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Johannes Koch Department of Geology The College of Wooster | ||
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| FOCUS THE NATION:
Background:By now, the vast majority of the scientific community agrees that the world is warming and that humans have a hand in the observed changes, and many legislators are starting to react. Thus the issue at this time is what to do about it, if anything. The ice core records from Antarctica clearly show that carbon dioxide levels are currently higher than they have been over the past 800,000 years, an interval characterized by repeated growth and decay of great icesheets in the Northern Hemisphere. Impacts and Potential Impacts:The accelerating loss of ice across the globe is a dramatic illustration of the warming. Contemporary sea level rise and variations in the hydrologic cycle (i.e., droughts, extreme weather) are some of the impacts that directly affect much of the world's population. Potential impacts include the possibility of an Abrupt Climate Change (ACC). We know from the geological record that ACCs have occurred during the recent past, although why they occur is under investigation. There remain uncertainties with respect to how Earth systems are responding and will respond to the large perturbation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Stemming the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been a central focus of the discussion. What to do?It is now clear that there is no saviour in the natural systems that can absorb the increasing CO 2 emissions. Conservation and more energy efficient technologies are a key component in reducing emissions. However, we have lost valuable time in the development of energy efficient and alternative energies and a more active role may be needed if we decide that the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is sufficiently grave to take action. The majority of energy at the national and global levels continues to be emitted from the burning of fossil fuels. Furthermore, it is very likely that energy consumption will continue to increase and that the vast and inexpensive coal reserves will increasingly be burned. Thus CO2 flux to the atmosphere will continue to climb. A growing number of nations are suggesting a cautionary approach to carbon dioxide emissions that includes investing resources now to stem CO2 buildup and avert even larger payouts in the future. We will be hearing more about the active and passive removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – carbon sequestration . Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology (http://www.ipcc.ch/activity/ccsspm.pdf ) is part of the solution and needs to be developed so that carbon dioxide can be captured at power plants and potentially from the atmosphere in general. Once captured and liquefied, carbon dioxide can then be isolated from the atmosphere through mineralization or long-term storage. Other ideas, such as ocean fertilization, are currently discussed. Global Warming is truly an unprecedented global challenge that will occupy the world stage in the decades to centuries to come. We have the responsibility for the well-being of the planet and innovation from many disciplines and cooperation will be needed to overcome the challenge. What we as individuals can do:Here are 10 simple things you can do and how much carbon dioxide you'll save doing them. change a light: Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. drive less: Walk, bike, carpool or take metro transit more often. You'll save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don't drive! recycle more: You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste. check your tires: Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. use less hot water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low-flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO 2 saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year). avoid products with a lot of packaging: You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%. adjust your thermostat: Moving your thermostat down just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. plant a tree: A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. turn off electronic devices: Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you're not using them will save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide per year. be a part of the solution: Learn more and get active at ClimateCrisis.net Websites that might be helpful:Focus the Nation website. |
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