Monthly Archives: April 2022

Carbon Dioxide Levels are Increasing Yearly

Posted on by
26

Carbon dioxide has a heavy impact on the atmosphere of the Earth and is proven to affect climate change, global warming, and the ecosystems for the future. With the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, this is an issue to the energy imbalance which leads to the Earth’s temperature to increase; global warming. Due to human interactions and human life, there will always be carbon dioxide being released in different forms into the atmosphere, but there needs to be a way to reduce this amount of carbon dioxide for the wellbeing of the human population and the earth. If it continues to rise with the amounts of carbon dioxide, the human population and the land we inhabit will be in trouble due to temperature and destruction. What can be attested to this rise of earth’s temperature is the burning of fossil fuels: coal, oil, and gas, that all release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. This has been studied heavily and due to the amounts of greenhouse gasses being pushed yearly, this is not normal or necessary. In a USA Today article reporting on the carbon dioxide emissions it states, “In the past 20 years, the world’s temperature has risen about two-thirds of a degree Fahrenheit,” which may not seem impactful, but this constant rising of temperatures will be detrimental without changes being made. Just hearing that global carbon dioxide emissions have reached the highest level in history, should be alarming and should incite awareness and sustainability ideas. To preserve the environment we live in and increase recycling, renewable energy sources, and reducing emission is crucial. As the world shifts back to a “normal society” after recovering from Covid-19, there needs to be a change from the Pre-Cvoid Era where human population abused the amount of fossil fuel use. There needs to be an alternative to burning coal in order to have factories, cars, and businesses be run. Coal has been the issue of 40% of the overall global carbon dioxide emissions in 2021. One idea we can look toward is electric car batteries and also the rise in use of solar panels.

 

Works Cited

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/03/08/global-carbon-dioxide-emissions-soar/9429433002/

Fossil Fuels and Human Health

Posted on by
44

We talk a lot about fossil fuels, greenhouse gases, and how the impacts they have on the environment. Something that is not often talked about, however, is the impact of fossil fuels on human health. According to an article published by the NYU School of Law, the burning of fossil fuels and the inhalation of the subsequently polluted air contribute to several health conditions, including, but not limited to: asthma, cardiovascular disease, and preterm birth. What’s more, the article states that “if fossil fuels were completely eliminated, the global average life expectancy would increase by 1.1 years”. The article then goes on to describe the effects of burning fossil fuels, and different variations of pollutants. The thing that interested me most about this article was the mention of a study done in Southern California, where diminished levels of particulate matter (mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets) and nitrogen dioxide over a 21 year period lead to 20% fewer cases of childhood diagnoses of asthma. This is just one of many examples of how fossil fuels and greenhouse gases effect both the environment, the world around us, and humanity as a species.

Sources Cited:

https://www.law.nyu.edu/centers/state-impact/projects-reports/projects/climate-and-health/health-effects-of-burning-fossil-fuels

Greenhouse Gases and Freshwater

Posted on by
44

Over the past few centuries, or since the start of industrialization, the Earth’s climate has been changing.  A great factor in this is the “greenhouse effect”, caused by the emission of greenhouse gases into the air.  The water resources of Earth including its lakes and rivers have taken a massive hit from this.  Some of the major effects that are created due to the increase of greenhouse gases are, increased water temperatures which leads to more evaporation and creates a climate more suitable for harmful pathogens, less oxygen in the water which also kills a large portion of animals, and more algal blooms that are contributing to the lack of oxygen.  Some of these bodies of water may be beyond saving, but there is still a chance to save many.  To do this there must be a reduction of all greenhouse gases, but this will take time.  It is very interesting and scary to think about how driving your car can impact a river miles away.  One example that I have seen that could be beneficial is constructing new energy plants well below the earth’s surface, which according to the EPA, “With proper site selection and management, geologic sequestration could play a major role in reducing the net emissions of CO2”.

 

 

Works Cited:

https://cfpub.epa.gov/watertrain/pdf/modules/climate_change_module.pdf

Are they worth it? Electric cars and individual carbon emissions

Posted on by
55

Globally the temperature of the earth is increasing, these rising temperatures have been mainly caused by the emissions of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Changes need to be made both on a government and individual level to hinder the effects of climate change. More than 30% of carbon emissions come from transportation via, car, bus, and airplane one of the best ways that an individual can combat this is to purchase an electric car (EPA, 2021). The New York State Energy Research and Development Agency has out a free estimation survey, where one can put in the type of electric car and it will give you the cost and benefits of purchasing the car. When looking at an average 30,000 dollar electric car in Central New York, within the first year one would save $966 this was found by calculating the cost of gasoline ($1,243) that you would save minus the increase in your electric bill which would be around $277 to charge your car. In New York, you also get a minimum of 8,500 dollars in incentives which includes a $7,500 Plug-in vehicle federal tax credit plus a $1,000 with the Drive Clean Rebate. When looking at the cost and benefits in the future, within the first 5 years it shows that an electric car would save up to $7,867 and you would break even with the cost of the car within two years. Along with having long-term financial benefits owning an electric car reduces an individual carbon footprint by 58% per year which is equivalent to 5,977 lb of CO2. This survey is a great day to find a car that fits your budget and lifestyle while also helping you lower your carbon footprint. Cost benefits analysts are an important factor when it comes to the effectiveness of environmental action.

Survey: https://nyserda.wattplan.com/ev/

 

Work Cited:

EPA (2021) Carbon Pollution from Transportation

https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/carbon-pollution-transportation

NYSERDA (n.d) Watt Plan, Access on 4/3

https://nyserda.wattplan.com/ev/Results

 

Carbon Dioxide and its Influence

Posted on by
30

When it comes to greenhouse gases and the presence of them in our environment, there is quite a large variety of different kinds of greenhouse gases. Just to name a few greenhouse gases, there is methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor and more. Nevertheless, the most important greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is not only a gas. Depending on different temperatures, carbon dioxide can also be in the solid or a gas form. It is important to note that carbon dioxide does not come from just one particular entity. For example, carbon dioxide is breathed out by humans. Furthermore, carbon dioxide is produced after burning fossil fuels. As humans, we all have different responses to carbon dioxide based on our own specific tolerance. One’s tolerance depends on the amount of carbon dioxide present, which is measured using mathematics along with units and numbers.  Reactions to an exposure of carbon dioxide can vary from headaches to convulsions or even a coma. Thanks to basic human activity, there has been a drastic rise in the presence of carbon dioxide, as we know thanks to scientists measurements in which numbers and units were used. The starting point for the steep rise in carbon dioxide producing, human activity, can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. Although human activity is practically unavoidable, carbon dioxide’s presence must be modified in order to keep us, along with our Earth, safe.

Works Cited:

“Carbon Dioxide.” Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 3 June 2021, https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/chemical/carbondioxide.htm.

“Carbon Dioxide Concentration.” NASA, NASA, 15 Mar. 2022, https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/.

The pandemic’s affect on Carbon Dioxide Emission

Posted on by
64

The pandemic brought forth by Covid-19 caused much change and hardship.  However, not every change that the world underwent in regards to the pandemic was bad.  Due to the decreased levels of travel that occurred from the pandemic, CO2 emissions fell by 5.4% in 2020.  In the United States alone, the 4.58 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide produced in 2020 was an 11% decrease from the previous year.  The decrease in the US was also due largely to the decrease in transportation seen both in the US and throughout the world.  Since the transportation sector is the biggest contributor to CO2 emissions in the US since 2016, this 11% decrease is a welcome change.   The drastically decreased amount of man-made pollution in the air appears as a positive from the outside.  However, despite the sudden 5.4% drop in CO2 emissions, the growth in atmospheric concentrations remained within the year to year variation caused by natural processes according to NASA.  This is due largely to the fact that absorb as much CO2 as it had in previous years.

The dip seen in reported levels of CO2 emissions was however temporary and the CO2 emission levels have bounced back up.  The 5.4% decrease reported during the early stages of the pandemic was still short of the necessary 7.6% yearly reduction estimated by the United Nations Environment Programme.  Even with the world at a standstill during the early months of the pandemic, the required decrease of CO2 emissions estimated to be necessary were still not met.  These decreased levels of CO2 have now rebounded due to the reopening of many sectors and the world is back on the same trajectory it had been on prior to the pandemic.

 

Works cited

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/emission-reductions-from-pandemic-had-unexpected-effects-on-atmosphere

https://www.statista.com/statistics/183943/us-carbon-dioxide-emissions-from-1999/

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00090-3

On Current CO2 Emissions

Posted on by
28

Thinking about units, numbers, and measurement of CO2 led me to think about current CO2 emissions, and especially how much we would have to decrease them by and when. According to the Presidential Climate Action Project, “In order to stabilize CO2 concentrations at about 450 ppm by 2050, global emissions would have to decline by about 60% by 2050. Industrialized countries greenhouse gas emissions would have to decline by about 80% by 2050.”(There are a lot of really good numbers and statistics in this document, and they’re all stated very clearly, so I urge everyone to check out the link above.) Basically, to only stabilize CO2 concentrations(not even decrease them!) we would have to globally reduce CO2 emissions by 60%.  In 2020, according to the Global Carbon Project, 36.4 billion tonnes of carbon were emitted. To cut back by 60% globally, we would have to go from 36.4 billion tonnes of carbon per year to 14.56 billion tonnes of carbon per year, if my math is correct. Emissions haven’t been that low since 1970, according to the Global Carbon Project chart I previously linked. Definitely a big step to take in just 28 years!

Carbon emissions: Cap or trade

Posted on by
30

As mentioned in other posts, carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas measured in ppm has been shown by NASA and other media outlets to have increased steadily measured since the beginning of the industrial revolution in 19th century. NASA’s data (AIRS 2002-2016 times series) displays that in 2005 CO2 emissions were at a level of approximately 375 ppm, and comparing that to the last measure in that set in 2016 CO2 emissions dramatically rose to 425 ppm in mid-tropospheric calculations. Most recently NASA’s GEOS team during the 2020 COVID pandemic tracked a significant decrease in overall CO2 emissions especially during February through about April (13% decrease) and then an uptick in CO2 emissions restarting in the summer months (3% decrease) when people again became mobile. Although changes like these produce positive externalities for the environment, their short term effects shouldn’t be overstated since according to Jessica Merzdorf Evans at NASA’s Goddard space flight center, CO2 can last “for up to a century after it is released.” Luckily, technology for recording disturbances to the CO2 cycles (positive and negative in the economic senses of the word) is becoming more sensitive to every CO2 change from detecting the  effects of ‘isolated’ wild fires in California to a global shutdown to carbon emitting cars, not only that but models like AIRS and OCO-2 are putting these seemingly isolated incidents in conversation with one another both in the macro, micro and mini senses of time and space.
While in the short term, it may be humanly impractical to pause the entire global economy one solution that may help reduce carbon emissions is by playing a balancing game with carbon credits. These credits represent one ton of carbon emissions to be ‘removed’ from the atmosphere. Economically, an oversimplified example might look like the following: gardener Riley plants enough plants to take in 2 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which means a factory owner producing 3 tons of carbon per year can purchase Riley’s positive externality of 2 less tons of carbon per year leaving the factory owner responsible for 1 ton of carbon per year in the atmosphere rather than the original 3 tons. Additionally, because Riley now has saved 2 more tons of carbon emissions yearly they might be able to use those credits to plow their land with a tractor emitting 1 ton a year at no additional cost to Riley the gardener. While this innovation is not perfect since carbon credits only work to offset a more significant negative externality, it would seem as if more green projects which work to localize green production would go a long way in the short term to increase the positive externalities to the environment and in the long term for ourselves.

links utilized:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna3228
scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-climate-works/carbon-dioxide

jpl.nasa.gov/news/emission-reductions-from-pandemic-had-unexpected-effects-on-atmosphere

climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/

scitechdaily.com/nasa-makes-first-of-it’s-kind-detection-of-reduced-human-CO2-emissions/

 

Carbon Dioxide and its effects on Coral Reefs

Posted on by
26

Carbon Dioxide is a powerful greenhouse gas that has been at the center of political discussions surrounding Climate Change. As humans release more CO2 into the atmosphere, the “Greenhouse Effect” causes the earth’s temperature to rise, having devastating consequences for life on earth. While much of the CO2 stays in the atmosphere, a huge amount of the gas is absorbed into our oceans. This has terrible consequences for life on the seas. Coral Reefs have taken the brunt of this damage. Coral Reefs are dying at an increasing rate. This is a major problem because “Coral reefs specifically contribute to more than half of the oxygen our planet relies on, and these are vanishing at an unprecedented rate” (Gannon). This will have terrible consequences for other forms of life, as well as for humans. Unbelievably, “Over 2,838,240 acres of coral reef are lost every year, totaling an area 10x the size of New York City” (Gannon). This is a terrifying figure. Regardless of whether people want to admit that this is going to have terrible consequences for humans, it will. Human beings need to come to the realization that as a global community, we need to figure out a way to reduce the amount of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.

 

Works Cited:

https://reefrevive.org/reefcrisis?gclid=CjwKCAjwi6WSBhA-EiwA6Niok3YkXou-JfFjIx84rGg6gZneWHDNWg3uVi8sPbKLgT9G9IlEY3fyBxoCjMkQAvD_BwE

 

 

Carbon dioxide’s impact on climate change

Posted on by
27

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes greatly to the Earth’s temperature to rise, therefore heavily impacting climate change. Carbon dioxide is also known to react with water molecules which fluctuates the ocean’s pH level. The drop in pHI in the oceans, known as ocean acidification, has lowered from 8.21 to 8.10 since the Industrial Revolution. This is a significant change because a change of o:1 in pH indicates a 30% increase in acidity of the oceans. Another impact carbon dioxide has on the climate is through atmospheric carbon levels. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were estimated to be 412.5 parts per million in 2020. The global atmospheric carbon dioxide level has increased by 12% over the past 20 years. The present day levels of carbon dioxide are higher than they have been in 3 million years when conditions were hugely different in terms of the sea level and the regular temperature of the globe. The reason that the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are so high today is due to the burning of fossil fuels that are returning carbon to the atmosphere at a higher rate that makes it increasingly difficult for the atmosphere to remove all of the carbon through its natural processes alone. This amount of carbon dioxide warms the Earth and contributes to other greater factors that are putting the Earth at risk. Atmospheric carbon dioxide may exceed goo parts per million by the end of this century if global energy demands continue at the rate they are going at or even increase.

Works Cited:

https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide