Assignment 2
Introduction:
Climate change was a topic developed by a Swedish scientist as far back as 1896 due to the combustion of fossil fuel. The first predicted global warming was in 1976. In 1988, the theory was finally acknowledged when the climate became the hottest within the century (Maslin, 2008). The greenhouse effect became a concern and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was founded. Damages from greenhouse gases could include severe climate changes, altered ecosystem, extinction and loss of biodiversity (Shogren, 2004). The Kyoto Protocol was introduced to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The main six chemicals that needed to be reduced were CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, and SF6 (Parker & Blodgett, 2010). The goal
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Fang and other researches conducted a study of calculating the emissions in china over the course of 20 years from 1990-2010, and did a projection until 2020. They found that the highest SF6 emission came from electrical equipment sector (about 70%), followed by magnesium production, and the semi-conductor (10% each). While China is one of the main producers of metals and semiconductors, they did not contribute towards the reduction of GHG. An accelerated growth rate of SF6 occurred between 1990 and 2010. The fact that China ended up increasing the emissions of the most potent GHG, it makes the Kyoto Protocol ineffective as a whole. Global contribution from China rose from 0.9% in 1990 to 22.8% in 2008 (Fang, 2013). This ended up making China one of the most crucial contributors to recent growth of GHG emissions, rendering the Protocol as a …show more content…
According to Jason, “costs would fall if people adopt new energy-efficient technologies without a price hike in energy” (Shogren, 2004). A study done by Jaffe and his colleagues concluded that 20-25% of existing carbon emissions can be eliminated if people switched to fluorescent light bulbs, improved thermal insulation, more efficient heating and cooling systems (Jaffe, Newell, & Stavins, 2003). It all comes down to the consumers. Some of the energy efficient technologies are readily available but are still expensive. The driving force to efficient-energy technology depends on the changes of relative price. People will not want spend money on newer appliances especially if the prices are high, and if their current one still functions.
The agreement is entirely voluntary; therefore, it must be self-enforcing. There are global police organization to enforce the Kyoto Protocol (Shogren, 2004). This actually enforces the idea that true change must come from each individual and together form a nation with unified views on climate change. This limits the agreement to each participating country up to each of its citizens.
The dictionary defines climate change as a change in global or local climate patterns such as heat and precipitation. The trees that provide oxygen, the water that keeps us hydrated and the animals along with plants that gives us food grant Earth with features that make it adequate to live in. Global warming, as stated in the name, occurs when Earth 's atmosphere starts getting warmer. Global Warming has become a problem throughout the world that will need to be addressed over the coming years because it affects animals, sea level and landscapes around the world.
It’s been said by many and thought by others, countless times before. “It’s not that bad. The media and these environmentally obsessive individuals are over exaggerating the negative global climate change impacts”. After all the planets warming has potential to produce positive outcomes as well. It has even been argued that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant; rather it is an essential component for photosynthesis, a process that indirectly supports human life deeming the greenhouse effect as normal. Furthermore the warming of the planet would result in less harsh and cold winters; in turn this would mean fewer deaths, predominantly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly. Environmentally this could potentially produce greener rainforests and enhanced plant growth in the Amazon, increased vegetation in northern
Potential impacts of technology on a global scale are relatively long-term, the NCCTI is guided over this by the climate change goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of 1992 (Kyoto Protocol), ratified by the United States and more than 170 other countries (5) (3). The UNFCCC calls for the "... stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in Earth's atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."(5) In order to achieve this long-term goal, net emissions of greenhouse gases on a global scale must ultimately approach levels that are lower than they are today. (1)
It seeks to implement post-kyoto agreements applicable to all UNFCC nations. According to the France Diplomatie website “The meeting will mark a decisive stage in negotiations on the future international agreement on a post-2020 regime, and will, as agreed in Durban, adopt the major outlines of that regime.By the end of the meeting, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, all the nations of the world, including the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, will be bound by a universal agreement on climate.” (“France Diplomatie” 2013) In order to prepare for COP21; as of November 12th, 2014 the governments of the US and China have come to an agreement in which the US will lower it’s emissions by about a third by 2025, and China will taper off its emission and begin to reduce them by one third by 2030. China has also agreed that by that time at least 20% of their electricity will come from renewable resources. This would constitute an increase of 1000 GiW of energy from current levels. (Hoye, Yan. 2014) Although some, like US senator Mitch McConnell, have argued that this agreement allows China to “do nothing” for 16 years and places the burden on us, this sentiment is misguided. Because US emissions are down by roughly 10% from 2005 levels, as discussed earlier, The United States will have an easier time of reducing our emissions further to 26%-28% by 2025. By comparison over the last decade China has been developing very rapidly, lifting more than 100 million people out of poverty. The new Chinese middle class consumes more energy, causing China’s emissions to skyrocket during that time. In the last 10 years China has added one and a half the entire US number of coal-fired power plants. In order to reach the agreed upon cuts of up to 30% by 2030 while still maintaining growth China will have to change business as usual drastically. This is one reason for the agreed upon increase in renewable energy
Throughout history climates have drastically changed. There have been shifts from warm climates to the Ice Ages (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.204). Evidence suggests there have been at least a dozen abrupt climate changes throughout the history of the earth. There are a few suspected reasons for these past climate changes. One reason may be that asteroids hitting the earth and volcanic eruptions caused some of them. A further assumption is that 22-year solar magnetic cycles and 11-year sunspot cycles played a part in the changes. A further possibility is that a regular shifting in the angle of the moon orbiting earth causing changing tides and atmospheric circulation affects the global climate (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.205). Scientific studies suggest that all these played a role in past global warming and cooling periods. Today, however, there is a lot of conflict on whether humans are causing a global warming that could be disastrous to humans and all species of plants and animals on this earth. This paper will first explain the greenhouse effect, then take a look at both sides argument, and, finally, analyze the effect of global warming on world-wide sustainability
Global warming and global climate change is the study of future increases of temperature across the globe. Studying climate change refers to how the over- all climate will change such as the dry places getting dryer and the wet places getting wetter. Global climate is dependent on “the greenhouse effect a natural process that helps regulate temperature” (Easterling and Karl). In the past few centuries humans have had a monumental effect on increasing of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Climate change is result of the increase amount of the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere such as methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and ozone. “Global temperature has rose approximately 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over
The climate on the Earth is changing. Ice age is interleaved with the global warming. In the present age, the temperature of the Earth's climate system continue rapidly increase and it leads to global warming. Global warming is the process of gradual growth of average annual temperature of the atmosphere of the Earth and World ocean. The average temperature on the Earth was increased by 0.6C. There are various reasons of global warming, such as human activities, natural events, increasing of gases, such as carbon dioxide in atmosphere and solar activity (Global warming). Nearly 200 countries have signed Kyoto Protocol and they must reduce four greenhouse gases, in order to struggle with global warming. There are several perspectives about effects of global warming on environment. In this essay will be considered the impacts and consequences of global warming . In the process, it will be clarified that there are positive and negative impacts of global warming.
Earth’s climate is determined by the physics and chemistry of its atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere consists of four layers; troposphere which is closest to earth, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Hardy says, “During the past 100 years we humans, as a result of burning coal, oil, and gas and clearing forests, have greatly changed the chemical composition of the thin atmospheric layer.” There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to burning fossil fuels. The atmosphere is made up of many gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. It also consists of trace gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, chlorofluorocarbons and, ozone. The trace gases have the greatest effect on our climate (Hardy 5). Up to a certain level, these gases help to keep the planet warm by absorbing certain infrared wavelengths, so that there can be life on the planet. Thus, they trap heat in the troposphere and stop it from escaping to space (Hardy 7). Therefore, the greater amount of greenhouse gases, the more heat trapped in the atmosphere. Earth’s temperature is increasing due to increased levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide released into the air from burning fossil fuels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 report projects “global average surface temperature increases ranging from 1.4 to 5.8 degrees
There are mainly two separate arguments for global warming and climate change. Some people believe that global warming and climate change do exist, and humans may have caused these problems. Others believe that global warming and climate change are simply natural cycles of the earth, or simply does not exist. Global warming and climate change are argued both as environmental issues caused by humans, and also largely exaggerated natural occurrences.
In the Climate Change debate, there are two sides, both hoping to make real differences in the lives of Americans. Climate change proponents, or people who believe that the continual emission of carbon dioxide poses real risks, hope to change America—make it a leader in renewable energy and reverse the International Panel on Climate Change’s projected outcomes regarding global temperature and sea level rise. On the other side, climate change deniers believe in a free market, not disrupted by regulation on industry for a cause they believe is untrue. Currently, there is a stalemate in the debate; neither side has gained an overwhelming victory over public opinion, effectively silencing action on climate change. Both sides have major incentive to continue pushing their views, however. ‘Winning’ the debate means vastly different economic, political and social futures. In order to “win” their preferred future,
In the 21st century, industrialised nations will contribute to less than 20% of increased greenhouse gas emissions. In the stark opposite, developing nations (Appendix II countries in Kyoto Protocol) will contribute to more than 80% of increased greenhouse gas emissions. According to IPCC reports, it is of utmost importance for us to reduce emissions in the following century so as to prevent a global-scale environmental catastrophe.
The Kyoto Protocol took years off of the always increasing problem of global warming. Even though this greenhouse-gas policy was very successful, having multiple policies that reduce the use of these gasses will always be a good effect on the
Countries such as China and Japan need to enforce more powerful regulations on the amount of carbon emissions that they produce. China put in regulations just this last year and Japan postponed plans for a national regulations on carbon emissions, bowing to powerful business groups that warned of job losses as they compete against overseas rivals facing fewer emissions regulations. It’s not a good sign that large corporations can control how a nation regulates its environmental safety laws. China is finally planning to regulate their carbon emissions. This is long over due concerting that China ranks as the world’s number one carbon dioxide emitter, thanks in part to the massive amounts of coal the country burns. China currently builds a new coal-fired power plant at a rate of about one every week to ten days. The country’s coal burning levels are nearly on par with the rest of the world combined.
As we approach the future we are faced with many global problems. Most of these problems arise because we have caused them ourselves. We need to face these problems and find a solution. Global warming, although most often overlooked in importance, is a crucial problem of the future directly related to human activities. Global warming is caused by gases humans release into the atmosphere called anthropogenic gases and by deforestation. Anthropogenic gases include carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofl...
Nowadays, we can see a lot of campaigns to reduce this humans’ contribution of greenhouse gases to atmosphere. These campaign’s missions are usually about reducing the energy that we use, convincing us to use recyclable energy, stopping the deforestation... These missions are all about mitigating to climate change. Climate change mitigation is the actions to limit the significant rate of long term climate change. In other words, climate change mitigation is all of the actions about lowering the humans’ greenhouse gas contribution to atmosphere. It is now too late for humans’ to prevent the effects of climate change, but these effects can be reduced in the future with mitigation. The most popular treaty, disenchant of humanity, is Kyoto Protocol. The main goal of Kyoto Protocol is reducing the human emitted greenhouse gases, in other word, mitigation. Also in ways that underlying national differences in GHG emissions, wealth, and capacity to make th...