination of new zero and low-carbon technologies and
enhancing the capacity of countries to reduce their emissions.
The United States and China are two of the world’s largest
investors in clean energy and already have a robust program of
energy technology cooperation.
 Check out details in #8 in link from title!
Geoengineering
 "options that would involve large-scale
engineering of our environment in order to
combat or counteract the effects of changes
in atmospheric chemistry.“
 New, unproven
Iron fertilization of ocean
 Would encourage
phytoplankton
growth to take up
more CO2 (or cause
massive disruption
of marine
ecosystems)
Stratospheric sulfate areosols
 Create global
dimming with more
clouds (or increase
acid precipitation as
SOx combines with
H2O)