what are we doing to try to stop climate change?
TRANSCRIPT
What are we doing to try to stop climate change?
Before we start....
• Let’s look at another problem.
Hole in the ozone layer
• Ozone depletion
• Back around 1976 scientists started to warn about ozone depletion.
• Back around 1976 scientists started to warn about ozone depletion.
• A few countries tries to reduce use of harmful chemicals.
• Back around 1976 scientists started to warn about ozone depletion.
• A few countries tries to reduce use of harmful chemicals.
• The chemical industry got angry. People lost interest in protecting the environment.
• In 1983 people started to take an interst in the subject again. (better education about ozone depletion)
• In resonse to public pressure governments started to take the issue seriously again.
• In 1985 many countries signed the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer .
• In 1987 many more counties signed the Montreal Protocol. (
• Laws were passed to reduce the emission of harmful chemicals.
• The hole ozone layer has since stopped growing.
Lessons to learn:
• People have the ability to cause global sized problems
Lessons to learn:
• People have the ability to cause global sized problems
• If people work to address these problems, they can be solved (even if it makes some people unhappy at first)
• Before we start.....
• Much like with overfishing and overpopulation, we know how to avoid the major problems.
• It is not a lack of knowledge that is preventing us from correcting the problem.
• It is a lack of political will
• With in mind.......
• Around 1970’s climate scientists started to agree that the climate was warming.
• Around 1970’s climate scientisits started to agree that the climate was warming.
• Not many people cared.
• The first major attempt to reach an international agreement to deal with environmental problems (such as climate change) was the Rio Earth Summit of 1992.
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), signed by over 150 countries
• Countries agreed to do something in the future.
Kyoto Protocol (Dec 1997)
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement for 37 developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% from the 1990 level
It was not meant to be a solution to climate change.
It was meant to be a small first step towards sustainability.
• The Kyoto Protocol is the ONLY climate agreement that is legally binding.
• It is part of the law.
191 states have signed the protocol.
191 states have signed the protocol.
The United States was not one of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions
•THE USA
The United States opted out because....
It was “economically irresponsible.”GW Bush
it would hurt business.
It may not allow for the economic growth America so needs.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1328366/John-Shimkus-Global-warming-wont-destroy-planet-God-promised-Noah.html
• And:• 'The planet won't be destroyed by global
warming because God promised Noah,'
• John Shimkus (U.S. House of Representatives)• Subcommittee on Energy and Power• Subcommittee on Environment and Economy
(Chairman)
Currently:The US has a voluntary policy
asking polluters to reduce greenhouse gas intensity by 18% over the next 10 years.
Greenhouse gas intensity:
How much greenhouse gas is emitted / the GDP
The amount of greenhouse gas emissions is still being accelerated when reducing reductions in intensity.
It is just accelerating slower than the GDP is rising.
25 November 2009 U.S. Set target for reducing greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions in the range of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.
25 November 2009 U.S. Set target for reducing greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions in the range of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.
This has not become law yet. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/28
/u-s-greenhouse-gas-emissions-projected-to-grow-slowly/
The US house of representatives recently voted on a resolution stating:
“climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for public health and welfare.”
The US house of representatives recently voted on a resolution stating:
“climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for public health and welfare.”
the resolution was defeated by a vote of 240-184
•Canada
Canada:
1997 Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol. Promised to reduce emissions to 6%
below the 1990 level
But.....
Then Canada decided they wanted to sell their oil in Alberta.
Since then Canada's greenhouse gas emissions increased by around 30%.
“The Government of Canada is committed to reducing Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.”
Government of Canada website(Note: this is not legally binding)
Because they signed the Kyoto Protocol Canada must report to the United Nations about their greenhouse gas emissions.
Because the signed the Kyoto Protocol Canada must report to the United Nations about their greenhouse gas emissions.
But the last time they reported their greenhouse gas emissions they didn't tell the exact truth.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Tories+left+oilsands+data+report/4859545/story.html
• Update:
• December 2011
• Canada becomes the first country to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol.
• "Kyoto for Canada is in the past”
•CHINA
China, as a developing nation, had no commitments with the Kyoto Protocol
China: China has committed to reducing
greenhouse gas intensity by 40%-45%
China: China has committed to reducing
greenhouse gas intensity by 40%-45%
Which means that emissions will probably increase by about 75%-90% between 2009 and 2020.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions
Copenhagen Accord
December of 2009
Many countries wanted strong laws to attempt to get greenhouse emissions reduced
Copenhagen Accord
Many countries wanted strong laws to attempt to get greenhouse emissions reduced
What they got was a non-legally binding (voluntary) pledges to try to reduce pollution.
Copenhagen AccordMany countries wanted strong laws to
attempt to get greenhouse emissions reduced
What they got was a non-legally binding (voluntary) pledges to try to reduce pollution.
Virtually nothing
We need to be cutting (reducing) emissions to not exceed 450 ppm of CO2. (then hopefully get back below 350 ppm)
Instead we are accelerating CO2 emissions and quickly heading towards “catastrophic” levels.
• Durban Climate Talks • December 2011
• Countries wanted to know what to do after Kyoto has expired.
• The agreement:
• We will meet in 2015 to decide.• We will try to have rules for everyone by 2020.
• We’ll come back in 3 years and decide on something we can do in 7 years.
• That’s where we are now.
• The agreement:
• We will meet in 2015 to decide.• We will try to have rules for everyone by
2020.
• That’s where we are now.
• The first major attempt to reach an international agreement to deal with environmental problems (such as climate change) was the Rio Earth Summit of 1992.
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), signed by over 150 countries
• Countries agreed to do something in the future.
• Bad news
• Bad news
• International governments are still about where we were 20 years ago.
• Bad news
• International governments are still about where we were 20 years ago.
• Good news
• People are doing something about it anyways
• Nanjing – Beijing 3:40
• If we do need to cool things down fast
• If we do need to cool things down fast
• Geoengineering.