Climate change deniers are put on official notice. Stating that greenhouse gas emissions had increased by 20% since 2000, a recent United Nations report indicated that it was unlikely that the goal of stalling global warming at the 2 degree Celsius level by 2020 could be met. The temperature rise is more likely to be 3 to 5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. "So what?" you say - what's a degree or two more? Well, the significance is that once above the 2 degree Celsius level, the projected costs for dealing with climate change escalate dramatically.
After our own recent bout with climate change effects (aka Hurricane Sandy), the United States perhaps will awaken to become a leader in halting this doomsday march. More than 110 deaths and an estimated $50 billion damage have been attributed to the storm that ransacked the East Coast in late October. Sandy was dubbed a megastorm but it may soon become the norm. Strong storms such as Sandy and higher level hurricanes will become more and more common because of the increasing global warming.
Although China has now overtaken the United States in terms of total energy consumption, the United States remains the leading per capita energy consumer with neighbor Canada right behind. Canada and the United States both are consuming energy at a rate over 8 tons oil equivalent (TOE) per person. For comparison, other developed nations are generally in the range of 3 (Italy) to 6 (Finland) TOE per person. China is below 2.
A major UN climate change conference starts next week in Qatar. Expect the conferrees to stress the need for drastic reductions in fossil fuels consumption and the development of alternate forms of energy. Based on their current assessment, one would hope that they also start focusing on engineering solutions to minimize the damage that will surely come.
All of this will take money as well as cooperation among nations. The time for narrow-minded nationalism and know nothing/do nothing attitudes is over. The time to invest in the future of the planet, in sustainable energy and infrastructure, is now.
What can I do?
The web is filled with pages on energy conservation and stopping global warming at the personal level. Here are three of them.
Global Warming Facts: 50 Tips
Power Scorecard: Twenty Things to Conserve Energy
NRDC: How to Reduce Energy Consumption (This is a link to "Easy Energy Saving Habits". On that page you will find links to Simple Household Tools and Gadgets, Long Term Efficiency and Further Resources.)
Article- Related Links
Huffington Post Nov 23 Article
Common Dreams Nov 21 Post
Per Capita Energy Use
Total Energy Use
Showing posts with label global warming solutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label global warming solutions. Show all posts
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Now That's Hot
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the past twelve months (from May 2011 through April 2012) were the hottest ever recorded for the contiguous 48 states. The average temperature of 55.7 degrees was nearly 3 degrees above the 20th century average. If the climate change deniers still have a problem with the data, perhaps they should reflect on the disturbing information that all 10 of the warmest 12-month periods on record have occurred in the last 15 years. The past year was not an outlier and the trend is clearly tied to human activities and fossil fuel consumption.
Earlier posts have explained (in what some may call mind-numbing detail) the reasons for global warming, the potential consequences, and what we can do about it. Links to these posts are given at the bottom of the page. We should not expect to hear much on this during the 2012 election cycle. Unfortunately, global warming is not an issue that excites the electorate. But the consequences of inaction are growing daily. A Republican-controlled Congress or White House will delay effective action for at least another four years. Just another reason to get to the polls in November no matter how disappointed we on the left might be with some Obama policies.
In the meantime, while we wait for politicians to face up to the situation and begin the massive effort needed to correct it, we can all start to do the "little things" in our daily lives to help mitigate the problem. There's a great list of 50 simple actions at the Global Warming Facts website. You can click on this link to reach it. You may have seen and acted upon some of these suggestions before (tire pressure, car pooling, mass transit, compact flourescent light bulbs, fresh/organic food, less meat, etc.). But this checklist can help us get started and keep track of how we are doing. As Global Warming Facts states on the web page, this list provides "50 simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming phenomenon: some of these ideas are at no cost, some other require a little effort or investment but can help you save a lot of money, in the middle-long term!"
August 2011 Ecology and Climate-Related Posts
Silent Spring, Nuclear Winter, Gaia and Medea
Global Warming 101 - Part I
Global Warming 101 - Part II
Global Warming 101 - Part III
Global Warming 101 - Part IV
Earlier posts have explained (in what some may call mind-numbing detail) the reasons for global warming, the potential consequences, and what we can do about it. Links to these posts are given at the bottom of the page. We should not expect to hear much on this during the 2012 election cycle. Unfortunately, global warming is not an issue that excites the electorate. But the consequences of inaction are growing daily. A Republican-controlled Congress or White House will delay effective action for at least another four years. Just another reason to get to the polls in November no matter how disappointed we on the left might be with some Obama policies.
In the meantime, while we wait for politicians to face up to the situation and begin the massive effort needed to correct it, we can all start to do the "little things" in our daily lives to help mitigate the problem. There's a great list of 50 simple actions at the Global Warming Facts website. You can click on this link to reach it. You may have seen and acted upon some of these suggestions before (tire pressure, car pooling, mass transit, compact flourescent light bulbs, fresh/organic food, less meat, etc.). But this checklist can help us get started and keep track of how we are doing. As Global Warming Facts states on the web page, this list provides "50 simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming phenomenon: some of these ideas are at no cost, some other require a little effort or investment but can help you save a lot of money, in the middle-long term!"
August 2011 Ecology and Climate-Related Posts
Silent Spring, Nuclear Winter, Gaia and Medea
Global Warming 101 - Part I
Global Warming 101 - Part II
Global Warming 101 - Part III
Global Warming 101 - Part IV
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Global Warming 101 - Part IV
In the last post, we discussed the time frame for the upcoming global warming disaster (40 to 90 years) and one of the three tools at our disposal to mitigate the impact - specifically the reduction of GHG emissions. This post will discuss two other tools: GHG "sinks" and engineering and technology solutions.
Carbon Dioxide Sinks
"Sinks" absorb and trap greenhouse gases. Forests, soil and oceans are three natural sinks.
A significant portion of the current higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere is due to land use and development. The World Research Institue estimates that 18% of GHG emissions comes from land use changes. Specifically, deforestation reduces the amount of CO2 that can be absorbed via photosynthesis. As Tim Flannery writes in his recently published Here on Earth: "By 2009, around half of the tropical forests present in 1800 had been destroyed and, at the current rate of destruction, by 2050 most of the remainder outside protected areas will be gone as well." One solution to this is sustainable forestry enforced by a global treaty (for example, certification that forest products have been harvested sustainably). Another would be a ban on logging in old growth forests.
Soil presents an even larger total sink for CO2 than vegetation. The burning and natural decomposition of trees and agricultural matter contributes a large amount of CO2 being released to the atmosphere. Biochar can potentially store this carbon in the ground, thereby making a significant reduction in atmospheric GHG levels. The carbon in CO2 can be mineralized in charcoal and "biochar" using a technology called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis involves the burning of biomass in the absence of oxygen. The mineralized carbon can then be stored stably for hundreds or thousands of years by mixing it back in to the soil. Biochar also has a beneficial effect on the soil itself. It can improve plant yields for certain types of crops, improve water quality, reduce soil emissions of GHGs, reduce leaching of nutrients, reduce soil acidity, and reduce irrigation and fertilizer requirements. The UK's Royal Society has estimated that widespread application of this technology for sequestering carbon can reduce atmospheric CO2 levels by 50 to 150 ppm.
By far, the largest CO2 sink that we have is the oceans. That's the good news. The bad news as reported in a 2009 ScienceDaily article: "The oceans are the planet's main carbon sink, but in the last ten years they have become increasingly unable to play this role, in both the northern and southern hemispheres." As atmospheric CO2 levels increase and water temperatures increase, the oceans can absorb less and less CO2. The only solution to this is to reverse the trend of increased human-indiced emissions.
Engineering and Technology
The last tool to be discussed is engineering and technology solutions to protect coastal cities, shorelines, and food supply. Regardless of what steps we take to reduce emissions and increase the absorptive capacity of the land and oceans, there will be a signicant negative effect of the ongoing human-induced global warming. The extent to which we will need engineering solutions will depend on the extent we are able to reduce CO2 levels. If we do nothing, then the cost of the engineering solutions will be high. If we do much, then the cost of the engineering solutions will not be quite as high.
And if we do nothing at all - if we neither reduce atmospheric GHG levels nor provide mitigation by engineering solutions - the cost will be many trillions of dollars in damages and, globally, literally billions of displaced persons.
Dikes, levees and water removal systems for coastal cities will need to be constructed or improved. Improved heat-resistant crops with low water requirements will need to be developed. By 2050, the world's population will increase 50% to 9 billion. Let's hope we all do the right things to sustain these people of the future.
Global Political Will
More than anything else, the success or failure of the efforts to mitigate the effect of human-induced global warming depends on the political will of the nations of the world - the ability to think long-term and to cooperate globally. The United States, as one of the leading contributors to the current problem, must also be a leader in its solution. If the Know-Nothing's of today are really concerned about the world they will leave to their children and grandchildren, they better think about what the overwhelming scientific evidence is showing. Why not give the world an example of American exceptionalism in the best possible way by leading this effort ?
Final Note: For forecasts of the economic and human impacts, please see the Global Warming Forecasts website.
Carbon Dioxide Sinks
"Sinks" absorb and trap greenhouse gases. Forests, soil and oceans are three natural sinks.
A significant portion of the current higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere is due to land use and development. The World Research Institue estimates that 18% of GHG emissions comes from land use changes. Specifically, deforestation reduces the amount of CO2 that can be absorbed via photosynthesis. As Tim Flannery writes in his recently published Here on Earth: "By 2009, around half of the tropical forests present in 1800 had been destroyed and, at the current rate of destruction, by 2050 most of the remainder outside protected areas will be gone as well." One solution to this is sustainable forestry enforced by a global treaty (for example, certification that forest products have been harvested sustainably). Another would be a ban on logging in old growth forests.
Soil presents an even larger total sink for CO2 than vegetation. The burning and natural decomposition of trees and agricultural matter contributes a large amount of CO2 being released to the atmosphere. Biochar can potentially store this carbon in the ground, thereby making a significant reduction in atmospheric GHG levels. The carbon in CO2 can be mineralized in charcoal and "biochar" using a technology called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis involves the burning of biomass in the absence of oxygen. The mineralized carbon can then be stored stably for hundreds or thousands of years by mixing it back in to the soil. Biochar also has a beneficial effect on the soil itself. It can improve plant yields for certain types of crops, improve water quality, reduce soil emissions of GHGs, reduce leaching of nutrients, reduce soil acidity, and reduce irrigation and fertilizer requirements. The UK's Royal Society has estimated that widespread application of this technology for sequestering carbon can reduce atmospheric CO2 levels by 50 to 150 ppm.
By far, the largest CO2 sink that we have is the oceans. That's the good news. The bad news as reported in a 2009 ScienceDaily article: "The oceans are the planet's main carbon sink, but in the last ten years they have become increasingly unable to play this role, in both the northern and southern hemispheres." As atmospheric CO2 levels increase and water temperatures increase, the oceans can absorb less and less CO2. The only solution to this is to reverse the trend of increased human-indiced emissions.
Engineering and Technology
The last tool to be discussed is engineering and technology solutions to protect coastal cities, shorelines, and food supply. Regardless of what steps we take to reduce emissions and increase the absorptive capacity of the land and oceans, there will be a signicant negative effect of the ongoing human-induced global warming. The extent to which we will need engineering solutions will depend on the extent we are able to reduce CO2 levels. If we do nothing, then the cost of the engineering solutions will be high. If we do much, then the cost of the engineering solutions will not be quite as high.
And if we do nothing at all - if we neither reduce atmospheric GHG levels nor provide mitigation by engineering solutions - the cost will be many trillions of dollars in damages and, globally, literally billions of displaced persons.
Dikes, levees and water removal systems for coastal cities will need to be constructed or improved. Improved heat-resistant crops with low water requirements will need to be developed. By 2050, the world's population will increase 50% to 9 billion. Let's hope we all do the right things to sustain these people of the future.
Global Political Will
More than anything else, the success or failure of the efforts to mitigate the effect of human-induced global warming depends on the political will of the nations of the world - the ability to think long-term and to cooperate globally. The United States, as one of the leading contributors to the current problem, must also be a leader in its solution. If the Know-Nothing's of today are really concerned about the world they will leave to their children and grandchildren, they better think about what the overwhelming scientific evidence is showing. Why not give the world an example of American exceptionalism in the best possible way by leading this effort ?
Final Note: For forecasts of the economic and human impacts, please see the Global Warming Forecasts website.
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