Green Climate Seeker

Tag: oil

  • The Science Behind Climate Change – What You Need to Know.

    The Science Behind Climate Change – What You Need to Know.

    Changes in Earth’s climate are consistent with an increase in heat-trapping greenhouse gases due to human activities, including burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and land-use changes. This warming phenomenon has its source in human activities like burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).

    Increased concentrations of these gases are also contributing to more complex climate processes that accelerate, including Arctic sea ice reduction and energy transfer from ocean to atmosphere.

    Climate change is happening.

    Scientists agree on one point: climate change is real and human activity is the cause. Earth has experienced climate changes throughout history, but nothing compares with the rapid global temperature rise we’ve witnessed since mid-20th century. Human activities largely contribute to this rate of warming as fossil fuel use creates heat-trapping greenhouse gasses which trap heat inside our atmosphere and lead to warming trends like this one.

    As these gases absorb and trap solar heat, they warm the planet while altering natural systems – this phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect and it’s the main driver behind climate change. Interacting gases further amplify initial warming processes and lead to further changes; for instance, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases found in air can deplete stratospheric ozone levels which in turn leads to further warming effects.

    Recent studies show that human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, are driving global warming. Human actions increase heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, especially CO2. Scientists can measure old carbon in modern atmosphere and compare it with past levels – this evidence confirms that current CO2 levels exceed those before the Industrial Revolution.

    Global temperatures are increasing at an alarming rate and they’re impacting everyone, everywhere. Altering weather patterns put our lives in jeopardy – from devastating floods and prolonged drought to sea level rise and sea level remapping – even leading to food shortages, loss of biodiversity, more frequent extreme weather events that damage infrastructure and harm communities.

    Weather fluctuations will continue naturally, yet scientific evidence overwhelmingly points to climate change as being real and having serious repercussions now. Without swift action to reduce our emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, risks will only worsen further – often leaving the poorest countries and people of color to bear its brunt.

    It’s caused by humans.

    Human activities have been the primary contributor to climate change over the last century, particularly the combustion of fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal that produce carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere and warms our planet; other human influences include deforestation, changes to land cover and water use.

    These changes alter our planet’s energy balance, affecting global temperatures and weather patterns as well as biodiversity, food safety and availability, water scarcity, poverty, conflict and migration. Climate change affects everyone.

    Climate can be affected by both natural forces like volcanic eruptions and human activities like deforestation; however, human activities have the greatest effect. A major contributor is carbon dioxide (a “heat trapping gas”) from human activity – whether through burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil or natural gas or deforestation, agriculture or land-use changes as well as deforestation, agriculture or any other means.

    Arrhenius first proposed in 1859 that rising atmospheric CO2 levels may contribute to global warming; however, his work failed to gain widespread support at that time as geologic evidence showed ice ages occurring over thousands of years and laboratory experiments suggested changes in CO2 levels had little bearing on heat absorption.

    Carbon isotope measurements provide scientists with compelling evidence of our role in driving recent increases in carbon dioxide. Scientists can use carbon isotope measurements to distinguish between “older” carbon molecules produced through burning fossil fuels and natural living system production; and “newer” lighter carbon atoms produced through living systems – with the older carbon having its own distinctive isotopic fingerprint making its identification straightforward.

    Scientific studies are increasingly exploring the impact of human-driven climate change on various aspects of life. Researchers have demonstrated how higher CO2 levels make extreme events–like the 2003 European heatwave that killed tens of thousands–more likely. Climate change also made record temperatures during Hurricane Harvey three times more likely.

    It’s dangerous.

    Scientists, researchers, and affected individuals worldwide report changes that go beyond normal temperature fluctuations on land and in the oceans, rainfall patterns, and many other systems on our planet. These anomalous changes are evidence of global warming caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation that increase heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere.

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants accumulate for decades to centuries in our atmosphere, blocking out part of Earth’s heat radiation from escaping into space and thus contributing to climate change. Even slight increases in average global temperatures can trigger shifts in weather patterns or extreme events such as record floods, violent storms or deadly heat waves – potentially increasing risks significantly.

    Current atmospheric CO2 concentration levels are the highest they’ve been in 650,000 years – an indicator of human-caused environmental degradation. Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have contributed to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations through burning of fossil fuels and extensive deforestation activities.

    CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions are projected to increase further, leading to further climate change due to energy use, economic development and population growth. This poses serious concerns as many experts recognize that current rates of energy usage, economic development and population expansion will lead to sustained climate change with potentially dramatic consequences.

    As our planet warms, glaciers and ice sheets melt, sea levels rise and disrupt natural ecosystems on Earth – impacting food production, water availability, coastal communities and many other aspects of life on our beautiful but fragile Earth. These changes have already had serious repercussions that are destabilizing ecosystems across our beautiful yet vulnerable world.

    Some impacts may be reversible, while many will not. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we are nearing “tipping points”, thresholds past which changes may accelerate irrevocably and become irreversible – including Arctic ice melt and Greenland ice sheet collapse and degradation of coral reefs. Most vulnerable people across the planet, especially economically disadvantaged and people of color will bear the brunt of these shifts.

    It’s our responsibility.

    Atmospheric change has long been driven by natural processes, including volcanic activity and changes to solar output, but they do not account for recent rises in global temperatures caused by human activities like fossil fuel burning, increasing ocean heat content, and shifting air circulation patterns.

    Over 97% of scientists agree that humans are the cause of climate change. Human activities, like burning fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal), create greenhouse gases which act like blankets around our planet and trap solar energy, warming global temperatures. Carbon dioxide levels used to fluctuate naturally due to volcanic activity or animal breathing out oxygen into their systems but since the Industrial Revolution humans have produced unprecedented quantities of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that have contributed significantly to temperature rise worldwide.

    Human-caused climate impacts that we are currently witnessing include rising sea levels, shrinking mountain glaciers, increased Greenland and Antarctica ice melt rates and altered rainfall patterns; shifting rain-fall patterns; altered rain-to-sun ratios; altered rain-droplet distribution patterns and shifting flower/plant bloom times – impacts that were not anticipated by scientists earlier. Scientists’ projections will likely continue to accelerate.

    Climate change impacts all people worldwide, yet is already having devastating effects. Wildfires, hurricanes, flooding and drought are already occurring and endangering food production, homes and livelihoods; those most at risk include those living in poverty as well as communities that experience gender, racial or economic disparities.

    Good news is that it is indeed feasible for us to reduce emissions and limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius or less with significant reductions in fossil fuel and other harmful chemical consumption. Unfortunately, however, Big Oil lobbyists and their supporters are doing all they can to sow doubt and delay meaningful climate action.

    Our planet needs our collective effort and action now more than ever; together we must enact policies to achieve rapid, deep and permanent reductions of greenhouse gas emissions required to secure its future.

  • Methane Is a Greenhouse Gas That Is Found in the Atmosphere and Contributes to Climate Change

    Methane Is a Greenhouse Gas That Is Found in the Atmosphere and Contributes to Climate Change

    Methane is a greenhouse gas that is found in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming. It has been identified as a potential contributor to climate change, but its true scope is unclear. Methane is a natural gas that is produced from the combustion of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal. This gas is released into the atmosphere after the burning of these fuels.

    Natural gas

    Natural gas is one of the most common sources of energy, but it has a high carbon footprint. Its emissions are not limited to transmission and production, but also include the combustion of natural gas to generate energy. By 2020, gas is expected to have a carbon footprint almost twice as large as coal. In the United States, gas accounted for 36 percent of all energy-related CO2 emissions, and the pollution from gas power plants has doubled in the last 15 years.

    The main component of natural gas is methane, which has a strong effect as a greenhouse gas. Although it is difficult to calculate exactly how much methane is released into the atmosphere, the federal government, Colorado State University, and Environmental Defense Fund estimate leakage rates at between one to four percent. These leaks increase ratepayer costs and negate the climate benefits of switching to natural gas. Furthermore, many natural gas producers intentionally release methane into the atmosphere through venting and flaring.

    Another problem associated with natural gas production is its extraction. Many natural gas fields use the controversial technique known as hydraulic fracturing (fracking). This process involves drilling deep into the earth to force open rock fissures. This process has the potential to contaminate groundwater supplies. Moreover, methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, with a 120 times greater capacity than CO2, making it a major contributor to global warming.

    However, this issue is not limited to natural gas. Methane is a greenhouse gas that can be found in cows, which are one of the biggest sources of this greenhouse gas. Methane emissions are also a contributing factor to climate change, and this is why alternative energy sources like solar power are increasingly popular.

    Coal

    The global warming potential of methane emissions from coal is higher than that of natural gas. Although coal produces higher emissions per unit of energy, its footprint is lower than that of natural gas. However, at a twenty-year time horizon, natural gas is still more greenhouse gas intensive than coal, at least at the low end of the methane emission range. With today’s available technologies, methane emissions per unit of electricity generated by natural gas are about half that of coal.

    In addition to methane, coal mining also produces a large amount of carbon dioxide. Today, China is the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, with more than 1,100 coal-fired power plants. By 2020, China is expected to generate 60 percent of its power from coal. By contrast, the United States will only produce 19 percent of its energy from coal.

    Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and the second largest contributor to climate change, after carbon dioxide. It can cause up to 80 times as much global warming than carbon dioxide during its first twenty years. It builds up over millions of years in coal seams as organic matter is converted to coal.

    While methane emissions have increased by 25 percent in the last two decades, the current trajectory falls far short of the 2 percent reduction required to meet the Paris Agreement goals. However, the use of proven technologies can help reduce methane emissions by up to 46 percent by 2030 and nearly 60 percent by 2050.

    Fuel switching can reduce emissions, but the effectiveness of fuel switching depends on the details of the fuel supply chain. Using natural gas as an alternative to coal can reduce methane emissions.

    Oil

    Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is produced during the extraction of oil and gas. In fact, the emissions of methane from the Permian Basin are comparable to those of 260 Tg a-1 of CO2 over a 20-year time horizon. In addition, it has a global warming potential of 96 over the same time period. This is approximately equivalent to the annual emissions of the residential sector in the U.S.

    There are some methods that can help to reduce methane emissions. For example, the use of new technology is helping fossil-fuel companies to detect leaks and reduce the amount of wasted natural gas. The scientific community is beginning to develop an accurate picture of how greenhouse gas emissions are distributed. For example, some oil fields are more environmentally-friendly than others.

    Methane is a major component of natural gas and is a primary greenhouse gas. It is emitted from oil and gas fields and other natural gas extraction processes. This gas is highly potent and has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, methane emissions have been responsible for about 0.5 degrees of global warming since the 19th century. Methane is estimated to account for 11 percent of the global warming effects projected for 2020.

    A recent space-borne sensor called the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument is helping scientists understand how methane emissions are changing over time. It has been used to measure the emissions from the Permian Basin, which has become the most prolific oil-producing region in the world in recent years.

    Deforestation

    Deforestation releases methane, which has 80 times more heat-trapping capacity than carbon dioxide. Consequently, it’s crucial to prevent deforestation in order to limit carbon emissions. Deforestation also depletes forests’ ability to absorb future greenhouse gases. Stopping methane emissions by 2030 would be the equivalent of eliminating all carbon dioxide emissions from burning natural gas today. Fortunately, more than a hundred countries have committed to reducing methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

    But there is still a lot of disagreement over the issue. Environmentalists are worried about the level of protection for biodiversity and indigenous communities, and they also want to see new policies with concrete targets for preventing deforestation. But the Copenhagen talks failed to produce a final agreement on these issues, allowing the debate to continue.

    Currently, most forestry projects have focused on fast-growing mono-species plantations, which have known carbon measurements and growing potential. Meanwhile, native trees offer little or no carbon-mitigating potential. While plantation projects can reduce greenhouse gases, environmentalists are concerned that they will lead to deforestation of existing forests. This can undermine climate goals, as existing forests offer benefits far beyond carbon mitigation.

    The amount of forest lost globally is increasing. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, between 1990 and 2015, 129 million hectares of forest were destroyed. Though the annual net loss has decreased, the rate of forest loss has increased by nearly 50 percent. Many of the largest losses are attributed to agribusiness, which clears forests for high-value cash crops. Livestock ranching also causes large amounts of deforestation.

    The Paris Climate Agreement aims to stop deforestation by 2030. This goal is a more ambitious target than the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests. However, it is not the first time countries have made such promises.

    Cattle

    Methane is a greenhouse gas produced by cattle during enteric fermentation, a process in which sugars are converted to simpler molecules. Its release is a by-product of this process, which also produces carbon dioxide. A portion of this methane is released from the cow’s large intestine, and the rest is produced by the cow’s settling ponds, which are responsible for processing the manure.

    Methane has a short life span and decays in the atmosphere at a similar rate to its production. Hence, the rate of change of methane emissions is relevant to the warming process. The rate of emission is the main determinant of the methane warming effect. The higher the rate, the more warming will occur.

    In the United States, cows are one of the leading sources of methane emissions. The EPA estimates that cattle contribute to almost two percent of all U.S. emissions. This makes them among the most climate-unfriendly food sources in the world. But the EPA does not disclose the exact amount of methane emissions from beef production in the U.S.

    Methane emissions from cattle production are a big concern for the environment. Many countries are making pledges to reduce their emissions by 30% and to end deforestation by 2030. By reducing their emissions, cattle can be part of a solution for both goals. For now, researchers at the Mitloehner lab are analyzing how beef production in the United States works and developing methods for making beef feed less gassy.