To get an idea of what we use fossil fuels for or what they are, the components of a 42 gallon barrel of oil are broken up as such - 44.9% vehicle gasoline, 29.8% heating oil and diesel fuel, 20.5% other materials (chemical manufacturing, synthetic rubbers and plastics), 9.5% jet fuel, 2.0% asphalt. We need to keep our carbon budget to 565 gigatonnes or 72ppm. In order to achieve this we need to keep 4/5 of our known, available coal, oil and reserves untouched; that's 2,795 gigatonnes or 378ppm. This will not come easy.
The Paris Agreement is already in place to establish a warming cap at 1.5C-2C, however this is merely a guideline or suggestion. Countries need to actually start doing something. Things that need immediate action to reduce our fossil fuel emissions include invest in renewable energy sources, improve vehicle fuel efficiency, place limits on allowed carbon emissions by big polluters, reduce, tropical deforestation, build a clean energy economy.
"Scary scorecard: catastrophic climate change 400, humanity zero. Listen to the scientists, vote wisely, beat carbon addiction and put humanity into the game.”
-Dr. William Patzert
Reseach Oceanographer
We use fossil fuels for so much. After reading other posts about transitioning to alternative energy it really makes this look like a very drawn out process. What is concerning is that we are already over 350ppm.
ReplyDeleteI agree with kaitlin. If we had started this transition decades ago it wouldn't be so bad. Even with the technology it simply takes so long to make the transition to alternative energy sources. Seeing that we are already passed 400ppm there is very little time left to respond.
ReplyDeleteI agree that our main contribution to climate change is our use of fossil fuels. The facts are simple, we need a change now. Alternative energy like solar and wind need to be pushed more into our daily lives. Lets hope that the guild lines set by the Paris agreement will become a reality!
ReplyDeleteI really like the pie charts that show where our oil is coming from. I tend to focus on the auto industry and electricity supply when thinking about the causes of global warming but after reading your article it has reminded me that creating synthetic rubbers and plastics is also a large factor.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what these pie charts would look like if the money invested in extracting and refining oil and coal would be enough to just power the U.S. with solar and wind technology? The investment isn't coming from our wealthier companies which seems like a problem for the whole "trick down economics" thing the Bush administration tried to convince us of. Hopefully big companies like Exxon and Royal Dutch Shell will invest in these technologies or get left behind if not.
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