Global Warming: Technical Solutions

global Warming Technical SolutionsEvaluate the Technological Solutions open to Ameliorate world(a) WarmingIntroduction orbicular melt has been turn up to be the send ensue of anthropogenic ca dos or man-made interventions with nature. scratch line with the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th Century, technologies gather in been actual that resulted in the accumulation of glasshouse sploshes in the atmosphere which trap the suns radiant expertness. This enhanced babys room effect gradually raises the earths surface temperatures and is projected to create irregular purlieual conditions, namely the melt down of polar ice caps, rising of sea level, profound agricultural changes resulting from clime change, extinction of species, abnormal weather conditions, increased incidence of tropical diseases, disappearance of ecological niches and disruption of drinking water supply, ( planetary Warming, 2004).Since global warming finishers a great potential to create catastrop hic effectuate on the environment as a whole, it be ascends a global issue, requiring the involvement of the whole worldwide community in finding ways to ameliorate its adverse effects, (B disseminated, 2006). Global greenhouse gas emissions that atomic number 18 ca utilize global warming come from different sectors. Figure I below shows the global greenhouse gas emissions by sector information drop off use change and forestry chip in the highest greenhouse gas emission rate (19%) followed by electricity (16%) gardening (14%) transport (13%) other fuel burning at the stake (11%) manufacturing and construction (10%) godforsaken (4%) and industrial (3%) and combine heat and reason (3%). The pew Center on Global temper vary (Undated, p. 1) asserts that be give birth thither atomic number 18 so many sources of these gases, there ar also many options for decrease emission.This paper evaluates the accessible practiced solutions to ameliorate global warming by presentin g the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Moreover, much(prenominal) solutions impart be presented on a sectoral basis, starting with land use, forestry and agriculture followed by electricity, and finally by the transportation sector.Land Use, Forestry and Agriculture Sector engineeringLand use and forestry engine room includes blow copy accountancy, requisition, and biofuel takings.1. Carbon Accounting and requisitionAccording to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC (2000), nose stoogedy stock enhancement from land use, land use change and forestry activities ar reversible and therefore require c arful accounting. Carbon accounting engineering science, which involves land- ground accounting and activity based accounting, issues accurate and transparent data on carbon stocks and/or changes in greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sink. These data are required to assess compliance with the commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. Moreover, carbon accounting will help determine relevant carbon pools that suffer be used in the production of an alternative source of fuel, such(prenominal) as biofuels. Changes in carbon stocks can be technically determined with the use of activity data, remote-sensing techniques, models derived from statistical analysis, flux measurement, soil sampling and ecological surveys. However, the greet of carbon accounting increases as precision and landscape heterogeneity increases, (IPCC, 2000). As a result of careful carbon accounting, excess carbon can then be captured or sequestered in order to be utilized as fuel source. An example of carbon sequestration applied science is the Integrated Gasification and bring in Cycle Process or IGCC, which allows for easy sequestration of carbon for yen term memory in underground geological formations. However, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change (Undated), cautions that shape up research is needed to test the viability of braggart (a) scale underground storage of carbon in a long term scale.2. Biofuel TechnologyBiofuel production or biomass gasification ensures lower greenhouse gas emission levels by converting waste wood and biomass into biofuels that could supercede fossil fuels. The report of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change (Undated, p. 4), maintains that agricultural lands can be of late-rooted with carbon-dioxide fixing trees that can be used for fuel production. This will result to land use changes that whitethorn have multiple indirect benefits such as improvement of soil, air and water quality and increase in wildlife habitat. However, study findings suggest that the cultivation of corn and soybeans for biofuel production produces adverse environmental impacts, such as the leaching of pesticides and newton and phosphorus from fertilizers into water options, (Manuel, 2007). Moreover, biofuels are from two to four times more expensive than fossil fuels and are not believed to compete well i n the marketplace. For example, a fuel address comparison indicates that while natural gas could be refined for 15 to 16 cents per lambert (in the late 1980s), the terms of biofuels ranged from an average of about 30 cents per liter (for m neutral spirits derived from biomass) to 63 cents per liter (for ethanol derived from beets in the United Kingdom), (Barbier et al. 1991, p. 142 cited in Johansen, 2002, p. 266).Electricity Sector TechnologyAccording to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change Report (Undated), office plants and coal combustion that supply electric agent account for the greenhouse gas emissions on the electricity sector. Technological solutions available for this sector to address global warming include1. Integrated Gasification and feature Cycle ProcessThe Integrated Gasification and Combined Cycle Process or IGCC, is a authority generation technology that improves the efficacy of electric power and heat generation with the use of a combination of fossil fuels and renewable talent. It enables clean gas production and the decline in carbon dioxide emissions with the use of high performance gas turbines, (Abela, et al., 2007). Moreover, air pollutants such as particulate matter, sulphur, nitrogen and mercury are removed from the gasified coal before combustion, (Abela, et al., 2007). However, the major disadvantage of using this technology is its high cost of operation, which is about 20% more than the operating cost of a traditional coal plant, (Wikipedia, undated).2. Renewable Energy SourcesRenewable energy sources such as the wind, solar and water can produce electricity without releasing greenhouse gases and are thus important in the improvement of global warming.a. Wind PowerWind power technology harnesses the power of the wind which is an indirect form of solar power, to supply energy. Some have propeller type devices, while others have vertical axis designs, which occupy the ability to accept wind from any direction. Accor ding to Elliott (2003), wind power is already an essential source of energy and that in 2002, the total generating capacitor has reached 24,000 megawatts, with costs decreasing significantly with technology development. However, this technology often has large space requirements, due to the need of the wind turbines to be grouped unitedly in wind farms, in order to facilitate sharing of connections to the power grid. Moreover, there should be a separation of about 5 to 15 blade diameters between individual wind turbines, in order to keep back turbulent interactions in wind farm arrays , (Elliott, 2003, p. 135).b. Solar Power effulgent energy can be captured and utilized to generate electricity which may be used to operate solar batteries or may be transmitted along normal transmission lines. Radiant energy is quiet in a photovoltaic cell, which is a bimetallic unit that allows direct conversion of sunlight to electricity. The only drawback of utilizing photovoltaic cells is its high cost. However, recent developments in the semiconductor industry have significantly brought down prices, (Elliott, 2003, p.132). Electric power generation has also been accomplished with the use of big solar heat-concentrating mirrors and parabolical troughs and dishes that track the sun across the sky and focus its rays so as to raise steam, (Elliott, 2003, p130), and consequently produce electricity. One major disadvantage of using solar power technology is that it works only during the day and requires galvanic storage mechanisms at night. Additionally, radiant heat is insufficient in mothy regions and in areas with extensive cloudy periods, resulting in low amount of energy collection.c. Water PowerHydropower is the worlds biggest renewable source of energy. It is deemed as one of the most acceptable and cleanest technologies whereby a unit of water produces hydropower cumulatively by passing through the turbines of many dams along the descent of a river, (Gibbons, 1986, p. 86). According to Elliott (2003, p. 151), there is around 650 GW of installed capacity in place, mostly in 300 large projects. However, in recent years, there have been accessible and environmental concerns about large hydros, and some new projects have met with rivalry. Its adverse environmental impacts include the destruction of large areas of natural plant life and agricultural land for water storage biodiversity loss, flooding and displacement of population, (Elliott, 2003).3. geothermic PowerGeothermal power is not considered a renewable resource when used at rates of extraction greater than their natural replenishment. With sustainable use, however, geothermal power can be effectively harnessed to provide electricity. Geothermal energy comes from the heat of the earth and can be categorize into geopressured, magma, hydrothermal and hot dry rock, (Wright, 2002, p. 362). According to Hobbs (1995, cited in Wright, 2002, p. 362), commercial operations are mostly in the fo rm of hydrothermal systems where wells are about 2000 metres deep with reservoir temperatures of 180 to 270C. Although geothermal systems produce less than 0.2 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by coal or oil-fired plant, they also emit non-condensable gases such as small quantities of sulphur dioxide, methane, heat content sulphide, nitrogen and heat content. Additionally, such systems cause induced seismicity and ground subsidence. They are also capital-intensive investments that require financial and technical assistance, (Wright, 2002, p. 362).Transport System TechnologyThe transportation sector has one of the highest greenhouse gas emissions rate, after land use and forestry, electricity and agriculture sectors. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change (Undated), recommends the use of off the shell technologies that are currently available in the market, which significantly deoxidize greenhouse gas emissions of customary cars and trucks. These off the shell technologies focus on increasing energy efficiency, fuel blending and the use of advanced diesels and hybrids. Additionally, long term technological options to precipitate greenhouse gas emissions are straight gradually being developed which include the use of biofuels, electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells.a. Fuel BlendingFuel blending involves the mixing of ethanol and other biofuels with gasoline to produce more-environment friendly fuels. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change (Undated, p. 4), asserts that corn-based ethanol can reduce greenhouse emissions to at least 30% for each gallon of regular gasoline that it replaces.b. Diesels and HybridsDiesel and hybrid engines offer subtle fuel economy and overall fuel efficiency. However, they also emit air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulates. unseasoneder diesel engine models, however, use very sophisticated fuel-injection systems, which result in vehicles that have better acceleration with reduced emissions, vibration , and noise, (Doyle, 2000, p. 383). Moreover, because diesels and hybrids afford excellent fuel economy, they use less gas on a per nautical mile basis, thereby producing less greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional cars and trucks. When both technologies are feature in a diesel hybrid vehicle, it can afford a 65-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per mile, (Green and Schafer, 2003 cited in The Pew Center on Global Climate Change Undated, p.6).c. BiofuelsAs previously mentioned, biofuels offer cleaner emissions than regular gasoline. Agricultural and forest products can be processed to produce ethanol that may be combined with gasoline and enable significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Corn-based, cellulosic and sugar-cane-based ethanols have been proven to significantly reduce emissions, (The Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Undated).d. Electric VehiclesElectric vehicles offer cleaner emissions by reducing the amount of pollutant and greenhou se gas release in the air. They release 30 percent less hydrocarbons and 15 percent less nitrogen oxides than conventional vehicles, (Doyle, 2000, p. 289). In the past, electric cars needed advances in battery storage. Thus, the plug-in hybrid was developed in order to solve the battery storage problem. The plug-in hybrid is a gas- electric vehicle that can be charged at home base overnight, (The Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Undated).e. atomic number 1 Fuel CellsHydrogen fuel cells produce power by cartel oxygen with hydrogen to create water, (The Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Undated, p.6). Hydrogen is obtained from natural gas by reforming and is combined with oxygen that is readily available in the air, which generates electricity continuously. The fuel cells replace combustion turbines in integrated cycles, resulting in increased fuel efficiency of 46-55 percent. However, there is a need to find ways to produce hydrogen with minimal emissions, (The Pew Center o n Global Climate Change, Undated). cultivationA careful analysis of the global greenhouse gas emissions by sector is essential in identifying the needed technological solutions to help check out or reduce gas emissions. By focusing the effort to reduce emissions of the higher contributing sectors, the overall efforts to address global warming effects can be effectively channeled. Thus, it is imperative to focus on the available technologies that address the adverse effects of global warming on the pursual sectors land use and forestry, electricity, agriculture and transport. In its comprehensive report on technological solutions for mood change amelioration, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change (Undated, p.2), claims that there is no single, silver bullet technology that will deliver the reductions in emissions that are needed to protect the mood. It further recommends the integration of a portfolio of solutions wherein the identification of useful technologies should be based on the analysis of key economic sectors. Moreover, it suggests that policy makers should prioritize the universe of discourse of incentives that will release the power of the marketplace in developing solutions. In the final analysis, further research and development of more exact and cost-effective portfolio of technologies that ameliorate global warming effects must be advocated.ReferencesAbela, M., Bonavita, N., Martini, R., 2007. advanced(a) process control at an integrated gasification combined cycle plant. procurable from http//library.abb.com/GLOBAL/SCOT/scot267.nsf/VerityDisplay/62CF14177B1A39D2852572FB004B4EB3/$File/AC2%20ISAB_ABB.pdf. Accessed 11 August 2007.Baird, S. L., 2006. Climate Change A Runaway Train? The Human Species Has Reshaped Earths Landscapes on an Ever-Larger and Lasting Scale. The Technology Teacher, 66(4), 14+Doyle, J. 2000. Taken for a Ride Detroits Big Three and the Politics of Pollution. New York Four Walls Eight Windows.Elliott, D., 2003. Energy, S ociety Environment. New York Routledge.Gibbons, D. C., 1986. The Economic Value of Water. Washington, DC Resources for the Future.Global Warming. 2004. In the Columbia Encyclopedia (6th Ed.). 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