Focus on the Coast: Mitigating Climate Change at the Local Level: Greenhouse Gases and Delaware
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Morgan Ellis Delaware Division of Energy and Climate Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) December 4, 2014 De-incorp.com Greenhouse Gases and Delaware
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Transcript of Focus on the Coast: Mitigating Climate Change at the Local Level: Greenhouse Gases and Delaware
Morgan Ellis
Delaware Division of Energy and Climate
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)
December 4, 2014
De-incorp.com
Greenhouse Gases and Delaware
DefinitionsGreenhouse Gas Mitigation:
• A human intervention to curb, reduce or eliminate greenhouse gases (heat trapping gases) or enhance sinks of greenhouse gases.
Adaptation:
• Adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment that seizes beneficial opportunities or moderates negative effects.
Natural Hazards Mitigation:
• A sustained action(s) taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to life and property from hazard events.
What are greenhouse gases?
• Water Vapor
• Carbon Dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous Oxide
• Fluorinated gases
– Hydro-fluorocarbons
– Sulfur hexafluoride
Where do greenhouse gases come from?
Combustion of fossil fuels for:
• Electricity production
• Transportation
• Heating (residential, commercial, etc.)
• Industrial emissions
• Agriculture
Why should greenhouse gases be considered?
- Greenhouse gas mitigation efforts reduce
future climate change.
- Lower emissions mean less severe impacts.
- Carbon dioxide is removed from the
atmosphere through natural processes; but only at half the rate at which humans are emitting it.
- Mitigation and adaptation go hand-in-hand.
Greenhouse Gases in Delaware
2.
Waste1%
Agriculture4% Residential
8%
Commerical6%
Industrial16%
Transportation34%
Electric Power Generation
31%
Source: Delaware Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Division of Air Quality, 2014
Totals 12,480,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
All emission estimates from the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2012.
Year
United States Carbon Dioxide Emissions from 1990-2012
Approx. 5,400 MmtCO2e
Approx. 5,000 MmtCO2e
-
5.00
10.00
15.00
20.00
25.00
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Mm
tCO
2e
Year
Delaware’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 1990 to 2010
12.48 MmtCO2e
19.78 MmtCO2e
Delaware’s Climate Change Impact Assessment
Jennifer de Mooy
Delaware Division of Energy and Climate
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)
December 4, 2014
Overview
• Delaware Climate Change Impact Assessment
• Future climate projections
• High and low scenarios
• Climate mitigation and adaptation
• Global challenge – local action
Why did we develop the Delaware Climate Change Impact Assessment?
To understand and communicate the current and future impacts and risks from a changing climate.
To summarize the best available science on climate change and the potential impacts for Delaware.
To help Delaware’s government, citizens, communities and businesses prepare for and adapt to climate change.
What’s in the Delaware Climate Change Impact Assessment ?
Impacts to Delaware’s resources:
o Water resources
o Agriculture
o Public Health
o Ecosystems and Wildlife
o Infrastructure
Climate Trends and Projections:
o Increasing temperatures
o Changes in precipitation
o Extreme weather events
o Sea level rise
Scientific Sources
• Peer-review studies
• Scientific assessmentso Regional o National o Global
• Expert scientists and practitionerso Steering Committee
• Delaware climate analyseso Dr. Daniel J. Leathers (University of Delaware)o Dr. Katharine Hayhoe (Texas Tech University)
Understanding Trends and Projections
• Observed trends - Past
o Historic data analysis of Delaware’s climate over past 100 years
• Climate projections - Future
o Delaware climate projections reflect high and low greenhouse gas emissions scenarios to 2100.
o Annual and seasonal averages and extremes are projected for temperature and precipitation.
Data from Delaware weather Stations was used for analysis
Understanding Scenarios
Future scenarios depend on many factors
IPCC: 2010 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP)
Understanding Scenarios
Future scenarios depend on many factors
• The lower scenario represents a future in which people shift to clean energy sources in the coming decades, reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
IPCC: 2010 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP)
Understanding Scenarios
Future scenarios depend on many factors
• The lower scenario represents a future in which people shift to clean energy sources in the coming decades, reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
• The higher scenario represents a future in which people continue to depend of fossil fuels, and emissions of greenhouse gases continues to grow.
IPCC: 2010 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP)
Climate projections for Delaware:Average annual and seasonal temperatures are projected to increase, particularly in summer
Source: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, et al
Climate Projections for Delaware:Very hot days expected to increase
Source: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, et al
Climate Projections for Delaware: Temperature
Annual and seasonal temperatures are projected to increase, with slightly greater increases in summer as compared to winter.
Extreme heat days and heat waves are becoming more frequent; extreme cold, less frequent.
Number of Hot Days per Year
Number of Cold Nights per Year
Climate Projections for Delaware:Days of heavy precipitation projected to increase
Source: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, et al
Climate Projections for Delaware: Precipitation
Annual precipitation projected to increase, mostly due to changes in winter and fall
More rainfall is projected to occur in heavy downpours
Source: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, et al
Climate Choices
Future scenarios depend on many factors, including how human societies and economies will develop and what technologies and energy sources will be used.
• The lower scenario –climate conditions we must prepare for and adapt to
• The higher scenario –climate conditions we want to avoid
Climate Choices
Future climate
Climate Adaptation
Climate mitigation
“Avoiding the unmanageable, and managing the unavoidable”
What does this mean at the local level?
Climate change is a global challenge…
Climate change impacts us locally…
Climate mitigation is a choice…o Reduce energy use
o Drive less
o Choose energy efficiency
o Support renewable sources
o Your homes
o Your families
o Your businesses
o Your community
Morgan Ellis
Delaware Division of Energy and Climate
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)
December 4, 2014
Where do we go from here?
How do we begin to reduce greenhouse gases?
• Understand the issue and the impacts.
• Take steps to save energy and reduce emissions in your business and residence.
• Encourage others to implement steps to encourage energy efficiency.
• Investigate and apply for funding.
Simple Steps
• Lighting– Switch to LEDs or CLFs
• Weatherization– Air seal
– Insulate
• Look for EnergyStar Appliances
• Recycle
• Investigate less fossil intensive
energy sources
Delaware’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
• Fuel Switching (coal to natural gas)
• Energy Efficiency Investment Fund
• The Green Energy Fund
• The Sustainable Energy Utility
• Weatherization Assistance
Program
Funding Opportunities • The Energy Efficiency Investment Fund
– Commercial and industrial facilities
– Lighting, heating and cooling and other measures
• State Energy Program Revolving Loan Fund– Commercial and industrial facilities
– Energy efficiency measures
• Delaware Green Energy Fund– Delmarva Power customers
– Installation of renewable energy systems
• The Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility– Residential, commercial and industrial
Thank You!
For more information, contact:
Morgan Ellis – Climate Policy [email protected]
Jennifer de Mooy – Climate Adaptation Project [email protected]
