global warming carbon. 2. what’s the problem? greenhouse effect caused by water and carbon dioxide...

Global Warming

Carbon

2. What’s the problem?

Greenhouse effect • Caused by water and carbon dioxide• Turns the Earth from a ‘snowball’ with a hot

Equator into the relatively temperate place

So what’s the problem?

3. Carbon dioxide & the carbon cycle

The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is increasing…

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000

CO

2 Con

cent

ratio

n (P

PM

)

Year

3. Atmospheric CO2 Concentration versus year

Historical Value

280 ppm

Current value

370 ppm

2. Increase in CO2 concentration

Concentration in 19th century

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Added in 20th Century

3.Atmospheric CO2 Concentration versus year(Detail 2)

300

320

340

360

380

400

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

CO

2 (pp

m)

Year

1.4

ppm per year

3. Carbon dioxide

The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is increasing…

Historically 280 ppm

1950 310 ppm

2000 365 ppm

Increasing at 1.4 ppm every year

There is no doubt or dispute about this

3. Carbon dioxide

Why is the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is increasing?

• We are digging up geological deposits of carbon– Coal & Oil & Gas– Burning them!

C+ O2 >>CO2

There is no doubt or dispute about this

3. My family’s CO2 emissions

0.2 kg per mile

4000

miles per year

800 kg CO2/year

0.3 kg per mile per person

1000

miles per year

600 kg CO2/year

0.5 kg per kWh

7300

kWh per year

3650 kg CO2/year

3. My family’s CO2 emissions

5050 kg of CO2 per year

Just over 5 tonnes!

There are many families like mine…

3. Global CO2 Emissions

6 billion tons C

27 billion tons CO2

Developing countries

Developed countries

Total

Question

Is 6 billion tonnes of carbon per year

(emitted as CO2)

a lot or a little?

Carbon Cycle

760

90606.4

1.4

1.7

760 increasing at 3.2/year

2,000

39,000

500

1,000

3,000

300