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an estimate of maximum thermogenic methane leakage in order of 10-3 Tg/yr. Applying the
results to a global scale shows that thermal gas generation in hydrocarbon, single process
kitchen area would not influence climate (227). On the other hand, only the sudden release of
surface methane accumulations, formed over geological time scales, petroleum systems can
The following chemical equations demonstrate the production of each (Global Climate
Nature Contributions
According to Holli Riebeek, the author of “Global Warming,” nature also contribute to
climate change by emitting CO2 from volcanos. Don Wuebbles, a coordinating lead author and
Change (IPCC), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, and a Professor of
to release CO2 many millions years ago. Back where dinosaurs existed, we had levels of CO2
that is approximately similar to what we have now because of the CO2 emitted by volcanos.
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But, volcanos release a small amount of CO2 and they can’t explain the increase of CO2 that we
Volcanos do contribute to climate change by emitting CO2. However, the amount of CO2
they emit is relatively small if we compare it to the amount of CO2 that is being released by
human activities. According to NASA, on average, volcanoes emit between 130 and 230 million
tons of CO2 per year. However, by burning fossil fuels, people release in excess of 100 times
more, about 26 billion tons of CO2, into the atmosphere every year (as of 2005) (rIEBEEK).
Human Contributions
on fossil fuels for our energy needs (Riebeek). Wuebbles said, “A large amount of climate
change happens widely because we are burning fossil fuels and that increases gases such as
CO2, methane, and some other gases in the atmosphere” (phone interview). According to the
Australian Greenhouse Office, the world depends on fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural
gas for 80% of its energy needs. Therefore, that makes it very hard to switch from fossil fuels to
any other forms of energy because we depend on fossil fuels to a large degree. The emission of
greenhouse gases has increased dramatically from the industrial revolution, mostly from the
burning of fossil fuels for energy, agriculture, industrial process, and transportation (Ecological
Impacts of Climate Change). The graph on the next page shows how much CO2 and methane
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2. Green Buildings
Existed buildings emit CO2 because of their dependence on fossil fuels for energy from
live and work account for 30% of all greenhouse gases emissions in the United States (Energy–
Efficient Buildings). Using light bulbs that use less energy and more efficient heating and cooling
systems helps in reducing the amount of CO2 that is being emitted from the buildings (Energy–
Efficient Buildings). Therefore, that reduces our dependency on fossil fuel for electricity
For instance, the Empire State Building in New York went through renovations to improve
energy efficiency. The renovations have reduced energy usage by 38% and save 4.4 million
3. Methane Leaks
As it has been mentioned above, that Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to
the progress of climate change. Natural gas and petroleum systems are also considered, among
the main sources of methane emission. Upgrading the equipment used in transferring, storing,
and producing oil and gas can limit methane leaks (Overview of Greenhouse Gases).
for Efficient CO2 Capture and Conversion” there have been two ways developed to try to solve
the excess amount of CO2 that is being released from using fossil fuels. Both solutions are
aimed to capture CO2 from the air and turn it into a usable material. The first solution is called
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chemical absorption (79). Using amine-ammonia aqueous solution to capture as much CO2 as
possible. The process is done by an absorber and a stripper. First, the gas containing CO 2 flows
through a tube or a pipe and it contacts a CO2 absorbent that is flowing in the opposite
direction. After absorption, the absorbent that is filled with CO2 flows into a stripper for
thermal regeneration. According to Yu, Cheng-Hsiu, Chih-Hung Huang, and Chung-Sung Tan in
“A Review of CO2 Capture by Absorption and Adsorption” the pure CO2 that has been released
are compressed for transportation and storage (746). However, the process’s high cost of
regeneration, toxicity, the corrosion of equipment, and its low capacity to capture CO2 are
Li, Bo Zou, Changwen in “Nitrogen-doped Porous Carbon Nanofiber Webs for Efficient
CO2 Capture and Conversion” also stated, the second solution is called adsorption. Several solid
adsorbents have been developed to better capture CO2 such as zeolites, mesoporous silica,
However, carbon based materials are the most efficient because of low cost, wide availability,
thermal and chemical stability, large specific surface area and pore volume, easy-to-design pore
structure, surface functionalization and low energy consumption for regeneration. However, it
has low capacity to capture CO2.These solid adsorbents can better capture CO2 by either
Conclusion
Climate change is a problem that is facing our planet and it has progressed a lot after
the industrial revolution. The emission of greenhouse gases has accelerated the progress of
climate change and made our weather more intense. However, the world’s dependence on
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fossil fuel for energy, transportation, and manufacturing have created a major obstacle for us to
switch to renewable energy. I would like to conclude with what Dr. Wuebbles mentioned
regarding the solutions that have been developed to prevent climate change from progressing,
he said, “We need to transfer our energy to renewable energy. Also, one of the things we must
do is to adapt to the changes that occurred and will occur. We need to prevent any future
changes from happening, but adaptation is a major thing we need to do” (Phone interview).
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