Difference between revisions of "Greenhouse gas increase"
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==Description:== | ==Description:== | ||
<br> | |||
Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. Since the beginning of the Industrial revolution, the burning of fossil fuels has substantially increased the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. <br> | |||
The 2007 Fourth Assessment Report compiled by the IPCC (AR4) noted that "changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols, land cover and solar radiation alter the energy balance of the climate system", and concluded that "increases in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations is very likely to have caused most of the increases in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century"<br> | |||
Therefore the UNFCCC, the governing UN body of all global climate conferences and the Kyoto protocol, makes regular inventories of the following anthropogenetic GHG: | |||
CO2 - Carbon dioxide<br> | |||
CH4 - Methane<br> | |||
N2O - Nitrous oxide<br> | |||
PFCs - Perfluorocarbons<br> | |||
HFCs - Hydrofluorocarbons<br> | |||
SF6 - Sulphur hexafluoride<br> | |||
as well as for the indrect greenhouse gases such as SO2, NOx, CO and NMVOC. | |||
Data about these gases can be found under web resources.<br> | |||
Under Timing you see data that highlight the increase of anthropogenetic gases in our atmosphere. This increase is caused by the enablers. GHG are thus the cause for global warming.<br> | |||
IPCC 2007 | |||
==Enablers:== | ==Enablers:== | ||
Manufacturing, Traffic, [[Urbanisation]], [[Catastrophes - Acts of God]], population, economic growth, fossil fuels | |||
==Inhibitors:== | ==Inhibitors:== | ||
Education of the people, sustainable thinking, natural catastrophes, trees, green technology | |||
==Paradigms:== | ==Paradigms:== | ||
The Kyoto Protocol was the first ever rulebook that should be binding for all the countries in the UN. However, the discussions in the UNFCCC are long and enduring and many important countries in terms of contribution to worldwide pollution (e.g. U.S. as the biggest GHG emitter at all and many more) have not signed this agreement. More information under web resources.<br> | |||
<br> | |||
Many scientists and scientific organizations are proclaiming that a reduction of GHG is the most important driver of reducing the trend of global warming to lower than 2 Celsius and thus for a sustainable development of our globe (most important organization here: IPCC).<br> | |||
<br> | |||
More and more people, first in developed and island countries and a steadily growing number in developing countries are becoming aware of the importance of GHG-reduction.<br> | |||
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CO2 emission trading.<br> | |||
==Experts== | |||
<br> | |||
Many experts and political leaders promote on a political and economical level that a GHG reduction is important for the world (e.g. Al Gore, Bill Clinton, most EU political leaders and more).<br> | |||
<br> | |||
The IPCC <br> | |||
<br> | |||
UNFCCC<br> | |||
<br> | |||
[http://www.erim.eur.nl/ERIM/Research/Centres/Sustainability_and_Climate_Research_%28SCR%29 ERIM SCR from RSM] | |||
==Timing:== | ==Timing:== | ||
See:<br> | |||
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carbon_History_and_Flux_Rev.png<br> | |||
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Global_Carbon_Emissions.svg<br> | |||
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CO2_increase_rate.png<br> | |||
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Major_greenhouse_gas_trends.png<br> | |||
http://unfccc.int/files/ghg_data/ghg_data_unfccc/image/pjpeg/trends_excluding_2009.jpg<br> | |||
==Web Resources:== | ==Web Resources:== | ||
<br> | |||
http://unfccc.int/ghg_data/ghg_data_unfccc/items/4146.php<br> | |||
http://unfccc.int/2860.php<br> | |||
http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php<br> | |||
http://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization.htm<br> | |||
<br> | |||
Bibliography<br> | |||
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf AR4 SYR SPM page 5<br> | |||
==Revision History:== | ==Revision History:== | ||
<br> | |||
Bastian Wollenschein 31st August 2010 | |||