Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Sources

2010:

1) Combustion of Fossil Fuels:Fossil Fuel + Oxygen = Carbon Dioxide + Water Vapour + Heat

3) Deforestation

2) Cement ProductionLimestone (CaCO3) + Clay or SiO2 heated to produce “clinker”

CO2

Combustion of fossil fuels: 8.7 Gigatonnes of carbon (109 kg C) Cement production: 0.4 Gigatonnes of carbon (109 kg C)

Cumulative emissions from 1850 to 2010:

Fossil fuel combustion + Cement Productions:365 Gigatonnes of carbon (109

kg C) Deforestation & land use emissions:

162 Gigatonnes of carbon (109 kg C) Today deforestation has contributed 1/3 of the problem

Tomorrow reforestation can contribute 1/3 of the solution

Land Use Change: 0.9 Gigatonnes of carbon (109 kg C)

Aerial photograph of part of the Amazon

Part of the Amazon in 1975

in 1975today

Fossil Fuel & Cement CO2 Emissions

Peters et al. 2011, Nature CC; Data: Boden, Marland, Andres-CDIAC 2011; Marland et al. 2009

Growth rate1990-1999

1% per year

Growth rate2000-2010

3.1% per year

Growth rate20105.9% yr

Growth rate2009

-1.3% per year

+-

Trends in Emissions

Trends in Emissions

Trends in Emissions

Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions (Production and Consumption)

Peters et al. 2011, Nature CC

CO2 Emissions by Fossil Fuel Type

Updated from Le Quéré et al. 2009, Nature Geoscience; Data: Boden, Marland, Andres-CDIAC 2011

Time (y)

3

4

2

1

0

Oil 34%

Coal 41%

Gas

Cement

20101990 2000

CO

2 e

mis

sion

s (P

gC

y-1)

• USA has produced ~30% of total cumulative anthropogenic CO2

emissions since 1900 with only 4.5% of the global population!

Combustion: Fuel + Oxygen = Carbon Dioxide + Water Vapour + Heat

The Path to Decarbonization

C

CCC

CC

CC

CC

CCC

CC

C

CCC

CC

C

C

C

H H

H

H

H

H

HH

H

H

H

H

Coal C/H = 2.0Coal C/H = 2.0

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

H H

Oil C/H = 0.5Oil C/H = 0.5

C

H

H

C

H

H

C

H

H

H H

Propane C/H = 0.375Propane C/H = 0.375

C

H

H

H H

Methane C/H = 0.25Methane C/H = 0.25

H H

Hydrogen C/H = 0Hydrogen C/H = 0

• Not only less CO2 produced with decreasing C/H but more energy too.

Trends in Emissions

Trends in Emissions

Trends in Emissions

Updated from Le Quéré et al. 2009, Nature Geoscience

CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuel (FF) and Land Use Change (LUC) (1960-2010)

Current LUC emissions~10% of total CO2 emissions

Emissions from Land Use Change (1850-2010)

R.A. Houghton 2010, personal communication; GFRA 2010

-400-200

0200400600800

10001200140016001800

1850

1860

1870

1880

1890

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

Tropical

Temperate

CO

2 e

mis

sion

s (T

gC

y-1)

Time (y)

Emissions from Land Use Change (1850-2010)

R.A. Houghton 2010, personal communication; GFRA 2010

-200

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1850

1860

1870

1880

1890

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

Latin AmericaS & SE Asia

Tropical Africa

CO

2 e

mis

sions

(Tg C

y-1)

Time (y)

Trends in Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

Trends in Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

Anthropogenic Radiative Forcing

Anthropogenic Radiative Forcing