Global Sustainable Development a Physics Course or Sex, Lies, and Sustainable Development

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Global Sustainable Development a Physics
CourseorSex, Lies, and Sustainable Development

• The transformation of an Environmental Physics
  Course for non-science students.

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Is Global Warming Real?

• Yes! Global average surface temperature has
  increased by more than 1ºF since 1850.

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Is this warming anthropogenic?

• Yes. But, it is also natural. Observed warming
  is the result of both natural processes and human
  impacts!

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Natural processes lead to climate cycles with
periodic fluctuations in global temperature.

• We are in an interglacial period.
• During the last Ice Age the Earths surface was
  10 ºF colder.

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Human activities may cause temperature changes
comparable to natural changes.

• Human activities produce atmospheric aerosols
  that cool the Earth and greenhouse gases that
  heat the Earth.

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Lie 1Nature can absorb whatever abuse humans
dish out.

• Not True!
• Ozone hole
• Big Bend haze
• Rio Grande flow
• Species Extinctions

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Greenhouse Warming

• The surface temperature of the earth is
  determined by the balance between the energy gain
  from solar radiation and the energy loss by IR
  radiation.

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Greenhouse WarmingGreenhouse Gases

• Greenhouse gases allow sunlight to reach the
  surface, but absorb IR radiation from the
  surface. These effects cause the surface of the
  Earth to get hotter.

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Greenhouse Gases

• Greenhouse gases include
• Water Vapor
• Carbon Dioxide
• Methane
• Chlorofluorocarbons
• Tropospheric ozone

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Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

• The major greenhouse gas.
• It is an evitable consequence of burning fossil
  fuels
• Oil, Natural gas, Coal

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Atmospheric CO2

• We emit 20 billion tons per year.
• 60 stays in atmosphere
• Increases atmospheric CO2 by 0.4 / year.
• 25 increase from 280 ppm to 350 ppm

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Global Warming Predictions

• If Carbon Dioxide concentration doubles
• Global Mean Surface Temperature increases by 5
  ºF.
• Depending on growth of consumption, this could
  happen in this century.

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Lie 2The science is unclear.

• The science is clear and the news is bad.
• Nearly every atmospheric scientist accepts the
  data and analysis leading to the prediction of
  global warming.

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Global Warming Consequences

• Agricultural Loss.
• Extreme Weather.
• Sea Level Rise.
• Ecological Impacts.
• Economic Loss.

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SexWe have met the enemy and he is us

• World Population is 6.3 billion and still rising.
• GHG emissions
• Destruction of Carbon Sinks

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Its the Economy, Too!

• US has 5 of world population
• US emits 25 of all GHG.

So a U.S. baby has 5 times the global warming
impact as the average baby and 10 times the
global warming impact as a Chinese baby.
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Oil Consumption has other environmental costs.

• Extraction in pristine areas.
• Air pollution acid rain, smog, etc.
• Do we need all those SUVs?

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Oil Supplies are Limited

• US imports 60 of its oil.
• World oil production will pass peak within 20
  years

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How do we deal with these problems?
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• Sometimes a man (or woman) has to do what a man
  (or woman) has to do.
• John Wayne updated

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Sustainable Development and Use of Renewable
Energy
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Sustainable Development

• Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
• Principle 3
• The right to development must be fulfilled so as
  to equitably meet developmental and environmental
  needs of present and future generations.

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Sustainable Development

• Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
• Principle 9
• States should cooperate to strengthen endogenous
  capacity-building for sustainable development by
  improving scientific understanding through
  exchanges of scientific and technological
  knowledge, and by enhancing the development,
  adaptation, diffusion and transfer of
  technologies, including new and innovative
  technologies.

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Conservation

• To reduced the threat of global warming, we must
  reduce emission of GHGs.
• Reduce Consumption
• Increase Efficiency

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Solar Energy

• Passive Solar
• Active Solar
• Photovoltaic

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Wind

• Local resource
• Renewable
• Economics look good
• Some negative environmental impacts.

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Hydroelectric

• Local resource
• Renewable
• Capital Intensive
• Some negative environmental impacts.

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Geothermal

• Local resource
• Inexpensive
• Renewable?
• Some negative environmental impacts.

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A negative side-effect of Geothermal
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Hydrocarbons

• Natural gas may be a better option than oil or
  call

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Nuclear Power

• Safety
• Waste Disposal
• Public acceptance

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Fuel Cells

• Secondary fuel
• Expensive
• Developing stage

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Transportation Policy

• CAFE standards
• Mass Transit
• Hybrid Vehicles

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International Treaties

• The US should support the Kyoto Protocol.
• Whats the downside?

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US Objections to Kyoto

• Developing nations not bound, initially.
• Emission limits damage economy.

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Lie 3The US has a Carbon Dioxide Reduction Plan

• Emphasis of Bush administration on energy
  production.
• Any limits would hurt the economy?

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What should developing countries do?

• Should they repeat the mistakes of the developed
  countries?

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Conclusions

• Fossil fuel consumption is contributing to
  climate change.
• Sustainable development requires reduction of
  fossil fuel consumption.
• There are viable options.
• National and International policy is crucial.

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Lets get to work!