Raghoo,+Shari

Regulation of Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gas Emissions
__What are Greenhouse Gases__

Greenhouse gases are chemical compounds that are released into the earth’s atmosphere. The three main chemical compounds include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Solar radiation can enter the atmosphere and heat the earth’s surface. The heat can be radiated back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation. “Greenhouse gases absorb this heat and ‘trap’ it in the lower atmosphere” (The Earth Encyclopedia). Some of the infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases which cause the earth’s atmosphere to be warmer. This is known as the Greenhouse Effect.

The major effect of an increase in concentration of greenhouse gas is global warming. Greenhouse gases are emissions that trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere and “alter[ing]s weather patterns globally” (Union of Concerned Scientists). “Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases produce an increase in the average surface temperature of the earth over time. Rising temperatures may, in turn, produce changes in precipitation patterns, storms severity, and sea level commonly referred to as ‘climate change’” (Energy Information Administration).

__Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions__

The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased due to large scale industrialization. “Fossil fuel combustion, increasingly intensive agriculture, and an expanding global human population have been primary cause(s)” (The Earth Encyclopedia) for rising concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Cement, lime production, solid waste and tree and wood burning are also sources of carbon dioxide. Livestock, rice cultivation, “production and transport of coal, natural gas and oil” and the “decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills (The Earth Encyclopedia) are sources of methane. Sources of nitrous oxide emissions include agriculture, industrial activities and solid waste.

__Regulation of CO2 Emissions__

There are many initiatives dedicated to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, Energy Saving Trust in the UK is dedicated to educating people on energy efficiency, especially within the home. Another industry that is responsible for a large amount of CO2 emissions is the automobile industry. Also, Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage is dedicated to capturing and storing carbon dioxide emissions so that it will not be released into the atmosphere. Even some cities, such as Edmonton, have put together a team to work with the community in reducing CO2 emissions.

//Energy Saving Trust//

Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas are burned in order to generate energy which produce CO2. Automobiles are a huge source of carbon dioxide emissions, but households produce even more. “The average household creates around 6 tonnes of CO2 a year” (Energy Saving Trust). Lights left on, too much water put in a kettle, appliances left plugged in all account for the majority of CO2 that is released into the atmosphere.

In order to reduce CO2 emissions there are simple actions that can be done in the household. For instance, when using a dishwasher or washing machine, make sure there is a full load or use an economy program. This could save 45kg of CO2 a year. Waste can be composted in your own home and recycling can help too. Avoid wasting food, because it decays in landfills and turns to methane, which is also a GHG emission. Avoid letting the water from the tap run too much. Insulate walls properly so that heat won’t be lost through the walls. This will save on average 800-2500 kg of CO2 a year.

Old light bulbs can be replaced by energy saving light bulbs. They “use up to 80% less electricity that traditional bulbs and they last around 10 times longer” (Energy Saving Trust). Laptops are more efficient because they use about 15% of the energy desktops use. Also, turning off computers and printers and unplugging them also saves energy. Furthermore, the average temperature in a home is between 18-21 degrees Celsius and by turning it down 1 degree approximately 330kg of CO2 can be saved a year. Leaving cell phone chargers “plugged in uses energy, wastes money and produces CO2 emissions” (Energy Saving Trust). Lights in unoccupied rooms should be turned off. “If every household in the UK turned lights off in unoccupied rooms, we could reduce CO2 emissions by 620,000 tonnes ... per year” (Energy Saving Trust). Reduce shower times or reuse bathwater to water houseplants or the garden. Mend dripping taps and “turn off the tap while brushing your teeth” (Energy Saving Trust).

Approximately ¼ of all heat is lost through the roof, therefore properly insulated roofs can save up to 1000kg of CO2 a year. Solar photovoltaics “uses energy from the sun to create electricity to run appliances and lighting” (Energy Saving Trust). Also, solar water heating uses the heat from the sun to work alongside your water heater to provide hot water for the household. Draught-proofing the door by covering holes or other areas where heat can escape can essentially save 150kg of CO2 a year. These are just a few easy ways that individuals within a community can become more energy efficient and help reduce CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.

//Automobile Industry//

“Cars and light trucks, which include sport utility vehicles, pickups and most minivans, emit more than 300 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year in the United States. The transportation sector alone is responsible for about one-third of our nation’s total production of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that contributes in a big way to global warming” (Environmental Defense Fund). In order to reduce CO2 emissions try to purchase fuel efficient vehicles or use alternate modes of transportation. Some ways to reduce emission in cars that are not fuel efficient include lessening the load in your vehicle, idling for less than ten seconds so that less CO2 emissions will be released and less gas will be wasted, driving in the winter to warm up the car and cracking a window instead of using the AC in the summer time, or using it on low. Furthermore, “keeping your engine properly tuned can save you 165 gallons of gas per year” (Environmental Defense Fund). Other easy ways reduce the release of CO2 emissions include cutting back on one car trip a week. This “can reduce global warming pollution by more than 1200 pounds a year” (Environmental Defense Fund). Also, “if all commuters worked from home just one day a week, we could ... cut over 65 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year” (Environmental Defense Fund). These are just a few examples of how CO2 emissions can be reduced in the automobile industry.

//CO2 Capture and Storage//

Approximately 1/3 of CO2 emissions come from power plants using fossil fuels used to generate electricity. From each plant, there are several tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, annually. These power plants are not the only source of CO2 emissions. Other sources include “oil refineries, cement works, and iron and steel production” (CO2 Capture and Storage). The idea and focus of CO2 Capture and Storage technology is that emissions can be reduced by capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide will be captured and stored from fossil fuel combustion before it is able to reach the earth’s atmosphere. This is already occurring in some sectors. For instance, CO2 “from power station flue gases for use in the food industry” (CO2 Capture and Storage) is already being captured. There are two possible storage options which include the ocean and geological formations. Storage of CO2 in the ocean, however, is uncertain due to legal issues. However, CO2 can be stored in geographic formations such as “depleted and disused oil and gas fields, deep saline aquifers, and deep unminable coal seams” (CO2 Capture and Storage). Hydrocarbons and liquids have already been stored in these geological formations for millions of years. Some storage projects around the world that are either underway or already up and running include Slepiner, Weyburn and In Salah.

//CO2RE//

Carbon Dioxide Reduction Edmonton Team is Edmonton’s initiative to reduce local GHG emissions which are linked to climate change. The team worked with residential, business, industrial and institutional sectors within the city to come up with one coordinated plan so that the community can work together to reduce GHG emissions. The plan was approved by city council in 2002 and released to the public in 2004. This initiative has two main goals; the first of which is “by 2010, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by up to 6% compared to 1990 levels” (CO2RE) and the second is “by 2020, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 20% compared to 1990 levels” (CO2RE). There are specific strategies for the industrial sector, the commercial and institutional sector, the residential sector and the community leadership sector and they vary from each other. Between 2004 and 2007 CO2RE focused on home energy efficiency. In 2007 CO2RE decided that they needed to expand into all sectors of the community and a new 3 year plan was implemented in 2008.

//Kyoto Protocol//

The Kyoto Protocol is a binding agreement that sets “targets for 37 countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas emissions” (UNFCCC). The protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan on December 11, 1997 and was put in to force on February 16, 2005. Countries within the agreement have specific targets of allowable levels of greenhouse gas emissions that can be released over that 2008-2012 period in order to reduce the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions. These targets are known as “assigned amount units.” However, there are three market based mechanisms to help the countries meet the targets in a cost effective manner. The mechanisms include Emissions Trading, Clean Development Mechanism and joint Implementation. Emissions Trading occurs when a country under the Kyoto Protocol has a surplus of units and sells those units to countries that exceed their target units. Clean Development Mechanism allows countries under the protocol to “implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries” (UNFCCC) which would “earn saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2” (UNFCCC). Joint Implementation is when a country under the protocol develops an emission-reduction project in another country also under the Kyoto Protocol, “each equivalent to one tonne of CO2” (UNFCCC). These mechanisms allow countries under the Kyoto Protocol to not exceed their assigned amount units which will in turn aid in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Works Cited "Cars and the Environment." __Environmental Defense Fund__. 01 Feb. 2009 . "Clean Development Mechanism." __UNFCCC__. 01 Feb. 2009 . __ CO2RE __. 30 Jan. 2009 . "Emissions Trading." __UNFCCC__. 01 Feb. 2009 . __ Energy Saving Trust __. 01 Feb. 2009 . "Global Warming 101." __Union of Concerned Scientists__. 01 Feb. 2009 . "Greenhoues Gases, Climate Change, and Energy." __Energy Information Administration__. 30 Jan. 2009 . "Greenhouse Gas Emissions." __U.S Environmental Protection Agency__. 30 Jan. 2009 . "Introduction to the Atmosphere." __PhysicalGeography.net__. 30 Jan. 2009 . "Joint Implementation." __UNFCCC__. 01 Feb. 2009 . "Kyoto Protocol." __UNFCCC__. 01 Feb. 2009 . Reay, Dave. "Greenhouse Gas." __The Encyclopedia of Earth__. 30 Jan. 2009 . "Tips fof Cutting Automobile Emissions." __Environmental Defense Fund__. 01 Feb. 2009 <http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagid=1142>. "What is CO2 Capture and Storage?" __CO2 Capture and Storage__. 01 Feb. 2009 <http://www.co2captureandstorage.info/whatisccs.htm>.