INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK
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Title: Solutions to Climate Change
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Date: Check the board!
Directions:
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1. Move through the slides and read them all.
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2. Make a tree map on the right side of your notebook to put the ideas into
categories. All the solutions need to be somewhere on the map.
Improved vehicle efficiency
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Using less gas = fewer
combustion pollutants
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Hybrids use friction
from breaking to charge
electric battery
“regenerative breaking”
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Computer switches
engine from gas to
electricity.
Electric vehicles – Volt, Tesla, Leaf
Technology solution: fuel choices
Burn low-sulfur coal
(anthracite)
 Gasification turns
solid coal to gas
before it is burned –
fewer particulates,
SOx
 Natural gas creates
½ CO2 of coal!!
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Fuel choices
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Using natural gas to produce
electricity instead of coal produces
½ the CO2
Fracking . . . .
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Major source of CH4 leaks.
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Flaring – when CH4 can’t be sold
profitably, it is flared off.
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Eagle Ford – since 2009 burned
billions of cubic feet of CH4 –
enough to heat 335,000
homes/yr

Need for pipelines/storage?
Switch to alternative energies!
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Wind power
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Solar power
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Hydro power
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Tidal power
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Geothermal heating and cooling
Energy Star appliances
HOW appliances and electronics are
used

Wash full loads

Wash coolest, quickest setting
possible

Shutting off appliances when not in
use

Avoiding ghost/vampire charges
Lighting options: Incandescent  CFL  LED!
Carbon sequestration
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CO2 can be injected to enhance oil
production, leaving CO2
underground

Does not have to be part of
secondary oil production – can just
be done to reduce atmospheric
CO2 concentration.
NRG plans to cut 90% of its carbon
emissions
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Petra Nova project at WA Parrish:
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Post-combustion carbon capture project.
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CO2 will travel 80 miles through a pipeline for use in secondary oil recovery
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“A response to pressure from consumers and investors, and cheaper wind and
solar plants.”
The divestment movement
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Individuals, universities and companies are dropping their investments in
fossil fuels to send an economic message. An incentive for energy companies
to move towards sustainables.
Three policy options
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Cap and Trade
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Carbon Tax
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Carbon offsets
Government actions
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Cap and Trade
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EPA sets total emissions for an area
(cap)
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Divides total by number of sources

Each source has permits to emit
their fair share

Extra permits can be sold or saved
(trade)
Carbon Tax

Adding tax to gasoline or other
fossil fuels would reduce their use
and bring in money to invest in
cleaner technologies
Sustainability.
It’s worth it.
Carbon Credits/Carbon offsets
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Individual or company pays extra money when they create CO2. The money
goes to a third company which plants trees or invests in clean technology
Which country is
producing the most
CO2?
Check out the interactive map on this site!
International cooperation
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Kyoto Protocol
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1997 – 161 nations
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Required developed nations to reduce GHG by 5% by 2012
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Developing nations not required to cut

Emissions trading created (carbon offsets)
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US, Australia, and Russia declined to participate
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Has now officially expired
International cooperation
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Last Fall – talks in Peru.
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2015 Paris – next international meeting
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November 2014 – US/China agreement to get serious about climate change
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Committed to working out 2015 plan
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US by 2025 will be 25% below 2005 CO2 levels
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China – peak fossil fuel emissions by 2030 and will derive 20% of energy from
sustainables by that point
From the US/China agreement:
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At the same time, economic evidence makes increasingly clear that smart
action on climate change now can drive innovation, strengthen economic
growth and bring broad benefits – from sustainable development to
increased energy security, improved public health and a better quality of
life. Tackling climate change will also strengthen national and
international security.
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Technological innovation is essential for reducing the cost of current
mitigation technologies, leading to the invention and dissemination of
new zero and low-carbon technologies and enhancing the capacity of
countries to reduce their emissions. The United States and China are two
of the world’s largest investors in clean energy and already have a robust
program of energy technology cooperation.
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Check out details in #8 in link from title!