Mitigating CO2 EmissionsCharlie Houlton-Vinyl, Cristopher Garcia, and Razan Asombrato

Hunter College, MHC 200, Professor Alexandratos

Background When Did We Realize CarbonWas a Problem?

Cap & Trade International Efforts

-Scientists all agree that climate change is caused by the actions of humans.-Ever since the industrial revolution there has been a spike in carbon emissions and temperature-Carbon dioxide and other Green House Gasses (GHGs) heat the atmosphere as a result of greenhouse effect.-Carbon dioxide represents over 76% of global green house gasses-Naturally, carbon dioxide is at equilibrium at 280 parts per million (ppm)-CO2 levels have now reached over 400 ppm

-The rise in carbon levels have lead to the saturation of carbon in the oceans causing acidification.-Deforestation, especially in the Amazon Rain Forest has exacerbated the carbon crisis because the Amazon is the world’s largest carbon sink.-The global consensus, as verified by the IPCC, is that the threshold for the increase in temperature should be 2 degrees. However, forecasts indicate that we are heading towards a 5 degree rise.-It is necessary that we learn from these past endeavors to mitigate carbon emissions, in order to take the next crucial steps in preserving our world.

References

-The Clean Air Act of 1970 gave the federal government was given an active role in remediating air pollution.-Initially, carbon dioxide was not prioritized as a hazardous air pollutant because it occurred naturally and did not pose a direct danger to human health in the way that SO2, NOx, or particulate matter did.-The Clean Air Act of 1990 authorized a comprehensive study on the impact of fossil fuel combustion on atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and their economic, physical, and climatic effects.-The EPA was instructed to begin monitoring and regulating carbon dioxide emissions.

-Clean Air Act of 1990 encouraged market based solutions.-Carbon tax is the process in which companies are taxes by how much carbon they emit.-Companies that emit large amounts of carbon will have to charge more for their products.-Companies that emit less carbon will be able to out-compete carbon emitting companies because their products will be less expensive to the consumer.-Unpopular with some because it seems like the government overstepping the limits of its power and putting addition burden on taxpayers.

Successful Campaigns British Columbia Australia Sweden

-Cap & Trade is the free market alternate to a Carbon Tax.-In a Cap & Trade system there is the central authority, which usually is the government, that designates the total amount of carbon that is going to be allowed to be emitted for the year-Then the government either designates or auctions off credits to different companies.

- Credits usually are worth one metric ton of carbon.-Every year cap is decreased.-Companies that make changes to emit less Carbon have to spend less money on credits and therefore can be more competitive than companies that use a lot of carbon and have to buy a lot of credits.-Money raised by government can be spent to fund green initiatives.-It is necessary that there are the right amount of credits in the marketplace because too few or too many can throw of the pricing of the credits and potentially jeopardize the entire system.

Carbon Tax

Unsuccessful Campaigns-Chicago Carbon Exchange- Western Climate InitiativesSuccessful Campaigns -Acid Rain Program-Nitrogen Oxides Program-Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative-California

ConclusionCarbon emission is a serious problem to which we do not have much time to solve. There have been various ways that states, regions, and countries have attempted to mitigate carbon, and we are just getting started. Actions at even the most microscopic level are critical, because that’s how global warming takes effect. Global cooperation is essential in keeping our world habitable for us, and for future generations. Hopefully this can be achieved by 198 countries in this year’s ongoing Paris COP21.

“Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data.” Global Emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Nov. 2015

“How Cap and Trade Works.” Environmental Defence Fund, EDF. Web, 29 Nov. 2015.

“Clean power Plan for Existing Power Plants.” EPA.gov. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.

-In 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was created. It is meant to provide an official scientific view on the effects, both environmental and socio-economical, of climate change. No research is conducted by the IPCC, but the IPCC reviews and verifies scientific data sent in from researchers and observers of climate change worldwide.-During the 1992 Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, which had a theme of environment and sustainable development, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted, an international treaty that aims for the “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”.-Right now, the ongoing Paris COP21 is addressing the end of Kyoto Protocol, a binding contract under UNFCCC, and global greenhouse gas emissions beyond the Protocol’s final year of effect, 2020. One flaw of the Kyoto Protocol was that it did not set binding target emissions to developing countries such as China, the largest carbon emitter. Notably, the US has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol and is the 2nd largest carbon emitter.-Individually, people worldwide have been proactive at reducing their carbon footprint and inducing their governments to take the threat of global warming seriously.-The world’s first climate liability suit, held the Netherlands, resulted in a court order to cut emissions by 25% by 2020. Some who are attending COP21 have travelled by bike from as far as Vietnam, or by foot from the Netherlands, walking up to 26 km/day!