Coal and new gas power plants face new climate rules : NPR

Table Of Content

• AirPlay is now available in select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties
• The Causes of Climate Change
• Sea levels are rising at an extraordinary pace. Here's what to know.
• National GHG Emission and Sinks: 1990-2022
• Per capita nitrous oxide emissions: how much does the average person emit?
• Another Gas That Contributes to the Greenhouse Effect:

The increased level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere leads to increased warming of water bodies and land. This will eventually increase the amount of water vapour which also has the ability to absorb radiant energy. In the LULUCF sector, opportunities exist to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the potential to sequester carbon from the atmosphere by enhancing sinks. The table shown below provides some examples of opportunities for both reducing emissions and enhancing sinks.

AirPlay is now available in select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties

Fourier, however, neither used the term greenhouse effect nor credited atmospheric gases with keeping Earth warm. Swedish physicist and physical chemist Svante Arrhenius is credited with the origins of the term in 1896, with the publication of the first plausible climate model that explained how gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap heat. Arrhenius first refers to this “hot-house theory” of the atmosphere—which would be known later as the greenhouse effect—in his work Worlds in the Making (1903). Sulfur hexafluoride is an extremely potent greenhouse gas that is used for several purposes when transmitting electricity through the power grid. EPA is working with industry to reduce emissions through the SF6 Emission Reduction Partnership for Electric Power Systems, which promotes leak detection and repair, use of recycling equipment, and consideration of alternative technologies that do not use SF6. There are four main categories of fluorinated gases—hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).

The Causes of Climate Change

Usually, the radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface is emitted back into space. The presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere leads to the trapping of these radiations and in turn leads to the greenhouse effect. Thus an increase in greenhouse gases will eventually warm up the Earth leading to a phenomenon called global warming.

Climate Change Indicators: Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases US EPA - U.S. EPA.gov

Climate Change Indicators: Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases US EPA.

Posted: Wed, 01 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Sea levels are rising at an extraordinary pace. Here's what to know.

Greenhouse gases from the eight plants that produced nearly all of the state’s cement increased by 26% from 2011 to 2021. California is poised to fail to meet its ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals by the end of the decade unless it can triple its efforts to reduce carbon emissions statewide, according to a critical new report. One way to understand responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions is to examine which countries emit the most every year. The answer may not be as clear as one might assume, because the top emitters change depending on how the data is collected and what numbers are included. During COP26, the European Union and the United States launched the Global Methane Pledge, which will see over 100 countries aim to reduce 30 per cent of methane emissions in the fuel, agriculture and waste sectors by 2030.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Electric Power Sector by Fuel Source

Each of these gases can remain in the atmosphere for different amounts of time, ranging from a few years to thousands of years. All these gases remain in the atmosphere long enough to become well mixed, meaning that the amount that is measured in the atmosphere is roughly the same all over the world, regardless of the source of the emissions. If you’re interested in learning more about the GHG emissions project, or other projects related to dairy sustainability or on-farm research, take a look at the NMSP website. If you are a farmer interested in estimating your greenhouse gas footprint, contact Olivia Godber with questions or a request to join the project.

The greenhouse effect describes a similar phenomenon on a planetary scale but, instead of the glass of a greenhouse,  certain gases are increasingly raising global temperatures. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the only greenhouse gases not created by nature. To find out more about the role of fluorinated gases in warming the atmosphere and their sources, visit the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Emissions page. Nitrous oxide emissions in the United States decreased by 3% between 1990 and 2022. During this time, nitrous oxide emissions from mobile combustion decreased by 56% as a result of criteria pollutant emission standards for on-road vehicles.

Per capita nitrous oxide emissions: how much does the average person emit?

Thus the new inventory may report a different emission level for an earlier year than previous inventory editions. The basics of the phenomenon were worked out well over a century ago by Swedish physicist and chemist Svante Arrhenius, in 1896. His paper, published in the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, was the first to quantify the contribution of carbon dioxide to what scientists now call the "greenhouse effect." The table shown below provides examples of opportunities to reduce emissions from agriculture. For a more comprehensive list of options and a detailed assessment of how each option affects different gases, see Chapter 7 of the Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Convert emissions or energy data into concrete terms

The rise in Earth’s average temperature contributed to by human activity is known as global warming. Some greenhouse gases come from natural sources, for example, evaporation adds water vapor to the atmosphere. There is evidence that suggests methane is released in low-oxygen environments, such as swamps or landfills. Volcanoes—both on land and under the ocean—release greenhouse gases, so periods of high volcanic activity tend to be warmer. The atmospheric concentrations of long lasting greenhouse gases like methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon tetrachloride (CCI4 ) continue to increase because of anthropogenic activities.

Greenhouse gas emissions are often measured in carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. To convert emissions of a gas into CO2 equivalent, its emissions are multiplied by the gas's Global Warming Potential (GWP). The GWP takes into account the fact that many gases are more effective at warming Earth than CO2, per unit mass.

In 2022, direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from homes and businesses accounted for 31% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from homes and businesses vary from year to year, often correlated with annual fluctuations in energy use caused primarily by weather conditions. Total residential and commercial greenhouse gas emissions, including direct and indirect emissions, in 2022 have increased by less than 1% since 1990. Greenhouse gas emissions from on-site direct emissions in homes and businesses have increased by 8% since 1990. Additionally, indirect emissions from electricity use by homes and businesses increased from 1990 to 2007, but have decreased since then to approximately 4% below 1990 levels in 2021. The next most significant greenhouse gas is surface, or low-level, ozone (O3).

The table shown below provides examples of opportunities to reduce emissions from homes and businesses. For a more comprehensive list of options and a detailed assessment of how each option affects different gases, see Chapter 9 and Chapter 12 of the Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. More information about facility-level emissions from large industrial sources is available through EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program data publication tool. National-level information about emissions from industry as a whole can be found in the sections on Fossil Fuel Combustion and the Industrial Processes chapter in the Inventory of U.S. In this free climate resource, learn which countries, populations, industries, and companies are the top greenhouse gas emitters, currently and historically.

The energy-intensive industries causing emissions often vary depending on each country’s economic climate. For example, Guyana and Paraguay are clearing lots of forestland to make way for new industries, so deforestation contributes to climate change there. In Mongolia, the use of fossil fuels and the clearing of grasslands for agriculture contribute to the country’s high emissions profile. Nitrous oxide emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), so are weighted for their 100-year global warming potential value. Methane emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), so are weighted for their 100-year global warming potential value.