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On Global Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases. 2009 Summit. Proposal. Acceptance of wedges to best meet United States goals on climate change and GHG emissions Acceptance of national and international CDMs. Current Situation. If we follow a “business as usual policy” we would have:
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On Global Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases 2009 Summit
Proposal • Acceptance of wedges to best meet United States goals on climate change and GHG emissions • Acceptance of national and international CDMs
Current Situation • If we follow a “business as usual policy” we would have: • Rising global temperatures • Rising atmospheric CO2 levels and emissions • Rising sea levels • Decreasing global ice mass • Decreasing stratospheric ozone levels
Wedges • Wedges are strategies to reduce carbon emissions zero to 1 GtC/year in 50 years • Main goal of wedges is to stabilize carbon emissions in 50 years so it would be the same as levels today • For example, if 8 wedges were implemented, we would have 8 less gigatons of carbon emitted per year in 50 years
Wedges Easier CO2 target Billions of Tons Carbon Emitted per Year 16 ~850 ppm Stabilization Triangle Interim Goal Historical emissions 8 Flat path Tougher CO2 target ~500 ppm 1.6 0 1950 2000 2050 2100
Wedges Billions of Tons Carbon Emitted per Year 16 GtC/y 16 Eight “wedges” Goal: In 50 years, same global emissions as today Historical emissions 8 Flat path 1.6 0 1950 2000 2050 2100
Possible Wedges for the US • Double the fuel efficiency of US cars • Double the efficiency of US electricity production • Increase energy efficiency in commercial and private buildings • Install 1 million 2 MW windmills to replace coal based electricity • Implement carbon capture and storage (CCS) at 800 GW coal electric plants • Implement CCS at 1600 GW natural gas electric plants • Implement CCS at 180 coal synfuels plants • Triple Nuclear Power production and efficiency
Additional possible wedges • Install 20,000 km2 of solar panels for dedicated use • Increase the capacity of hydrogen plants tenfold • * All proposed wedges are to be implemented in no more than 50 years for it to be effective
CDMs • CDM – Clean Development Mechanism provided by the Kyoto Protocol • Designed to promote environmentally friendly technologies and sustainable development especially for Annex B countries • Allows GHG emissions to be reduced at a lower cost by financing projects in developing countries rather in industrialized countries
CDMs in the US and North America • Our main goals in developing countries are to: • Utilize CO2 capture and storage strategies • Improve our pollution control • Invest more in alternative energy solutions and lessen our reliance on fossil fuels
CDMs in the US and North America • Generate less unclean amounts of energy such as coal and fossil fuels • Regulation and control of numerous mining industries and their pollution • Establish logging forests and plant others • Develop more public transportation systems
International CDMs • Hybridization of vehicles • Establishment of alternative energy sources to replace coal and fossil fuels • Reforestation • Conservation tillage • CO2 sequestration • Increased composting projects • Better pollution control and regulation
Temperature Projections (Normal) + 2.47 degrees C (Transportation fuel efficiency wedge) + 2.29 degrees C (Nuclear efficiency wedge) + 2.28 degrees C
Atmospheric Carbon Projections (Normal) + 1404.99 Billion Metric Tons (Transportation fuel efficiency wedge) + 1343.07 Billion Metric Tons (Nuclear efficiency wedge) + 1340.15 Billion Metric Tons
References • http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/keyIndicators/ • http://www.unc.edu/~jrhester/stellatable.html • http://healthpromotionadvocates.org/resources/presentation.htm • http://www.princeton.edu/~cmi/resources/stabwedge.htm • http://cdm.unfccc.int/index.html • http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_04_23.html • http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/mechanisms/clean_development_mechanism/items/2718.php