Climate Change & Mitigation Strategies: Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases

• Climate – condition of temperature, humidity, pressure, wind, rainfall, and other meteorological elements on the Earth’s surface for a long ti
• Climate change is an old phenomenon. But currently considered as alteration in climatic conditions due to anthropogenic processes resulting in change of the global atmosphere.

CLIMATE CHANGE: GLOBAL WARMING

• Global warming– “Global warming is a gradual increase in the earth’s temperature generally due to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants.
• Reasons: Greenhouse gasses released + Fossil fuels combustion + Deforestation + Agriculture & livestock.

CLIMATE CHANGE: GREEN-HOUSE EFFECT

• A naturally occurring phenomenon that blankets earth’s lower atmosphere and warms it, maintaining temperature suitable for living things to survive.
• They balance cooling and warming of the earth.
• In the absence of this, earth surface temperature would be -19 degrees Celsius instead of current 15 degrees Celsius.
• Human-induced greenhouse gas emissions upset the natural balance & lead to increased warmth.

CLIMATE CHANGE: GREENHOUSE GASSES (GHG)

• Natural as well as anthropogenic gaseous constituents of the atmosphere which absorb and re-emit infrared radiations.
• 2 important characteristics of GHGs are:

1. How well the gas absorbs energy
2. How long the gas stays in the atmosphere.

• Global Warming Potential (GWP) for gasses is the total energy that the gas absorbs for a certain period of time, mostly 100 years. GWP is always compared to CO2 as its GWP is ‘1’ and is baseline.
• CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs and SF6 are called high-GWP gasses because they trap more heat than CO2.

• BLACK CARBON: Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels + Inorganic + Contains soot (jet black color) + Cause respiratory disorders + Absorbs visible sunlight + Found in vehicular emissions.

• BROWN CARBON: Combustion of biomass + Organic + Brown color + Causes respiratory diseases + Absorbs Ultraviolet part of sun’s rays + Ground level ozone, found in smog.

CLIMATE CHANGE: CLIMATE FORCING

• Climate forcing is the physical process of affecting the climate on the Earth through a number of forcing factors.
• Positive forcing: GHGs warm the earth
• Negative forcing: Aerosols & volcanic eruptions cool the earth.

TYPES:

• Natural forcing – does not harm climate or cause drastic global temperature variations.
• Human-made forcing – GHGs, aerosols, etc.

CLIMATE CHANGE: RECEDING GLACIERS – A SYMPTOM OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

• Arctic Pole – Black line indicates the spread of ice-sheets in the 20th century. It is evident that the glaciers have been receding ever since and melted ice is the result of the rising ocean levels.
• Scientists predict that by 2030, more glaciers will have melted resulting in potential threat to aquatic as well as terrestrial ecosystems.
• Include impact on agriculture, reduced food security, health, pests and disease burden increase such as dengue, Malaria, atmospheric circulation (cyclones in Arabian sea), monsoon patterns, changing ecosystems (forest fires etc), impact on oceans, economic losses etc.

MITIGATION STRATEGIES: CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Carbon sequestration is a process to capture and store CO2 to curb global warming. It is captured from the air, industries or power stations and stored permanently underground. This promotes:

• Long-term reserve of CO2 or forms of carbon to control temperatures.
• Lowering of the amount of GHGs present in air due to combustion of fossil fuels.

3 main steps to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Trapping & separating CO2 from other gasses à Transporting captured CO2 to storage location à Storing CO2 far from atmosphere, either in deep ocean or underground. 

Types of CO2 Sequestration 

Geological sequestration trapping mechanism 

Sinks

• Carbon sequestration is carried out by pumping carbon into ‘carbon sinks’
• This is an age-old process. Only recently, these sinks are also being used for capturing carbon for environmental reasons.
• NATURAL SINKS: Oceans, forests, soil, mangroves etc.
• ARTIFICIAL SINKS: Depleted oil reserves, unmineable mines etc.

MITIGATION STRATEGIES: Carbon sinks (Green and Blue) 

Mitigation Strategies: The Blue Carbon Initiative

• Conservation International (CI), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has collaborated with governments and organizations across the world to develop mechanisms for ensuring coastal Blue Carbon ecosystems.
• It also comprises:
• Engagement of local, national and international organizations
• Comprehensive methods for carbon accounting
• Incentive mechanism
• Scientific research for climate mitigation

MITIGATION STRATEGIES: CARBON CREDIT

A Carbon Credit is a tradable permit that certifies the right to emit 1 ton of CO2 or its equivalent. 

How does this help?

As per gas emissions norms laid down by signatories of the Kyoto Protocol under UNFCCC, companies have two ways to reduce emissions:

• Reduce GHGs by adopting new technologies.
• Connect with developing countries to set up eco-friendly technology to earn credits. This credit becomes a permit for a company to emit GHGs in its own country.’

Status of developing nations

• India and China are the biggest sellers. Europe’s biggest buyer.
• China is leading with 73% of market share, whereas India is second at 6%.
• India’s Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) has become the 1st exchange in Asia to trade carbon credits.

MITIGATION STRATEGIES: CARBON OFFSETTING

• Credits for reductions in greenhouse gasses made at another location.
• Sold in metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
• Fastest way to achieve deepest reductions in business dealings.
• Provide employment opportunities, community development programmes, training, education.
• Must meet essential quality criteria.
• Cannot be double-counted.

MITIGATION STRATEGIES: GLOBAL CARBON EMISSIONS IN VARIOUS SECTORS 

MITIGATION STRATEGIES: 2.5 CARBON TAX

A carbon tax – levied on carbon content of fuels, generally in the transport and energy sector.

Carbon taxes intend to:

• Reduce CO2 by increasing the price of fossil fuels.
• Decreasing the demand of CO2
• Promote a form of carbon pricing

MITIGATION STRATEGIES: GEO – ENGINEERING

Geo-engineering is a technology that strives to modify, improve and cool the earth’s environment. The concept is still in its nascent stage. 

Ideas under this technique and how it works