Prof. Chan King Ming

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??????? Global Warming Its challenges and
solutions.

• Prof. Chan King Ming
• Associate Professor
• Dept. of Biochemistry and Environmental Science
  Program
• Chinese University
• email kingchan_at_cuhk.edu.hk

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• CONTENTS ??
• Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Effect ????????
• The Impacts of Global Warming???????
• 3. Kyoto Protocol ????
• 4. Act now ! ????!

An Inconvenient Truth http//www.youtube.com/watc
h?v0XMn_Ry3z6M
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http//www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_1.htm
Q1 What factors have contributed to surface
temperatures of planets?

1. Carbon Cycle Green House Effects ????????

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• Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Effect
• ????????

Atmospheric CO2 ????????

• Sources ? ? ? ?
• Burning of fossil fuels and organic matters
• ???????????
• Respiration
• ????

• Sinks (Carbon Fixation) ? ? ?
• Photosynthesis
• ????
• Uptake by ocean
• ????

Other forms of carbon deposits, e.g. coral,
cellulose. ??????????
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Major sources of greenhouse gases burning of
fossil fuels, e.g. vehicle and power plant
emissions. ?????????????? ?????????
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Green House Gases ????
Green House Gas ???? Concentration ?? AD 1800- 2000 Anthropogenic sources ???? GWP, Global Warming Potential ???? Proportion of total () ?????
Carbon dioxide ???? 280 370 ppm Fossil fuel ???? 1 60
Methane ?? 0.75 1.75 ppm Agriculture fuel leakage ??????? 21 20
Halocarbons ??? 0 0.7 ppb Refrigerants ?? 3400 14
Nitrous oxide ??? 275-310 ppb Agriculture combustion????? 310 6
Ozone ?? 15 (?) 20/30 ppb Urban pollution ????
Reference http//www.world-nuclear.org/info/defau
lt.aspx?id516termscarbonemissionandcoal Down
loaded on Nov 24, 2009.
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Annual CO2 Emission 2006
Rank, country 2006 Annual Emission, billion metric tons (tons per capita) ???, ?? ? ? (????) total in 2006
World ?? 28.43 billion metric tons (4.2 tons per capita) 100
1.China ?? 6.10 bmt (4.6 tpc, 6.0 tpc for HK) 21.5
2. US ?? 5.75 bmt (19.0 tpc) 20.2
European Union ?? 13.91 bmt (7.8 tpc) 13.8
3. Russia ?? 1.56 bmt (11.0 tpc) 5.5
4. India ?? 1.51 bmt (1.3 tpc) 5.3
5. Japan ?? 1.29 bmt (10.1 tpc) 4.6
6. Germany ?? 0.81 bmt (9.8 tpc) 2.8
7. United Kingdom ?? 0.56 bmt (9.2 tpc) 2.0
8. Canada ??? 0.54 bmt (16.1 tpc) 1.9
9. South Korea ?? 0.47 bmt (9.8 tpc) 1.7
10. Italy ??? 0.47 bmt (7.9 tpc) 1.7
Reference http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co
untries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions Downloaded
on Nov 26, 2009, according to International
Energy data.
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4 ? 8 ? surge in this century
Increased 0.6 C in 20th century ?????? 0.6 ?
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2. The Impacts of global Warming ???????
Arctic perennial sea ice has been diminishing at
a rate of 9 per decade. The ice of frozen
freshwater on Greenland melts to dilute and lower
the salinity of the arctic ocean. This would have
significant effects (slower or stop) on the ocean
conveyor.
?? Arctic 1979
Ice from land could raise sea level Reduced ice
from ocean changes currents
?? Arctic 2003
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How would the climate change if the Gulf Stream
shut down? A shut down of the Gulf Stream would
suddenly decrease the amount of heat in the North
Atlantic, leading to much colder temperatures in
Europe and North America.
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The Impacts of global Warming

• Reduction of Biodiversity ?????????
• ? ? ? ? Losing Habitats due to temperature rises
• ? ? ? ? Reduction of freshwater supply trapped in
  mountains
• More Diseases ????
• Endemic diseases increasing health risks
• Extreme Weathers ????
• more storms, floods, droughts ????????
• Unpredictable climate change ??????
• Buffering power of planet earth is lowered,
  leading to unforeseeable climate change
• leading to fluctuating economy, e.g. Hurricanes
  in Mexico Bay are threatening oil prices to
  surge, drought lead to depletion of resources
  supply, etc

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????????Abstract from the 17th Global Warming
Conference, April, 2006.
2. The Impacts of global Warming

• .. todays atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are
  the highest in 650,000 years.  ???????????????????
  ?
• Antarctic climate and concentrations of the
  greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane
  (CH4) were tightly coupled.
• ?????????????
• CO2 seemed to be confined between bounds of
  about 180 ppmv (parts per million by volume) in
  glacial periods and 280 ppmv in inter-glacials
  Today is 380 ppmy and is rising.
• ???????????? 380 ppmv ??????

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3. Kyoto Protocol ????

• Took effect in February, 2005. Obligates
  countries to observe target figures for green
  house gas reduction. 05 ???, ??????????
• Advanced nations should reduce emissions of 6
  gases by an average of 6-8 (relative to 1990
  levels) over the five year period from 2008 to
  2012. ??????90 ????8
• Kyoto Mechanisms Scheme for Trading Green House
  Gas Emissions Rights and encourage international
  co-operations to achieve carbon neutral ????
  ?????????????????

3. Kyoto Protocol
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3. Kyoto Protocol
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Kyoto Mechanisms ? ? ? ?

1. Joint Implementation (JI) international
   cooperation ????
2. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) new technology
   to cut emissions ??????
3. Emission Trading (ET) set ceiling to trade ????

3. Kyoto Protocol
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Carbon Market for Carbon dioxide emission trading
Carbon Tax ! ?? !
3. Kyoto Protocol
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http//en.cop15.dk/
Hopenhagen?

• In the US, the American Clean Energy Security
  Act (July 7, 2009 219gt212 in House of Commons)
  would charge carbon tax for all imports to US in
  2010. Beginning in 2012, emissions would be
  capped at 3 below 2005 levels increasing to 17
  below 2005 levels in 2020 and 83 below 2005
  levels in2050.
• In EU, the target is 20 or even 30 reduction in
  2020 of 1990 level !! Renewable energy targets
  at 20 share in 2020.
• In France, carbon tax of 14 euro per kg carbon
  dioxide to be charged in 1/1/2010.
• Low carbon business had expanded 75 in 2008
  during the economic tsunami.

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4.ACT NOW! ????
HK
Hong Kong is hotter than global trend in recent
years (since 90s)! ????????! ???? Why??
global
Leung et al., 2004. Climate Change in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Observatory Technical Note No.107.
HKSAR Government. 41 p.
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http//www.epd.gov.hk/epd/tc_chi/climate_change/fi
les/GHG_Emission_Trend_1990_2007.pdf
60 GHG Emission is from Power Stations
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PLEASE HELP ! ??? !!

• REDUCE CITY HEAT ? ? ? ? ? ? Use public
  transports, build less road and urban area, etc,
  to reduce heat island effect.
• LOW CARBON LIVING ? ? ? ? Live a low-carbon
  life and practice carbon neutral. Set targets
  for emission reduction to cut energy
  consumption (e.g. Stop using tungsten light bulb,
  etc). Start your carbon audit NOW.
• PLANT MORE TREES ? ? ? Conserve rural area and
  Plant more trees.

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Wedge Strategies
Reduction ????
Substitutions ? ? ? ?

• Nuclear energy
• Renewables (e.g. solar, wind, hydrogen)
• Biostorage (e.g. forest and soil storage)

• Efficiency (reduced miles traveled, increased
  building and electricity efficiency)
• Conservation (reduced transport with mass transit
  systems)
• Fossil-Fuel-Based fuel switching (natural gas),
  biogas, and carbon capture

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The Wedge Game
http//www.ctenergyeducation.com/images/Wedges_Con
cept_Game_Materials_July05.pdf
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Summary ??

• Carbon dioxide emission exceeds the normal range
  and is rising, together with global temperature
• ?????????????????
• The impacts are visible and the situation is
  getting worse ???????????
• We are causing global warming and we have to act
  on saving our planet earth! ?????????????????
• Fossil fuels are NOT unlimited, we need a
  sustainable energy policy carbon tax, carbon
  trading, nuclear energy, and renewable energy.
  ????????, ???????????? ??? ????? ?????????

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Discussions ? ?

1. Whats Carbon neutral ??????
2. What can we do to achieve Carbon neutral or
   carbon compensation ????????
3. Practicing wedge strategies (auditing) and low
   carbon living in your school/firm/organization/
   at home! ? ????????
4. Is carbon tax better than carbon trading?
   ??????????