Ominous Trend Revealed in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are warming the globe and driving climate change. The impacts of these GHGs are not some future concern they are being felt here and now.  We need to look no further than the steady stream of record breaking warming. Last month was the warmest November on record, and 2020 is expected to be one of the hottest years on record. Month after month, year after year, and decade after decade we are setting new temperature records that are exacerbating wildfires, droughts and storms.

Summary of the Three Major Anthropogenic GHGs

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing the sun's rays (specifically infrared radiation) causing the greenhouse effect, which warms the surface of the Earth. Although greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, the elevated levels especially of carbon dioxide and methane that have been observed in recent decades are directly related to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and the deforestation of tropical forests. Here is a summary of three types of GHGs carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH 4), nitrous oxide (NO 2).

Video - Fossil Fuels Must be Eliminated by 2100 (IPCC Synthesis Report)

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Synthesis Report there is no future for fossil fuels. The world must scale back the use of fossil fuels immediately and eliminate their use by 2100 if we are to avoid the worse impacts of climate change.

Infographic - Stranded Fossil Fuel Assets

The US and China Working Together on Climate Change

The US and China have well earned reputations as the global leaders in greenhouse gas emissions so the fact that the two nations are working together to combat climate change is very significant. Together their combined emissions account for around 40 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases. However, the leaders of both nations are making prodigious strides in efforts to reduce their footprints.

In addition to its global leadership in utility scale renewable energy projects, China has a stated goal of installing 8 gigawatts of distributed solar generation in 2014. The Chinese government has also set stringent restrictions on diesel emissions with the aim of eliminating trucks that produce significant amounts of things like nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. Perhaps the most significant action taken by China involves its pledge to cut carbon pollution.

Fossil Fuels are a Clear and Present Danger

Fossil fuels are the primary cause of climate change. This is not some distant concern it is with us today and destined to get worse -- far worse-- if we do not address our addiction to petrochemicals. The scientific evidence is clear and overwhelming, unless we stop burning fossil fuels soon climate change will radically undermine life on Earth.

The impacts of global warming are the most studied phenomena in the history of the world. A recent White House report written by hundreds of scientists confirms and the work of the thousands of scientists that contributed to the UN's IPCC AR5 report. Both studies come to the same conclusions as reams of previous research.

Thousands of scientists from diverse disciplines are virtually unanimous in their shared conviction that climate change is a clear and present danger. We need to appreciate that by burning fossil fuels we are jeopardizing the basic things we require for our survival, namely our air, water and food.

Infographic - Breakdown of Greenhouse Gases

Seminar - Reducing Carbon Emissions in the Water Sector

This event will take place on June, 11th, 2014 in London, United Kingdom. The seminar is titled Reducing Carbon Emissions in the Water Sector it will address both incentives and innovation.

This facilitated interactive seminar will review key challenges and consider their viability, leading to the production of a summary of conclusions and recommendations.

For more information or to register click here.

Event - International Conference and Exhibition on Emissions Monitoring

CEM 2014 The 11th International Conference and exhibition on Emissions monitoring will take place in Istanbul, Turkey from the 14th – 16th May 2014.

Since its inaugural meeting in 1997 the CEM conferences have been held in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Italy, The Czech Republic and now it comes to the historic city of Istanbul where East meets West.

The CEM event brings together the International emissions monitoring community to network, trade ideas and discuss technology, methods, applications, legislation and standardisation relevant to all atmospheric pollutants which include particulates, SO2, NOx VOC, trace elements and greenhouse gases.

Infographic - Benefits of Acting on Short Lived Climate Pollutants

Workshop - Greenhouse Gas Measurements from Space (IWGGMS-10)

The 10th International Workshop on Greenhouse Gas Measurements from Space (IWGGMS-10) will take place on May 5 - 7, 2014, in the Netherlands.

China Using Drones to Combat Air Pollution

Chemical dispersing drones are being used by the Chinese government to combat the serious smog problem in Beijing. The pollution in Beijing is caused primarily by the cities five million motor vehicles, nearby coal burning, dust storms and local construction dust.

Previously, fixed wing aircraft sprayed chemicals that freeze floating particles, allowing them to fall to ground. Now these chemicals will be sprayed by an unmanned parafoil drone designed by the state owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China. The new design uses the same chemicals but can carry three time more weight (700kg) than fixed wing designs making it 90 percent less expensive to operate.

Beijing Passes New Air Pollution Law

China is plagued by dangerous air pollution, and the city of Beijing has taken the first step to address the issue. Beijing, one of the most polluted cities in the world, has introduced China’s first legally binding regulations. The new rules are designed to reduce PM2.5 levels were overwhelmingly approved by Beijing’s municipal congress by a vote of 659 to 23.

Particulate Matter, 2.5 micrometers or less are abbreviated as PM2.5. They are defined as fine particles in the (ambient) air that are 2.5 micrometres or less in size. They are small enough to invade even the smallest airways and they are known to produce respiratory and cardiovascular illness. They generally come from activities that burn fossil fuels, such as traffic, smelting, and metal processing.

China's national standard is 35-micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter, while Beijing has levels that are more than twice that level (89.5 micrograms). Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun has said that air pollution is the biggest problem concerning people’s livelihoods in the capital.

China's New Year: Smog and Drought Underscore the Contradiction of Pollution and Mitigation

As China celebrates its new year festival, many of the country's major cities appear deserted as millions of workers returned to their childhood homes in rural parts of the nation. On the upside the mass exodus has improved air quality in some of China's biggest cities. However, as the New Year was being celebrated another round of heavy smog hit a large region of the country.

In China, the Lunar New Year ushers in the year of the Horse which is one of 12 animals that make up the Chinese zodiac. According to Chinese astrology the year will be marked by conflict. One of the ongoing issues that is contributing to social tensions in the country is the problem of smog.

CERES calls for an Oil and Gas Climate Stress Test Today

Today, January 15, 2014, CERES will ask 48 of the world's leading fossil fuel companies to run a ‘climate stress test.’ The purpose of the exercise is to show that the core activities of the major oil, gas and coal companies are incompatible with mitigating global warming. The test also makes the point that these companies need to diversify beyond fossil fuels. Fund managers and investors are in New York for an annual summit hosted by Ceres at UN headquarters. US based global sustainability leader CERES heads a $12 trillion network of investors. CERES has organized a low carbon investor’s conference at the UN for the past six years. According to CERES data, shareholders in the US continue to show interest in disclosures regarding companies exposure to climate change risks.

One of the chief issues is a so called carbon bubble. This reflects worries about the $674 billion of fossil fuel investments that cannot be extracted if the world is to avoid dangerous levels of warming. Each year about a half a trillion dollars is being spent to locate new petrochemical sources. This is at odds with the low carbon economy. It is also incomprehensible in light of the fact that preparations are well underway that will arrest the growth of the carbon based economy.

Infographic - One Day in the Life of Big Oil

Graph of Fossil Fuel's GHG Contributions

Researchers Discover the Most Potent GHG Known to Man

Researchers have discovered the most destructive anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) known to man.  The molecule known as perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA) can stay in the atmosphere for up to 500 hundred. According to research published in the Geophysical Research Letters on November 27th 2013, PFTBA was discovered by researchers at the University of Toronto.

Five U of T chemists developed a method of testing the air using a special chamber. The chemical was first used in the mid-1900s in electrical equipment and continues to be used for electronic testing and in heat transfer agents.

Best and Worst Nations at Combating Climate Change (2014)

A new index ranks nations from best to worst on their efforts to combat climate change. The top ten on this list are comprised exclusively of European countries. It is interesting to note that some of the nations near the bottom of this list (Australia, Canada, Japan and China) are also responsible for derailing progress at the most recent COP 19 climate negotiations in Warsaw.

The list of 58 countries is called the Climate Change Performance Index [PDF], it is produced by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe. The rankings are based on countries greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, emissions-reduction efforts, energy efficiency, renewable energy portfolios, and policies aimed at slowing climate change.

Here are the top ten:

Infographic: Countries Industries and Corporations Cumulative GHG Contributions

New research provides a cumulative summary of the nations and industries that are responsible for climate change causing greenhouse gases (GHGs). Richard Heede is a scientist who has studied historic cumulative carbon emissions from 90 carbon producers. His research has been published in a paper called "Tracing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and methane emissions to fossil fuel and cement producers, 1854-2010." This peer reviewed study has been published in the journal Climatic Change.