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Dr John TibbySenior Lecturer
© Copyright SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan).
Questions for you… Trends in global climate and carbon
emissions Which countries emit the most? What is the risk? What are the solutions?
• Global• Australia
When was the last Ice Age? When did it finish? How much did The Earth warm?
Image source: www.strangesounds.org
2100 m
900 m
1250 m
3300 m
Why? Perhaps does not
understand “tragedy of the commons”, “the precautionary principle” and “ecological footprints”
Image source: www.sbs.com.au
Hardin, G. 1968. A biologist wrote “The Tragedy of the Commons” in journal the Science.
Argued that in absence of private property rights, environment suffers
Occurs: atmosphere and aquatic (esp. marine) environments
1.8-4.0°C end of century (best estimate)
Range: 1.1-6.4°C 2°C: “dangerous”
source: IPCC (2007)
Mandated role of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and IPCC
Definitions vary according to different organisations
How can it be avoided?
In the industrial period…• First 50 ppm increase: took > 200
years• Second 50 ppm increase: took 30 years
(~1970 to 2000)• 2000-2010: 20 ppm increase
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/
GHG emissions by sector, 2004 source: IPCC WG3
Conclusion: Conclusion: •Solutions Solutions need to be need to be multi-facetedmulti-faceted•No “silver No “silver bullet”bullet”
Absolute amount per person Historical or accumulated
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/globalghg.html
Image source: http://image.guardian.co.uk/sysfiles/Guardian/documents/2011/02/10/CarbonWeb.pdf
Qatar: 36.9 tonnesUnited States: 17.3 tonnesAustralia: 17.0 tonnesRussia: 11.6 tonnesGermany: 9.3 tonnesUK: 7.8 tonnesChina: 5.4 tonnes
World average: 4.5 tonnesIndia: 1.4 tonnes
Africa average: 0.9 tonnesEthiopia: 0.1 tonnes
From: Energy Information Association (US)www.eia.gov/
An integrated measure obtained by removing exports but including imports
Belgium 21.9United States of America 20.2Ireland 16.2Finland 15.1Australia 13.8Australia 13.8United Kingdom 11.5
China 4.3Brazil 2.1India 1.3Nigeria 0.5Malawi 0.2
Data source: www.pnas.org/content/suppl/2011/04/20/1006388108.DCSupplemental/sapp.pdf
http://images.china.cn/http://images.china.cn/
Nation Million tonnes CO2
United States 314772
Russia 89688
China 89243
Germany 73626
United Kingdom 55164
Japan 42696
France 28515
India 25054
Canada 23669
Ukraine 22841
Poland 21263
Italy 17642
South Africa 13242
AustraliaAustralia 1192911929
From: http://www.wri.org
“The challenge – an absolute reduction of global GHG emissions – is daunting. It presupposes a reduction of energy and carbon intensities at a faster rate than income and population growth taken together (p. 109)”
Source: IPPC wg3
What is current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere?
Models vary Replicated science difficult
with a planet Even the simplest of
measures, “climate sensitivity” (i.e. amount of global warming when C02 doubled) is subject of debate
Source: IPPC wg3
Final temp CO2-e best estimate (ppm)
CO2-e 80% confidence
(ppm)
2.O°C 441 378
3.O°C 556 441
4.O°C 701 515
Source: IPPC wg3
CO2-e=Carbon dioxide equivalent (includes other gases)
Conclusion: Conclusion: Precautionary principle Precautionary principle demands very strong demands very strong immediate reductionsimmediate reductions
Source: IPPC wg3
Summary of what action needed to achieve 2 or 3ºC warming
Realise there is considerable variation in the models (see table)
450 ppm CO2-e• requires “dramatic and immediate changes
in global emissions”• discussed at Bali, basis for 25-40%
reduction suggestion• Needs:
peak CO2: 2010 falling to 2000 levels by 2020 half 2000 levels by 2050 1/4 2000 levels by 2100
Stronger than Kyoto Protocol
Based on Garnaut, 2008
550 ppm CO2-e “much higher risks of
dangerous climate change” peak 2030 (at absolute latest) 2000 levels by 2050 (at
absolute latest) Even this only happens with
“only urgent, large, and effective global policy change”
Based on Garnaut, 2008
Applies precautionary principle• absence of scientific certainty not sufficient
to justify a lack of action Implement sustainable development
principles 165 signatories (Dec 2006). US
signed but not ratified
“Common but differentiated responsibilities”It requires 38 participating developed
countries to cut their emissions of gases by an average of 5.2% below their 1990 levels by 2012.
Developing countries were excluded.○ The U.S. did not sign, but California and Maine
are participating.○ U.S. did not sign because developing countries
such as China, India and Brazil were excluded.
Order from Strength
Adapting Mosaic
Global Orchestration
TechnoGarden
Globalization Regionalization
World DevelopmentE
nvi
ron
men
tal
Man
agem
ent
Pro
activ
e
R
eact
ive
Link between economic output, development and energy use
Sub-Saharan Africa, electrification to only 23% of population
Sth Asia: 41%
Energy growth demand 1971-2003
~ 550 million tonnes/year
Apparently significant opportunities for a large, hot, flat sparsely populated nation
Include:• solar
2-3 decades away?• geothermal
limited amount of power• land-use change• also of course nuclear and carbon capture
1 dot=1000 people, www.soe.gov.au (2001)
Stationary energy: increased 40% Transport: increased 27% Industry: increased 18% Land-use: decreased 54% (was 24%
of emissions in 1990) Total emissions growth: 4%
At 2020 reduce emissions by 5% of 2000 • 23% of expected growth• 80% by 2050
Included: Carbon Price... Approx. 500 business Price of $23 tonne on carbon
• 2.5%/year increase until 2015 + “carbon farming”
Garnaut Review (2008, final report) argued that revegetation of (semi) arid lands might allow uptake of 250 million tonnes carbon • half Australia’s emissions• $2.5 Billion/year to rural Australia @
$20/tonne carbon
http://www.daff.gov.au/ www.hreoc.gov.au
The ecological footprint of Australia (and other developed nations) has been substantial and continues to grow
This knowledge underpins global solutions that emphasise shared responsibility
Adaptation to climate change is going to be a large part of our lives
Garnaut review: www.garnautreview.org.auPacala, S. and Socolow, R. 2004. Stabilization Wedges: Solving the
Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies Science 305: 968-972.
Parry M. 2009. Closing the loop between mitigation, impacts and adaptation. Climatic Change 96: 23-27.
Mackey, B.G., Keith, H., Berry, S.L. and Lindenmayer, D. B. 2008. Green carbon :the role of natural forests in carbon storage. Part 1, A green carbon account of Australia’s south-eastern Eucalypt forest, and policy implications. Canberra, ANU E Press.
Trenberth K. and Dai A. (2007) Effects of Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption on the hydrological cycle as an analog of geoengineering Geophysical Research Letters. L15702, doi:10.1029/2007GL030524
Witze, A. 2009. Geoengineering schemes under scrutiny. Nature news, see: http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090807/full/news.2009.810.html
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