Ecology and Carbon Management

7/31/2019 Ecology and Carbon Management

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Ecology

Ecology is the scientific study of interactions of organisms with one another and with the

physical and chemical environment. It involves interactions among organisms, and the

interactions between organisms and the transformation and flux of energy and matter. Ecology

involves everything around us like pollution, Natural Science, Forestry, Agriculture, etc. Today

Earths population is increasing rapidly and we are in serious danger of surpassing the earths

resources that we need for our long-term survival. Also, social, economic and political factors

often influence the short-term distribution of resources needed by a specific human

population. An understanding of ecological principles can help us understand the global and

regional consequences of competition among humans for the scarce natural resources that

support us.

Carbon Emissions

Every time we burn fossil fuels such as gas, coal or oil, carbon dioxide is released into the

atmosphere. In a natural carbon cycle, carbon dioxide is re-absorbed by plants and trees.

Because of burning fuels where the carbon dioxide has been trapped under the earth's surface

for millions of years, and we're doing it so quickly that plants and trees that are alive now have

no chance of soaking it up. Below are the comparative World Map of Carbon emissions by

individual nations.

Points to be observed from the above world map are-
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions_world_map_deobfuscated.png


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1) China (23.3%) contributed the maximum to Carbon Emission followed by USA (18%),European Union (14%) and India (5.78%).

2) A comparison between 2005 and 2008 data shows that India has climbed up from the7

thplace to the 4

th.

3) Countries in the top 10 contributors USA, Germany, Canada and Russia have shownencouraging signs by decreasing their carbon emissions.

Today reducing or controlling the carbon emission is one of the most important topics of

discussion for ecologist around the globe especially in the developed and developing nations.

Viewing the larger picture below graph represents the growing emission of Carbon Dioxide in

last three decades.

Carbon Footprint

The measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, climate change is called the

carbon footprint. It is measured in units of tones (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent produced

by each and every individual by burning fossil fuels for daily consumption such as electricity,

travelling, cooking etc. Below shown is a pie chart of a typical persons daily contribution to

production of the Greenhouse gases.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Carbon_Dioxine_Emissions_from_Consumption_in_China.png


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The two types of carbon footprints are as follows:

1) The primary footprint is the direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels for

domestic energy consumption and transportation like car and plane. We have direct control

over these factors and if aware each individual can contribute by saving energy.

2) The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle

of products we use - those associated with their manufacturer and eventual breakdown.

Basically, the more we buy the more emissions will be caused on our behalf.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is like a 3-Legged stool. You chop off one leg and the whole stool is

imbalanced. Sustainable development is a growth model that helps to ensure social equity and

economic progress while preserving resources and ecosystems.


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Threats to sustainable development - environmental imbalances

There are numerous threats to the environmental balance in nature. Some of the macro factors

can be-

1) Depleting Forest Cover: Due to various uses of wood (as fuel, paper etc) and expandinghuman civilization forest cover across the globe has shown a serious decrease over the

last few decades. Below shown is the data of how Forest cover has depleted in last two

decades.

2) Increasing Consumption of Water: Increase in consumption of water demands increase

in quantity of water required to be recycled. Below data represents the projected

consumption based on present trend.

3) Population Explosion

4) Inequality in Income: Rich getting richer and poor getting poorer Inequalities in

income has given a way to one section of society dominating over the other.


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5) Rapid Industrialization: This is leading to pollution which is damaging the habitat on

land, at sea and in our backyards; all life depends on habitat quality

6) Depletion of Nonrenewable resources like fossils fuels like oil, coal etc which once used

are gone forever will lead to a energy crunch across the globe.

Solutions-at global level

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change. The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets

binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions .These amount to an average of five per cent against

1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012.

The major distinction between the Protocol and the Convention is that while the

Convention encouraged industrialised countries to stabilize GHG emissions, the Protocol

commits them to do so.

Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high

levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial

activity, the Protocol places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of

common but differentiated responsibilities.

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into

force on 16 February 2005. The detailed rules for the implementation of the Protocol were

adopted at COP 7 in Marrakesh in 2001, and are called the Marrakesh Accords.

The Kyoto mechanisms are:

1) Emissions Trading: Emissions trading, as set out in Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol,

allows countries that have emission units to spare - emissions permitted them but not

"used" - to sell this excess capacity to countries that are over their targets. Thus, a new

commodity was created in the form of emission reductions or removals. Since carbondioxide is the principal greenhouse gas, people speak simply of trading in carbon.

Carbon is now tracked and traded like any other commodity. This is known as the

"carbon market."

2) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM),defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, allows a country with an emission-reduction or

emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to implement an emission-

reduction project in developing countries. Such projects can earn saleable certified

emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2, which can be


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counted towards meeting Kyoto targets. Example of CDM project: Electrification project

using solar panels or the installation of more energy-efficient boilers.

3) Joint Implementation (JI) : The mechanism known as joint implementation, defined inArticle 6 of the Kyoto Protocol, allows a country with an emission reduction or limitation

commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to earn emission reduction units (ERUs) from anemission-reduction or emission removal project in another party, each equivalent to

one tonne of CO2, which can be counted towards meeting its Kyoto target. Joint

implementation offers Parties a flexible and cost-efficient means of fulfilling a part of

their Kyoto commitments, while the host Party benefits from foreign investment and

technology transfer.

Indias Stand on Kyoto Protocol

India's prioritizing the continuation of emission reduction targets for developed countries

under the Kyoto Protocol at the meeting of the 17 major economies, which account for the bulkof global emissions, is significant. In the past, the MEF has provided the informal forum for

working out negotiating compromises and sought to resolve tricky issues in the global climate

change negotiations. Economic Times, 19th

September, 2011

Other Solutions-agreements that emerged in last five years are as follows:

1) Washington Declaration(February 2007): G8+5 group of leaders agreed in principle to a

global cap-and-trade system that would apply to both industrialized nations

and developing countries.

2) 33rd G8 Summit: G8 summit issued a non-binding communication announcing that theG8 nations would "aim to at least halve global CO2 emissions by 2050".

3) 2007 UN general assembly plenary debate: United Nations General Assembly opened

its first-ever plenary session devoted exclusively to climate change, which also included

prominent scientists and business leaders. UN launched its new climate change web

site detailing its activities relating to global warming.

4) 2007 Vienna Climate Change Talks & Agreement: Talks on a United Nations report that

showed how energy efficiency could yield significant cuts in emissions at low cost.

5) Washington Conference (September 2007): Major industrialized and developing

countries (+5 along with South Africa, South Korea, Australia, and Indonesia) wereinvited by George Bush.

6) 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen: It recognizes the scientific case

for keeping temperature rises below 2C, but does not contain commitments for

reduced emissions that would be necessary to achieve that aim.


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References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions

http://www.climate-connect.co.uk/Home/

http://www.kyotoprotocol.com/

http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-19/news/30175768_1_second-

commitment-period-kyoto-protocol-legally-binding-agreement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissionshttp://www.climate-connect.co.uk/Home/http://www.climate-connect.co.uk/Home/http://www.kyotoprotocol.com/http://www.kyotoprotocol.com/http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.phphttp://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.phphttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-19/news/30175768_1_second-commitment-period-kyoto-protocol-legally-binding-agreementhttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-19/news/30175768_1_second-commitment-period-kyoto-protocol-legally-binding-agreementhttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-19/news/30175768_1_second-commitment-period-kyoto-protocol-legally-binding-agreementhttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-19/news/30175768_1_second-commitment-period-kyoto-protocol-legally-binding-agreementhttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-19/news/30175768_1_second-commitment-period-kyoto-protocol-legally-binding-agreementhttp://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.phphttp://www.kyotoprotocol.com/http://www.climate-connect.co.uk/Home/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions

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Ecology and Carbon Management