Spatiotemporal Monitoring of CO2 and CH4 over Pakistan Using Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 35-41
Author(s):  
Irfan Mahmood ◽  
Muhammad Farooq Iqbal ◽  
Muhammad Imran Shahzad ◽  
Ahmed Waqas ◽  
Luqman Atique
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Considerable Increase ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Atmospheric Concentration ◽  
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder ◽  
Radiative Balance ◽  
Atmospheric Concentrations

Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) are two most potent greenhouse gases and are major source of climate change. Human activities particularly fossil fuels burning have caused considerable increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. CO2contributes 60% of anthropogenic greenhouse effect whereas CH4contributes 15%. Ice core records also show that the concentrations of Carbon dioxide and methane have increased substantially. The emission of these gases alters the Earth’s energy budget and are drivers of climate change. In the present study, atmospheric concentration of CO2and CH4over Pakistan is measured using Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Time series and time averaged maps are prepared to measure the concentrations of CO2and CH4. The results show considerable increase in concentration of Carbon dioxide and methane. The substantial increase in these concentrations can affect human health, earth radiative balance and can damage crops.

scholarly journals Future CO2 Emissions and Climate Change from Existing Energy Infrastructure

Science ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 329 (5997) ◽  
pp. 1330-1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Davis ◽  
Ken Caldeira ◽  
H. Damon Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Infrastructure ◽  
Atmospheric Concentrations ◽  
Future Emissions ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Slowing climate change requires overcoming inertia in political, technological, and geophysical systems. Of these, only geophysical warming commitment has been quantified. We estimated the commitment to future emissions and warming represented by existing carbon dioxide–emitting devices. We calculated cumulative future emissions of 496 (282 to 701 in lower- and upper-bounding scenarios) gigatonnes of CO2 from combustion of fossil fuels by existing infrastructure between 2010 and 2060, forcing mean warming of 1.3°C (1.1° to 1.4°C) above the pre-industrial era and atmospheric concentrations of CO2 less than 430 parts per million. Because these conditions would likely avoid many key impacts of climate change, we conclude that sources of the most threatening emissions have yet to be built. However, CO2-emitting infrastructure will expand unless extraordinary efforts are undertaken to develop alternatives.

Soil and Climate Change

Earth Matters ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bardgett
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Intensive Farming ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Carbon Store

The world’s climate is changing. Not only is it getting warmer, but also there are more extreme weather events, such as droughts, storms, and catastrophic floods. Humans are undoubtedly the cause of this change in climate, through the burning of fossil fuels, intensive farming, deforestation, and many other aspects of our industrious lives that increase the emission of greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—to the atmosphere. In fact, over the past fifty years or so there has been an unprecedented increase in the release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and, unless measures are put in place to cap emissions, this trend is likely to continue. So what have soils got to do with climate change? Put simply, soils play a pivotal role because they act as both a source and sink for greenhouse gases, and any disruption of this balance will affect the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere and hence the global climate, potentially making the situation either better or worse. Perhaps the most powerful illustration of this concerns the carbon cycle. Soil is the Earth’s third largest carbon store, next to the oceans and deep deposits of fossil fuels, and together with vegetation it contains at least three times more carbon than the atmosphere. Many worry that climate change will destabilize these carbon stores by stimulating the soil organisms that break down soil organic matter, releasing vast quantities of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This could shift soils from being sinks to sources of this greenhouse gas, thereby accelerating climate change. Scientists call this carbon-cycle feedback, and we will revisit it later. Let’s begin with the main actors of climate change, the greenhouse gases. The most abundant and well-known greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. This gas is taken up from the atmosphere by plants through the process of photosynthesis, which occurs in the presence of light. Plants retain most of the carbon they take up and use it to grow and sustain their metabolism, but they also release a portion back to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide through respiration from both their shoots and roots.

The Scientific Evidence for Climate Change

Heat Advisory ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan H. Lockwood
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Atmospheric Concentration ◽  
Industrial Age ◽  
Instrumental Record ◽  
To Come ◽  
Time Frames ◽  
Global Surface

The instrumental record shows steadily rising global surface temperatures as the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases increased during the industrial age. Numerous complementary scientific techniques have shown clearly that these increases are due to human activity, notably burning fossil fuels. The instrumental record is complemented by proxy measurements that reliably document the earth’s temperature and the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide for hundreds of thousands, and in some cases, millions of years. Present conditions are unprecedented in those time frames. Without drastic reductions in the emission of carbon dioxide the worst is yet to come.

Spatiotemporal observations of CH4 and CO2 over Iraq using Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) data

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Faten Ganim Abed
Keyword(s):  
Considerable Increase ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Satellite Observation ◽  
Climate Forcing ◽  
Fossil Fuel Combustion ◽  
Average Increase ◽  
Atmospheric Concentration ◽  
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder ◽  
Radiative Balance ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the most important greenhouse gases and most important climate forcing agents due to their significant impact on climate, and their concentrations have been increased since the pre-industrial time by 150 and 40 % respectively, basically from fossil fuel combustion and land-use change emissions. In this research, the atmospheric concentration of CH4 and CO2 over Iraq is measured by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Time series and time-averaged maps were generated to study and analyse the distribution of CH4 and CO2 concentrations. The results show a significant increase of these two gases with an average increase (3.5 and 5.11 ppbv/ year ) in a rate of (2.69 % and 4 %) for CH4 at  SPL 925 hPa and 400 hPa, respectively ; the average increase of CO2 is (1.85 ppm/ year) represent (3.31%) for the whole period. The considerable increase of CH4 and CO2 concentration can affect human healthiness and earth radiative balance. Also, the Satellite observation of AIRS can efficiently show the spatiotemporal variations of CH4 and CO2 for the study area.

Hydrogen derived from water as a sustainable solar fuel: learning from biology

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 927-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Barber
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Human Society ◽  
International Agreement ◽  
Solar Fuel

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) held in Paris in 2015 and the follow-up conferences in Marrakesh (COP22) and very recently in Bonn (COP23) have established an unprecedented international agreement that during this century human society must break from its reliance on energy from fossil fuels to energy sources, which do not release greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide.

scholarly journals Zero Waste: An Innovation for Less Polluting Emission Processes, Resource Management Practices and Policies

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
C.H. Ekanem ◽  
H.E. Ekanem ◽  
F.D. Eyenaka ◽  
E.A. Isaiah
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
The Government

The rising levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the Earth’s atmosphere have the potential to cause changes in our climate. Some of these emission increases can be traced directly to solid waste. Landfills are among the largest emitters of carbon dioxide and methane, the key GHGs. Thus, effective mitigation of these emissions through formalization of waste reduction into the waste management system to reduce land filling could provide environmental benefits of reducing the adverse impacts of climate change. This paper therefore proposes waste prevention and recycling-jointly referred to as waste reduction as better and most potent strategies for the management of solid waste and for reducing greenhouse gases and calls on both the government and private agencies to check or control the increasing pollution or abuse of the environment by enforcing compliance with the laid out Policies, Pronouncements, Regulations and enacted Legislation especially in the developing countries. The study concludes that by choosing to prevent waste and recycle, less waste will be generated, the need for landfill will be minimal, energy demand will decrease, fewer fossil fuels will be burned and less methane and carbon dioxide will be emitted to the atmosphere which helps to curb climate change.

scholarly journals Sustainable healthcare – Time for ‘Green Podiatry’

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Margaret Evans
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Foot Health

Abstract Background Healthcare aims to promote good health and yet demonstrably contributes to climate change, which is purported to be ‘the biggest global health threat of the 21st century’. This is happening now, with healthcare as an industry representing 4.4% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Main body Climate change promotes health deficits from many angles; however, primarily it is the use of fossil fuels which increases atmospheric carbon dioxide (also nitrous oxide, and methane). These greenhouse gases prevent the earth from cooling, resulting in the higher temperatures and rising sea levels, which then cause ‘wild weather’ patterns, including floods, storms, and droughts. Particular vulnerability is afforded to those already health compromised (older people, pregnant women, children, wider health co-morbidities) as well as populations closer to equatorial zones, which encompasses many low-and-middle-income-countries. The paradox here, is that poorer nations by spending less on healthcare, have lower carbon emissions from health-related activity, and yet will suffer most from global warming effects, with scant resources to off-set the increasing health care needs. Global recognition has forged the Paris agreement, the United Nations sustainable developments goals, and the World Health Organisation climate change action plan. It is agreed that most healthcare impact comes from consumption of energy and resources, and the production of greenhouse gases into the environment. Many professional associations of medicine and allied health professionals are advocating for their members to lead on environmental sustainability; the Australian Podiatry Association is incorporating climate change into its strategic direction. Conclusion Podiatrists, as allied health professionals, have wide community engagement, and hence, can model positive environmental practices, which may be effective in changing wider community behaviours, as occurred last century when doctors stopped smoking. As foot health consumers, our patients are increasingly likely to expect more sustainable practices and products, including ‘green footwear’ options. Green Podiatry, as a part of sustainable healthcare, directs us to be responsible energy and product consumers, and reduce our workplace emissions.

scholarly journals Emission of Greenhouse Gases and Odorants from Pig Slurry - Effect on the Environment and Methods of its Reduction

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Marszałek ◽  
Zygmunt Kowalski ◽  
Agnieszka Makara
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Gaseous Pollutants ◽  
Pig Slurry ◽  
Heterogeneous Mixture ◽  
Liquid Fertilizer ◽  
Emission Of Greenhouse Gases

Abstract Pig slurry is classified as a natural liquid fertilizer, which is a heterogeneous mixture of urine, faeces, remnants of feed and technological water, used to remove excrement and maintain the hygiene of livestock housing. The storage and distribution of pig slurry on farmland affect the environment as they are associated with, among others, the emission of various types of gaseous pollutants, mainly CH4, CO2, N2O, NH3, H2S, and other odorants. Methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are greenhouse gases (GHGs) which contribute to climate change by increasing the greenhouse effect. Ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are malodorous gases responsible for the occurrence of odour nuisance which, due to their toxicity, may endanger the health and lives of humans and animals. NH3 also influences the increase of atmosphere and soil acidification. The article presents the environmental impact of greenhouse gases and odorous compounds emitted from pig slurry. Key gaseous atmospheric pollutants such as NH3, H2S, CH4, CO2 and N2O have been characterized. Furthermore, methods to reduce the emission of odours and GHGs from pig slurry during its storage and agricultural usage have been discussed.

The Threats to Food Security

2019 ◽  
pp. 61-84
Author(s):  
Gordon Conway ◽  
Ousmane Badiane ◽  
Katrin Glatzel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Farm Household ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change ◽  
Socioeconomic Challenges

This chapter explores threats to food security. It reveals many challenges arising from a range of threats external to the farm household, including severe biological threats from pests, disease, and weeds. Moreover, healthy, fertile soils are the cornerstone of food security and rural livelihoods, but African soils are degrading. Water is just as important for the productivity of plants, and lack of water leads to chronic and acute stress. Indeed, Africa is already battling the impacts of climate change. Rising temperatures and variable rainfall are increasing the exposure of smallholders to drought, famine, and disease. Agriculture is an important emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs), not only carbon dioxide but also such powerful gases as methane and nitrous oxide. In addition, there are often severe socioeconomic challenges, including unstable and high prices of basic commodities. Finally, conflicts cause disruption to food security.

Climate Change: What’s the Big Deal?

2019 ◽  
pp. 7-22
Author(s):  
Gilbert E. Metcalf
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Core Samples ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Climate Damages

Droughts, floods, soaring temperatures, sea-level rise, and melting ice are just some of the damages brought about by climate change. Chapter 1 details the cost of our failure to cut our emissions, from crop-destroying droughts to devastating floods. It also documents the inexorable build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as demonstrated by the Keeling curve and observations from Antarctic ice core samples. The chapter then provides a brief history of the science linking the build-up of atmospheric greenhouse gases and climate damages.

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