cive230 lec 6 - GHG emissions and controlling climate change

Global Warming Potential (GWP)

A weighting factor that allows comparisons to be made between the cumulative global warming impact of a greenhouse gas relative to CO2 over a specified amount of time.

contents of atmosphere

N2 - 78.08%

O2 - 20.95%

Ar - 0.93%

CO2 - 0.038%

Carbon Intensity

The amount of carbon released per unit of energy delivered by fossil fuels; also known as emission factors.

Sources of CO2

• combustion of fossil fuels

Sources of CH4

anerobic digestion of organic materials

Sources of N2O

Agricultural fertilizers

Sources of vapor

cooling towers

Mitigation

Reducing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases to stabilize their levels in the atmosphere, with the goal of reducing climate change impacts.

Mitigation examples

• improved technology

  • alternative fuel technologies

  • improved combustion\

  • controlling emissions

  • upstream treatments: improved refining, etc.

• direct government intervention/regulations

• economic incentives

• behaviour/education

Adaptation

Adjusting to actual or expected future climate to reduce vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change.

Adaptation examples

• learning to live with more severe storms

  • stronger buildings

  • flood walls

  • floodable buildings

  • emergency planning

• avoiding development on lowest coastlines

• reuse/recycle

• smart cities

Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act

A Canadian act that aims for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through transparency and accountability.

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards

Standards that set requirements for the average fuel economy of a manufacturer's fleet of passenger cars and light trucks.

Cap and Trade

A system where a government agency sells permits to polluters, allowing them to discharge pollutants up to a certain limit, and creating a market for these permits.

Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted in 2015 by 196 countries. Its primary goal is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The international body for assessing the science related to climate change and developing information for policymaking.