PUP-3002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Weaning, Global Warming Potential, Oil Sands
Document Summary
Concepts: greenhouse gas, greenhouse efect, kyoto protocol, caf standards, keystone xl pipeline. A gas in the atmosphere that absorbs radiaion, thus trapping heat and warming the earth. Four main ghg"s: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor (clouds) Thermal radiaion is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases and re-radiated: warming. As ghgs accumulate in the atmosphere, more energy is trapped, cannot escape to outer space. If we put ghgs in the atmosphere, the world will warm. Where do ghgs come from: all life forms are carbon based. Oil, methane: land use and deforestaion release addiional co2 that was formally trapped. Treaty signed in kyoto, japan: an extension of un framework convenion on climate change (unfccc) Sets carbon dioxide emissions targets for each country: not raiied by the us. No real enforcement mechanism (weren"t any consequences for not doing this: litle to show in terms of results.
