INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK

Title: Solutions to Climate Change Date: Check the board!

Directions:

1. Move through the slides and read them all.

2. Make a tree map on the right side of your notebook to put the ideas into categories. All the solutions need to be somewhere on the map.

Improved vehicle efficiency

Using less gas = fewer combustion pollutants

Hybrids use friction from breaking to charge electric battery “regenerative breaking”

Computer switches engine from gas to electricity.

Electric vehicles – Volt, Tesla, Leaf

Technology solution: fuel choices

Burn low-sulfur coal (anthracite)

Gasification turns solid coal to gas before it is burned – fewer particulates, SOx

Natural gas creates ½ CO2 of coal!!

Fuel choices

Using natural gas to produce electricity instead of coal produces ½ the CO2

Fracking . . . .

Major source of CH4 leaks.

Flaring – when CH4 can’t be sold profitably, it is flared off.

Eagle Ford – since 2009 burned billions of cubic feet of CH4 – enough to heat 335,000 homes/yr

Need for pipelines/storage?

Switch to alternative energies!

Wind power

Solar power

Hydro power

Tidal power

Geothermal heating and cooling

Energy Star appliances

HOW appliances and electronics are used

Wash full loads

Wash coolest, quickest setting possible

Shutting off appliances when not in use

Avoiding ghost/vampire charges

Lighting options: Incandescent CFL LED!

Carbon sequestration

CO2 can be injected to enhance oil production, leaving CO2

underground

Does not have to be part of secondary oil production – can just be done to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration.

NRG plans to cut 90% of its carbon emissions

Petra Nova project at WA Parrish:

Post-combustion carbon capture project.

CO2 will travel 80 miles through a pipeline for use in secondary oil recovery

“A response to pressure from consumers and investors, and cheaper wind and solar plants.”

The divestment movement

Individuals, universities and companies are dropping their investments in fossil fuels to send an economic message. An incentive for energy companies to move towards sustainables.

Three policy options

Cap and Trade

Carbon Tax

Carbon offsets

Government actions

Cap and Trade

EPA sets total emissions for an area (cap)

Divides total by number of sources

Each source has permits to emit their fair share

Extra permits can be sold or saved (trade)

Carbon Tax

Adding tax to gasoline or other fossil fuels would reduce their use and bring in money to invest in cleaner technologies

Sustainability. It’s worth

it.

Carbon Credits/Carbon offsets

Individual or company pays extra money when they create CO2. The money goes to a third company which plants trees or invests in clean technology

Which country is producing the most

CO2?Check out the interactive map on this site!

International cooperation

Kyoto Protocol

1997 – 161 nations

Required developed nations to reduce GHG by 5% by 2012

Developing nations not required to cut

Emissions trading created (carbon offsets)

US, Australia, and Russia declined to participate

Has now officially expired

International cooperation

Last Fall – talks in Peru.

2015 Paris – next international meeting

November 2014 – US/China agreement to get serious about climate change

Committed to working out 2015 plan

US by 2025 will be 25% below 2005 CO2 levels

China – peak fossil fuel emissions by 2030 and will derive 20% of energy from sustainables by that point

From the US/China agreement:

At the same time, economic evidence makes increasingly clear that smart action on climate change now can drive innovation, strengthen economic growth and bring broad benefits – from sustainable development to increased energy security, improved public health and a better quality of life. Tackling climate change will also strengthen national and international security.

Technological innovation is essential for reducing the cost of current mitigation technologies, leading to the invention and dissemination of new zero and low-carbon technologies and enhancing the capacity of countries to reduce their emissions. The United States and China are two of the world’s largest investors in clean energy and already have a robust program of energy technology cooperation.

Check out details in #8 in link from title!