I recently attended a lecture on global warming given by Bob Reiss, author of "The Coming Storm". I had hoped the presentation would be a thoughtful discussion of the issues, impact on our lives and options. Instead, we were treated to another presentation of anecdotal stories, (flooding in the Maldives, etc.), uninformed rants against major corporations (Exxon, in particular) and a call to write our elected officials. And, of course, there were the obligatory (but futile?) pleas to use energy efficient light bulbs, insulate our homes and buy hybrid vehicles.
Despite the good intentions of Al Gore and others, there still is too much emotion and vitriol permeating the discussion. As the clamor grows, I believe it is time for the discussion to shift from the possible causes of global warming to a more substantive discussion on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) and other Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. There is compelling, quantitative information on emission reductions from many resources, including: the Pew Center, USCAPS (an industry consortium including Alcoa, BP, Dupont, GE and other), the World Bank and the United Nations.
I am particularly intrigued by CAIT, the Climate Analysis Indicators Tool, offered by the World Resources Institute. As shown on their web page, Navigating the Numbers, they have presented some very interesting information in graphical format. In the first chart, Global Emissions of CO2 from Fossil Fuels, since 1940 such emissions have grown from under 5 billion tons of CO2 annually to over 25 billion tons in 2004. The second chart, World GHG (green house gas) Emissions Flow Chart, shows the industrial source and activity that created the GHG's.
From an engineering perspective, I am focusing my attention on reducing CO2 and GHG emissions because I (and CR4 readers) can make the most meaningful contribution there on both a personal and professional basis. And, while I appreciate that there are significant social, economic and political agendas, is it naïve to suggest that we all focus on reducing such emissions to levels found in the early part of the last century? Or, is it just that simple?
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