China and the United States: Global Warming

Kendra Custer ATMS Department UNC Asheville March, 2014

ABSTRACT Global Warming is a major concern that the world is facing. The following data includes graphs of the increasing carbon dioxide emissions, and carbon dioxide emissions percentage by country. This paper outlines the impacts of the rising temperatures (global warming) caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions specifically that of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, it explains China and the United States (the top two contributors of carbon dioxide emissions) reduction efforts in promotion of world-wide global warming reduction efforts and discusses the innovation of cleaner fuels as a first step to a cleaner environment.

Introduction Global Warming is a serious threat to livelihood as we know it. It is defined as the heating up of the earth and is due to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The most abundant greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide has serious effects on resource quality, health risks for humans, economic productivity, and overall species survival. The top two contributors of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are China and the United States. Developing countries argue that larger developed countries are responsible for global warming and should take the initiative to reduce emissions. Despite this controversy, China and the United States are currently showing initiative to reduce global warming including advancement in the developing of renewable environmentally friendly fuels, and setting an example for the rest of the world.

Impacts of Global Warming Global Warming is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causing the earth to heat up. Carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the most abundant greenhouse gases is emitted by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. Global warming is primarily human-induced. When the temperature of the earth rises, it will have a significant impact on resource quality, increased health risks for humans, economic productivity, and overall species survival. As the climate changes, the water resources will be stressed. Reduced rainfall will result in increased droughts. This lack of water is detrimental to many areas that rely on rainfall for drinking water and crop production. Declines in mountain snowpack will also

be affected where it is required for natural water storage. Because of this reason, some areas may experience excess flooding and problems with water quality. Although there will be a reduction in the levels of cold related deaths, there are serious health concerns related to global warming. These include an increase in heat related deaths and waterborne diseases, poor air quality, extreme (life-threatening) weather events, and diseases transmitted by insects and rodents. People are not the only species affected by the rising temperatures however, the rising temperatures will also have an effect on crop production and species (livestock and otherwise) survival. Higher levels of warming often negatively affect growth and yields. There will be an increase in pests, water stress, diseases, and weather extremes that will also pose challenges for crop and livestock to survive. If crops and animals (including livestock) are struggling to survive, it will negatively affect economic productivity and growth.

Data Analysis China and the United States are the top two contributors of greenhouse gas emissions globally. As seen in figure 1, as of 2008, China emitted twenty-three percent, and the United States emitted nineteen percent of CO2 globally. The majority of CO2 in the atmosphere is emitted by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil. Industrialization also plays a role in burning

Figure 1: Global CO2 Emissions by country (2008)

fossils fuels to harvest energy emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is no surprise that the top two contributors of CO2 are countries with top economies.

Figure 2 Global CO2 Emissions Increase Global carbon dioxide emissions have increased significantly since 1990. As seen in figure 2, global emissions increased by over sixteen times between 1900 and 2006, and about 1.5 times between 1990 and 2008.

Greenhouse gas emissions have increased and the United States and China are the top contributors of these greenhouse gases, but how are they being released? As seen in figure 3, the greatest percentages of greenhouse gas emissions are released through the energy supply with twenty-

Figure 3: Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Source

six percent. This includes the burning of fossil fuels such as coil, oil, and natural gas. Following emissions from energy is industry with nineteen percent, forestry with seventeen percent, agriculture with fourteen percent, and transport with thirteen percent. Buildings and waste/wastewater emit a combined emissions percentage of eleven. The impacts of global warming are illustrated in polar and arctic regions first. For example, the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing the snow on glaciers and ice sheets to melt. This in turn decreases the reflect-ability that the snow has on the suns rays. This means that the longer that the Figure 4: Monthly Sea Ice Extent (Decrease) 1979-2014

snow is allowed to melt, the faster that it will melt. The extent of the monthly sea ice has been decreasing since the 1970s. As seen in figure 4, the Northern Hemispheres Sea Ice extent has an overall negative correlation with the majority of anomalies fluctuating lower than the average. A temperature anomaly is the difference between the actual amount and the recorded average.

Reduction Efforts China and the United States have agreed to five new action initiatives designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The first initiative is to reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. This will include comprehensive policies to reduce carbon dioxide and black carbon emissions through cleaner fuels and emission control technologies. The second initiative involves increasing carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The United States and China account for more than forty percent of global coal consumption. Emissions from coal combustion can be reduced and trade and commerce will be encouraged from an increase in using CCUS. This is followed by an initiative to increase energy efficiency in buildings, industry, and transport. The fourth initiative is for the improvement of the collection and management of greenhouse gas emission data. Collecting accurate data will improve the implementation of policies and encourage emission reduction. The final initiative involves promoting smart grids. Smart grids are a form of clean, renewable energy. The United States and China will collaborate on building grids that are more resilient and efficient.

Discussion The current reduction effort plans include producing cleaner fuels and technologies, energy efficient construction, policies, and smart grids. Producing cleaner fuels could be a good first step to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, it would be best to develop renewable environmentally friendly or beneficial fuels. Some examples of these types of technologies that are currently being developed are technologies that derive energy from the sun (solar energy

panels), wind (turbines), and water (hydropower). There is no doubt that these technologies are revolutionary but they require further advancement. Additional fuel sources that could be developed as clean renewable energies for human use are that of biomass, and geothermal energy. Biomass resources include trees, food crops, algae, agricultural and forestry byproducts, and even Methane fumes from landfills (Weiman, 2014). Using biomass as energy is an example of using a material that will continue to renew itself as long as production occurs. Geothermal energy comes from harvesting energy from the earth. Some examples of this are producing hot water and electricity from the heat within the earth, and allowing the earths shallow groundwater for heating and cooling. Many developing countries claim that the larger developed countries caused more of the pollution and the problem of global warming than they did. For this reason, they state that the developed countries should provide reduction technologies to countries that are still developing. This poses a problem when you consider that China as an undeveloped. The country of China is still developing and has many of its citizens living in poverty despite the fact that it has the second largest economy in the world. However, if you go by the statement that claims that the nations that emit the most greenhouse gases should be the first to reduce emissions and to promote reduction among other nations, then China is on the top of that list.

Figure 5: High/Low CO2 Emissions and High/Low Vulnerability by region

It is interesting though, when thinking about the fact that the regions that have done the least to contribute to global warming will be the ones that are projected to be the most vulnerable to it. Figure 5 illustrates regions of high versus low emissions and high versus low vulnerability to global warming affects by region. As seen in figure 5, the top two contributors, the United States and China, are in the low (-18 blue) regions. This means that these regions will be less vulnerable to the impacts of global warming than regions that contributed less. This was determined by the Climate Demography Vulnerability Index (CDVI). The CDVI takes into account how global warming will affect regional climate change, and how much the local population is supposed to grow (Cook, 2011). The most vulnerable regions include South America, the Middle East, and Eastern and Southern Africa. The least vulnerable regions are located in the northern part of the northern hemisphere. This is the reason why the world needs to

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work together to combat global warming. It is going to affect everyone. More developed countries should help the lesser developed and impoverished countries in their reduction efforts. If successful reduction is not made, the already impoverished countries will face tougher hardships. Even though they did not create the majority of the mess, they should still make efforts to help clean it up. Obviously, the Chinese government should take efforts to help the impoverished in their country, but if global warming and the emissions causing it are not reduced, the whole world will be facing consequences of detrimental proportions. Regardless of the state of the nation, if it is largely industrialized, and producing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, reduction efforts should be made. China and the United States alike should adapt to the world around them and the affect that their mass industrialization has had on the planet. The reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas needs to be replaced with a sustainable, renewable, and environmentally friendly or beneficial resource. This replacement would not only benefit the environment, but the people of the world themselves.

Conclusion Global Warming is a serious issue that the world facing that has some serious consequences. If efforts are not made to significantly reduce global warming, our resources, health, economy, and life as we know it will change drastically. The United States and China, being the top two contributors of the increasing greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are collaborating efforts to reduce global warming. Among these reduction efforts are the development of cleaner fuels and fuel technologies,

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initiatives for energy efficient buildings and technologies, and the implementation of policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The development of cleaner fuels and technologies such as those from the sun, wind, water, geothermal, and biomass are the first step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions while reduction efforts progress. There is a lot of controversy around the idea of developed countries holding the reduction responsibility. China is a developing country but is also a top contributor of greenhouse emissions due to industrialization and thus holds significant responsibility. The efforts of these two top contributor, top economy countries (China and the United States), will promote the rest of the world to make their own efforts to reduce global warming.

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Works Cited http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html http://nca2009.globalchange.gov/executive-summary http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/07/211768.htm http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/11/2012s-carbon-emissions-in-five-graphs/ http://homeguides.sfgate.com/definition-examples-renewable-resources-79625.html http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_geothermal.html https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/ http://skepticalscience.com/news.php?n=630&p=2