Temperature Change

2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100

Description

Click an item name (coal, oil, natural gas, ect.) to learn more about how that factor affects temperature. COAL is the most harmful fossil fuel in terms of carbon emissions, as well as in air pollutants that cause severe health impacts. Discourging coal, by taxing it, is a high leverage strategy for reducing future temperature change. A government imposed coal tax" would keep coal in the ground, increases the cost of energy, and reduces energy demand. OIL is a widely used fossil fuel. Governments can impose limits on oil drilling and exploration, removing subsidies, and taxing oil. When a steep oil tax is the only action implemented, you will not see a dramatic change in temperature, as coal and natural gas demand increases in response, offsetting any large reduction of temperature. NATURAL GAS is a fossil fuel that is used for electricity, heating, and industry. When burned, it releases carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere, increasing global temperatures. If gas is taxed, in absence of other policies, primary energy demand for natural gas decreases, but high-carbon coal and oil demand increases slightly. BIOENERGY is energy produced from the burning, or combustion, of living organic material such as wood, algae, or agricultural crops. Government incentives, research, and investment into new technologies that can produce new forms of biofuels, and vehicles and industry that can use or support these biofuels. RENEWABLE ENERGY includes wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower, and other technologies that produce energy with little to no carbon dioxide emissions. While governments tax incentives and continued research can help limit coal and gas demand, it will take time for the subsidies and encouragement of renewables to show up in installed capacity. NUCLEAR POWER does not release carbon dioxide, but it produces harmful nuclear waste. Government and corporate efforts aimed at handling nuclear waste would reduce costs of nuclear power. While it is not a huge driver of future temperatures, nuclear does compete with the growth of renewables and new zero-carbon technology. NEW ZERO-CARBON TECH Some speculate that a breakthrough in a brand-new cheap source of electricity that does not emit greenhouse gases could be nuclear or thorium-based fission. While this technology would literally be a world-changer, its potential is severely hampered by the long amount of time it takes new technologies to scale up. CARBON PRICING would make energy sources more expensive depending on how much carbon dioxide they release, or enact a clean electricity standard or emissions performance standard. This is a high leverage strategy, as it both reduces the carbon intensity of the energy supply and reduces the overall energy demand. ENERGY EFFICIENCY includes things like hybrid cars, expanded public transport, and ways that people can get around using less energy. Adopting more energy efficient practices, such as cycling and walking, would result in lower temperatures, improved air quality, public transportation services, and many other beneficial changes. ELECTRIFICATION Using electric motors for transport helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution if the electricity is from low-carbon sources. Research and investment into electric vehicle technology would only slightly change temperature because the world would still theoretically be dependent on coal and natural gas for electric power. ENERGY EFFICIENCY includes things like building well-insulated homes and reducing the amount of energy factories use. Energy efficient practices can save money through reduced energy needs as well as improve the health of people in those buildings. This makes it a high leverage strategy to mitigate emission and a future temperature increase. ELECTRIFICATION Using electric motors only helps reduce emissions if the electricity is from low-carbon sources like solar and wind. Increasing public interest for replacing oil and gas heating furnaces, as well as development into various electric motors and systems would help relate oil and gas fired menstrual facilities. POPULATION GROWTH is a key driver of increased greenhouse gases; however, this is also tied heavily to consumption habits. Women’s education and access to family planning could accelerate shifts to smaller families worldwide. Contrary to some people’s beliefs, population growth is not a silver bullet for addressing climate change. ECONOMIC GROWTH is measured in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person and is a key driver in energy consumption. Alternatives exist to meeting people’s needs through economic frameworks not based on constant GDP growth. Global efforts to reduce overconsumption would be a high level approach to avoid future temperature increases. DEFORESTATION often entails burning and removing forests to clear land for crops like soybeans, corn, or palm oil. Forest protection efforts increase biodiversity and can support community resilience. Government policy to preserve forested land is low leverage for the climate, because the influence from energy CO2 emissions is so dominant. METHANE & OTHER are released from sources like cows, agriculture, natural gas drilling, and waste. Decreased meat consumption, modified practices in the agricultural industry, and continued research are approaches for reducing methane, nitrous oxide (from fertilizers), and F-gas emissions (includes HFCs PFCs). AFFORESTATION As trees grow, they draw carbon out of the air, which reduces the concentration of carbon dioxide. However, without care, large-scale afforestation can compromise biodiversity and historical land rights. Growing more trees boosts global removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, as photosynthesis pulls carbon into biomass and soils. TECHNOLOGICAL CARBON REMOVAL Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies include: direct air capture, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), biochar, and others. While CDR technologies face significant barriers to deployment, they have great potential to pull significant amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.