(To be updated in December)

Global Warming Outline

I.

Introduction Climate change vs. Global Warming (GW) Background Global Warming Controversy (Myth or Reality?)

II. III. IV. V. VI.

Observed Effects of Global Warming Causes of Global Warming Projected Climate Change Consequences of Global Warming in the Future Public Policy to mitigate Global Warming Mitigation strategies

VII.

Conclusion/Inference

Background

I.

Introduction

An interglacial period began about 10,000 years ago, when the last ice age came to an end. increase in the atmosphere from increased plant and animal life. Prior to that ice age, an interglacial period occurred about 125,000 years ago.

But since 1750 greenhouse gases have increased dramatically to levels not seen in The ice of the Polar Regions furnishes clues to the makeup of Earths ancient atmosphere. hundreds of thousands of years, due to the rapid growth of the human population combined factor influencing Earths dynamic climate. with developments in technology and agriculture. Human activities now are a powerful

During interglacial periods, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane naturally

natural records of both temperature and atmospheric greenhouse gases going back

Ice cores that scientists have bored from the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica provide

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hundreds of thousands of years. Layers in these ice cores created by seasonal snowfall bubbles trapped in the ice and properties of the ice itself, scientists can estimate the temperature and amount of greenhouse gases in Earths past atmosphere at the time each levels higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years. layer formed. Based on this data, scientists know that greenhouse gases have now risen to

Global Warming Outline

patterns allow scientists to determine the age of the ice in each core. By measuring tiny air

Greenhouse gases are rising, and temperatures are following. Before the late 1800s, the average surface temperature has risen by about 0.7 Celsius degrees (1.3 Fahrenheit more intense storms, more frequent heat waves, and changes in the life cycles of many the average surface temperature of Earth was almost 15C (59F). Over the past 100 years,

degrees), with most of the increase occurring since the 1970s. Scientists have linked even melting mountain glaciers and polar ice, rising sea level, more intense and longer droughts, plants and animals. Warming has been most dramatic in the Arctic, where temperatures have risen almost twice as much as the global average.

this amount of warming to numerous changes taking place around the world, including

Global Warming Controversy (Myth or Reality?)

of scientists: o o o impedes economic and social development."

The Heidelberg Appeal, authored by Michel Salomon and signed by a large number pseudo-scientific arguments or false and non-relevant data.

Opponents stress the role of natural factors (natural decomposition of organic materials, the scientific uncertainties associated with data on global warming and climate change.

The Heidelberg Appeal has been enthusiastically embraced by critics of the environmental movement such as S. Fred Singer of the Science and Environmental Policy Project.

Science, Technology and Industry."

The greatest evils which stalk our Earth are ignorance and oppression, and not

"an irrational ideology which is opposed to scientific and industrial progress, and

wildfires, deforestation, and land-clearing activities) in past climatic variation and stress on

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Global Warming Outline An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do There is more consensus in scientific community than the political community. A 2009 poll Scientists (UCS) board of directors, wrote "World Scientists' Warning to Humanity", which begins: "Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course." A majority of the Nobel Prize laureates in the sciences signed the document; about 1,500 of the world's because of human activity such as burning fossil fuels, just 49% of the public agrees." on a global scale, and reenergizing the environmental movement. About It. Al Gores movie and book played an important role in increasing public awareness

In late 1992, the late Henry W. Kendall, a former chair of the Union of Concerned leading scientists appended their signature.

by Pew Research Centerfound that "84% of scientists say the earth is getting warmer

A near consensus on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases is almost achieved.

II.

Observed Effects of Global Warming

Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level. Temperature increase:

instrumental record of global surface temperature (since 1850). The 100-year linear trend (1906-2005) of 0.74 C is larger than the corresponding trend of 0.6 C (1901-2000) given in the Third Assessment Report (TAR). latitudes. Land regions have warmed faster than the oceans. the highest in at least the past 1300 years.

Eleven of the last twelve years (1995-2006) rank among the twelve warmest years in the

The temperature increase is widespread over the globe and is greater at higher northern

Average Northern Hemisphere temperatures during the second half of the 20th century

were very likely higher than during any other 50-year period in the last 500 years and likely

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glaciers)

Rising sea level, decrease in snow and ice content (Declining of snow cover and Mountain

Rising sea level is consistent with warming. Global average sea level has risen since 1961 at an average rate of 1.8 mm/yr and since 1993 at 3.1 mm/yr, with contributions from thermal expansion, melting glaciers and ice caps, and the polar ice sheets. average have declined in both hemispheres. since 1978 show that annual average Arctic sea ice extent has shrunk by 2.7 % per decade,

Global Warming Outline

Observed decreases in snow and ice extent are also consistent with warming. Satellite data with larger decreases in summer of 7.4 % per decade. Mountain glaciers and snow cover on Changes in snow, ice and frozen ground have with high confidence increased the number and size of glacial lakes, increased ground instability in mountain and other permafrost regions and led to changes in some Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems.

Increase in precipitation in northern regions and decrease in Southern regions:

From 1900 to 2005, precipitation increased significantly in eastern parts of North and South Mediterranean, southern Africa and parts of southern Asia. Globally, the area affected by drought has likely increased since the 1970s.

America, northern Europe and northern and central Asia but declined in the Sahel, the

Increase in intense tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic since about 1970

There is observational evidence of an increase in intense tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic since about 1970, with limited evidence of increases elsewhere. There is no clear trend in the annual numbers of tropical cyclones. It is difficult to ascertain longer-term trends in cyclone activity, particularly prior to 1970.

Earlier timing of spring events, pole ward and upward shifts in plant and animal ranges linked to recent warming, fish abundance in fresh water systems associated to rising water temperatures. In terrestrial ecosystems, earlier timing of spring events and poleward and upward shifts in marine and freshwater systems, shifts in ranges and changes in algal, plankton and fish abundance are with high confidence associated with rising water temperatures, as well as

related changes in ice cover, salinity, oxygen levels and circulation.

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plant and animal ranges are with very high confidence linked to recent warming. In some

Global Warming Outline

III.

Causes of Global Warming

Short-wave radiation from the Sun, including visible light, penetrates the atmosphere and is

Understanding the Green House Effect:

absorbed by the surface, warming Earth. Earths surface, in turn, releases some of this heat as long-wave infrared radiation. Much of this long-wave infrared radiation makes it back out to space, but a portion remains Only greenhouse gases, which make up less than 1 percent of the atmosphere, offer the trapped in Earths atmosphere, held in by certain atmospheric gases, including water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. Absorbing and reflecting heat radiated by Earth, these gases act somewhat like the glass in a greenhouse, and is thus known as greenhouse gases.

Earth from pole to pole.

average surface temperature of the planet would be about -18C (0F) and ice would cover Changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols, land cover and solar radiation alter the energy balance of the climate system. an increase of 70% between 1970 and 2004. unit of energy supplied reversed after 2000.

Earth any insulation. All life on Earth relies on the greenhouse effectwithout it, the

Global GHG emissions due to human activities have grown since pre-industrial times, with by about 80% between 1970 and 2004. The long-term trend of declining CO2 emissions per Global atmospheric concentrations of CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) have industrial values determined from ice cores spanning many thousands of years. increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and now far exceed pre-

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important anthropogenic GHG. Its annual emissions grew

Greenhouse Gases: Water Vapour

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Global Warming Outline Water vapour is the most potent of the greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere.

Its behaviour is fundamentally different from that of the other greenhouse gases. The primary role is, as a response within the climate system that influences the system's continued activity.

This distinction arises from the fact that the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere cannot, in general, be directly modified by human behaviour but is instead set by air temperatures. The capable of absorbing longwave radiation and emitting it downward.
CO2

of water vapour is not as a direct agent of radiative forcing but rather as a climate feedbackthat warmer the surface, the greater the evaporation rate of water from the surface. As a result, increased evaporation leads to a greater concentration of water vapour in the lower atmosphere most important Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the anthropogenic 2004. CO2 annual emissions grew by (379ppm) in about 80% between 1970 and GHG. Its

2nd most abundant GHG Natural Processes: through a variety of natural processes known as the carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide constantly circulates in the environment

Atmospheric concentration of exceed by far the natural range over the last 650,000 years. with 2005

It is released into the atmosphere from natural processes the burning or decay of plants and other organic matter. Humans:

such as eruptions of volcanoes; the respiration of animals, which breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide; and

Global

concentrations

primarily to fossil fuel use, but smaller contribution land-use change

increases

Humans are significantly increasing the amount of carbon wastes, and wood and wood products to heat buildings,

providing another significant

are

in

CO2 due

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dioxide released to the atmosphere through the burning

of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), solid

drive vehicles, and generate electricity. At the same time, the number of trees available to absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis has been greatly reduced by deforestation.

Global Warming Outline

Methane Natural Process: Methane also comes from rotting organic matter in landfills, rice paddies, and wetlands, as well as from digestion. Live plants also emit small amounts of methane. certain animals, especially cows, as a byproduct of

Atmospheric years.

of CH4 (1774ppb) in 2005

exceed by far the natural

range over the last 650,000

concentrations

Methane released from these areas as they melt would what scientists call a feedback process Methane is emitted into the Humans: natural gas and oil. atmosphere during the

contribute to further warming and further melting, in mining of coal and the production and transport of amount of carbon dioxide.

Compared to carbon dioxide, methane appears in lower atmosphere for a shorter time. carbon dioxide to global warming.

Methane traps nearly 30 times more heat than the same

concentrations in the atmosphere and remains in the In total, methane contributes about a third as much as

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Global Warming Outline The increase in N2O

NITROUS OXIDE primarily by plowing farm soils and burning fossil fuels. the same amount of carbon dioxide. increased 18 percent over preindustrial levels. Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas that is released The concentration of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has Nitrous oxide traps about 300 times more heat than does

concentration

due to agriculture.

is

primarily

Nitrous oxide contributes about a tenth as much as carbon dioxide to global warming.

OZONE shields life on Earth from the Suns harmful ultraviolet radiation. This ozone is formed by the a small part of the warming from greenhouse gases. Humans (Warming): Natural Process: (cooling) Ozone in the upper atmosphere is known as the ozone layer and

action of ultraviolet light from the Sun on molecules of ordinary oxygen. Some chemical compounds are known to destroy ozone molecules in the upper atmosphere. This can break down,

or deplete, the ozone layer. Depletion of the ozone layer actually causes a slight cooling, offsetting However, ozone in the lower atmosphere is a component of smog, a severe type of air pollution. lung tissues, and attacks rubber. It is also a greenhouse gas that contributes about a fourth as much as carbon dioxide to global warming. Unlike the greenhouse gases discussed above, which

Nitrogen oxides and volatile organic gases emitted by automobiles and industrial sources combine

to form the ozone in smog. This ozone is a poison that damages vegetation, kills trees, irritates industrialized regions

are well-mixed throughout the atmosphere, ozone in the lower atmosphere tends to be limited to Page

Global Warming Outline Manufacturing Processes Manufacturing processes use or generate many synthetic chemicals that are powerful greenhouse gases.

containing gases that were widely used in the 20th century as refrigerants, aerosol spray the upper atmosphere destroys the ozone layer. developing countries after 2010. New chemicals have been developed to replace CFCs, but they are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).

propellants, and cleaning agents. Scientific studies showed that the chlorine released by CFCs into

Human-made greenhouse gases include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a family of chlorine-

CFCs were mostly banned in industrialized nations beginning in 1996 and will be phased out in Although HCFCs are less damaging to the ozone layer than CFCs, they also contain chlorine and are

also potent greenhouse gases. The substitutes include hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), scheduled to be completely phased out by 2030 under amendments made in 2007 to the Montral Protocol. Developed countries must end their use of HCFCs by 2020 under the amended protocol.

addition, they last longer in the atmosphere than CFCs, which have an average lifespan of 120 2,600 and 50,000 years, depending on the specific compound. Their accumulation in the the manufacture of semiconductors, and as refrigerants.

years. PFCs are exceptionally long-lived chemicalsthey can persist in the atmosphere between Another human-made chemical, sulfur hexafluoride, is one of the most potentially destructive

Although HFCs and PFCs do not destroy the ozone layer, they are powerful greenhouse gases. In

atmosphere is therefore essentially irreversible. PFCs are used in the production of aluminum, in greenhouse gases ever produced. This synthetic gas compound has nearly 24,000 times the warming effect of an equal amount of carbon dioxide over a period of 100 years.. Sulfur

casting of magnesium. AEROSOLS

hexafluoride is used as insulation for high-voltage electrical equipment and in the production and

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gases but also tiny solid and liquid particles called aerosols that remain suspended in the atmosphere. Although aerosols are not considered greenhouse gases, they do affect global warming in several ways.

Fuel combustion, and to a lesser extent agricultural and industrial processes, produce not only

colored aerosols that reflect incoming solar energy back to space. In this way, they have a cooling effect. evaporation of seawater. Aerosol particles also have an indirect cooling influence by acting as energy reflected back to space is greater on cloudy days. Natural aerosols that also have a cooling effect are produced during volcanic eruptions and the

Diesel engines and some types of biomass burning produce black aerosols such as soot, which absorb the Suns energy and therefore contribute to warming.

Global Warming Outline

Conversely, coal-fired power plants burning high-sulfur coal emit sulfate aerosols, which are light-

Aerosols are one of the least-understood factors in climate change and their effects are still being debated. which is estimated to be roughly equal to the warming influence of carbon dioxide alone. Two important socio-economic causes Profligate Consumerism, large footprints in developed countries, culture of greed... Population Explosion

seeds for the condensation of water vapor into cloud masses. In general, the amount of solar

Scientists are more certain, however, about the net effect of all greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions,

IV.

Projected Climate Change

GHG emissions by 25 to 90% (CO2-eq) between 2000 and 2030.

For the next two decades a warming of about 0.2C per decade is projected for a range of constant at year 2000 levels, a further warming of about 0.1C per decade would be scenarios

The IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES, 2000) projects an increase of global

SRES emissions scenarios. Even if the concentrations of all GHGs and aerosols had been kept expected. Afterwards, temperature projections increasingly depend on specific emissions

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Contraction of snow cover area, increases in thaw depth over most permafrost regions and sea ice disappears almost entirely by the latter part of the 21st century. decrease in sea ice extent; in some projections using SRES scenarios, Arctic late-summer

Global Warming Outline Contraction of the Greenland ice sheet is projected to continue to contribute to sea level rise were sustained for millennia in excess of 1.9 to 4.6C relative to pre-industrial values.

after 2100. Current models suggest virtually complete elimination of the Greenland ice sheet and a resulting contribution to sea level rise of about 7m if global average warming

Climate change is likely to lead to some irreversible impacts. There is medium confidence extinction if increases in global average warming exceed 1.5 to 2.5C (relative to 19801999).

that approximately 20 to 30% of species assessed so far are likely to be at increased risk of

V.

Consequences of Global Warming in the Future

Regional Conflicts in Africa Climate has been a major driver of armed conflict in Africa, continent, conflict was about 50% more likely in unusually warm years. production in some parts of the world. One is the fighting in Darfur in Sudan that according to UN figures has killed 200,000 people research shows - and future warming is likely to increase the number of deaths from war.

a. Socio-political consequences

b. Agriculture

Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns may damage food crops, disrupting food raises sea level, which will eventually flood some coastal regions and even entire islands. southern Africa) projected to receive considerably less.

and forced two million more from their homes. US researchers found that across the

c. Flooding

d. Volatility

Melting polar ice and glaciers, as well as warming of the oceans, expands ocean volume and Patterns of rainfall are expected to change, with higher latitudes (closer to the poles) seeking cooler temperatures , and species that cannot do so may become extinct. projected to receive more rainfall, and subtropical areas (such as the Mediterranean and

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e. Plant and animal species will shift their ranges toward the poles or to higher elevations

f.

Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also leads to increased ocean acidity, damaging ocean ecosystems.

Global Warming Outline

Asia:

South Asia including HKH (Hindu-Kush Himalayas) region is a climate change hotspot, Rivers coming out of these glaciers (Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra etc) are feeding the whole South Asia. India due to shrinkage of rivers, intensity in water conflicts is inevitable)

g. By the 2050s, freshwater availability in Central, South, East and South-East Asia,

influences half the world. Largest glaciers outside the Polar Regions are in this region. particularly in large river basins, is projected to decrease. (threat of drought in Pakistan, Asia, will be at greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea and, in some mega deltas, flooding from the rivers. (Half of Maldives is expected to sink)

j.

i.

h. Coastal areas, especially heavily populated mega delta regions in South, East and South-East Climate change is projected to compound the pressures on natural resources and the development. environment associated with rapid urbanization, industrialization and economic

Endemic morbidity and mortality due to diarrheal disease primarily associated with floods changes in the hydrological cycle.

and droughts are expected to rise in East, South and South-East Asia due to projected

Stockholm Conference 1972 (United Nations Conference on the Human Environment ). Very vague identification. A point has been reached in history when we must shape our actions throughout the world with a more prudent care for their environmental consequences, environment must be halted. discharge of toxic substances and the release of heat that exceed the capacity of

Concern among prominent climate scientists arose in the mid-20th century. Debate started in 1980s.

VI.

Public Policy to mitigate Global Warming

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 Countries in North America and Europe that were the first to undergo the process of The United States, possessing approximately 5 percent of the global population, emitted almost 21 percent of global greenhouse gases in 2000. cumulative terms since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century.

Global Warming Outline

industrialization have been responsible for releasing most greenhouse gases in absolute

In 2000 the average American emitted 24.5 tons of greenhouse gases, the average person in 2006 in absolute terms.

living in the EU released 10.5 tons, and the average person living in China discharged only 3.9 tons. Although China's per capita greenhouse gas emissions remained significantly lower than those of the EU and the United States, it was the largest greenhouse gas emitter

The IPCC and the scientific consensus In 1998 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment technical, and socioeconomic data on climate change and to publish its findings in reports. 2007. (scientifically, very important and useful reports) on the causes and effects of global warming.

Thousands of scientists contributed in producing assessments in 1990, 1995, 2001, and

Programme (UNEP). The IPCC is mandated to assess and summarize the latest scientific,

First assessment report 1990 => Identification of anthropogenic effect, but no consensus

Second assessment report 1995 => evidence suggests a discernible human influence on the climate.

Third assessment report 2001 => Strong evidence that most of the warming over the socioeconomic and ecological systems. previous 50 years was attributable to human activities. The report identified threats to

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 Fourth assessment report 2007 => Scientists are at least 90 percent certain that most of the warming observed over the previous half century had been caused by the release of greenhouse gases through a multitude of human activities. Forecast: increase of 1.84.0 C (3.27.2 F) by the end of the 21st century.

Global Warming Outline

The UN Framework Convention and the Kyoto Protocol On a global scale, climate-change policy is guided by two major treaties: the United Nations The UNFCCC was adopted at the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1992: level Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC (named after the city in Japan where it was concluded). Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of 1992 and the associated 1997

Article 3 => All countries share the obligation to actthough industrialized countries have Article 4 => [UNFCCC Annex I lists 40 specific industrialized countries] which should work target; moreover, the UNFCCC does not assign any no specific reduction commitments to non-Annex I countries (developing countries). to reduce their anthropogenic emissions to 1990 levels. However, no deadline is set for this a particular responsibility to take the lead in reducing emissions because of their relative contribution to the problem in the past.

Article 2 => stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a safe

Kyoto Protocol: o o o

Its a follow-up agreement to the UNFCCC. Adopted in December 1997. iii. iv. ii. i. methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O),

Regulates 6 greenhouse gases released through human activities: perfluorocarbons (PFCs),

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gases to 5.2 percent below their 1990 levels by no later than 2012. countries. It became legally binding in February 2005, when Russia ratified.

Annex I countries are required to reduce their aggregate emissions of greenhouse

vi.

v.

hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

Global Warming Outline

In order to go into effect, the Kyoto Protocol had to be ratified by at least 55

Remarkable achievement of EU

The most-developed regional climate-change policy to date has been formulated by the EU have a collective commitment under the protocol reduced their greenhouse gas emissions to 2 percent below their 1990 levels. emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020.

in part to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. By 2005 the 15 EU countries that

In 2007 the EU set a collective goal for all 27 member states to reduce their greenhouse gas ECCP is to identify, develop and implement all the necessary elements of an EU strategy to

European Climate Change Programme (ECCP), launched in 2000 by EUs EC. The goal of the

deposited simultaneously on 31 May 2002. The European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is perhaps the most significant contribution of the ECCP, and the EU ETS is the largest greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in the world.

implement the Kyoto Protocol. All EU countries' ratifications of the Kyoto Protocol were

United States

Pres. George W. Bush and a majority of senators rejected the Kyoto Protocol, citing the lack of compulsory emission reductions for developing countries as a particular grievance. U.S. U.S. emissions increased over 16 percent between 1990 and 2005. federal policy does not set any mandatory restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, and

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Global Warming Outline Other notable Summits: sustainability Millennium Summit 2000: UN Millennium Declaration, MDGs: Goal 7: Ensure environmental Second Earth Summit, Rio +10, 2002, South Africa Copenhagen Summit, Dec 2009 (To be updated in December)

Future climate-change policy

Countries have begun negotiations on a new treaty, based on an agreement (Bali Action Plan) made at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dec 2007 in Bali, Indonesia, that will replace the Kyoto Protocol after it expires in 2012.

Public policy falls into two levels

Mitigation policy (switching to less carbon-intensive energy sources (such as wind, solar, and hydropower), improving energy efficiency for vehicles, and supporting the development of new technology

Adaptation policy, seeks to improve the ability of various societies to face the challenges of a changing climate. For example, some adaptation policies are devised to encourage groups to designed to prepare cities located in coastal areas for elevated sea levels.

change agricultural practices in response to seasonal changes, whereas other policies are

Mitigation strategies

Renewable energy sources: solar, wind, hydro, biofuel, nuclear, tidal, etc

Significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions can only be achieved by switching away from fossil-fuel energy sources. Nuclear power plants release no carbon dioxide at all, but nuclear energy is controversial for reasons of safety, security, and the high costs of nuclear waste disposal. Solar power, wind power, and hydrogen fuel cells also emit no greenhouse gases. These energy sources can be practical, low-pollution alternatives to fossil fuels. Other reduce total carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. The hybrid electric vehicle (HEV),

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alternatives include fuels made from plants, such as biodiesel (made from used and new vegetable oil) and ethanol (a plant-based gasoline additive). Use of these fuels can help

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 More Forestation: One way to keep carbon dioxide emissions from reaching the atmosphere Carbon Capture OR carbon sequestration is to preserve and plant more trees. Slowing the rate of deforestation and planting new trees can help counteract the buildup of greenhouse gases.

Conservation

which uses both an electric motor and a gasoline or diesel engine, emits less carbon dioxide than conventional automobiles

Global Warming Outline

injected into depleted oil wells to force more oil out of the ground or seafloor. The same process can be used to store carbon dioxide released by a power plant, factory, or any large stationary source. For example, since 1996 this process has been used at a natural gas drilling platform off the coast of Norway. Carbon dioxide brought to the surface with the natural gas is captured, compressed, and then injected into an aquifer deep below the seabed from which it cannot escape. In most cases, the process of carbon capture would also storage. Deep ocean waters could also absorb a great deal of carbon dioxide, although the effects of these options are under study by international teams. environmental effects may be harmful to ocean life. The feasibility and environmental

Carbon dioxide gas can also be captured directly. Carbon dioxide has traditionally been

involve transporting the gas in compressed form to suitable locations for underground Population control

more political will, more funding for R&D in cleaner technologies

Restricting consumerism, austere lifestyle, need to change ethical values

VII.

Conclusion/Inference

Long-term reductions in greenhouse gas discharges will require the participation of both rapid industrialization of those countries. In 2006 China overtook the United States as the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases in absolute terms (though not in per capita terms), largely because of China's increased use of coal and other fossil fuels. industrial countries and major developing countries. In particular, the release of

greenhouse gases from Chinese and Indian sources is rising quickly in parallel with the

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 To address global warming and climate change, societies must find ways to fundamentally The tragedy of the commons refers to a dilemma described in an influential article by that resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long term interest for this to happen. transportation, and forest and land use management. change their patterns of energy use in favour of less carbon-intensive energy generation,

Global Warming Outline

name written by Garrett Hardin and first published in the journal Science in 1968. The

article describes a dilemma in which multiple individuals acting independently and solely and rationally consulting their own self-interest will ultimately destroy a shared limited

Seven generation sustainability, the idea that decisions should be considered for their impact on the seventh generation to come, inspired by the laws of the Iroquois.

Quotes

What changed in the United States with Hurricane Katrina was a feeling that we have We are upsetting the atmosphere upon which all life depends. In the late 80s when I began change have accelerated alarmingly. - David Suzuki entered a period of consequences. - Al Gore to take climate change seriously, we referred to global warming as a "slowmotion catastrophe" one we expected to kick in perhaps generations later. Instead, the signs of

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