china and the united states: climate change

5/28/2018 China and the United States: Climate Change

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China and the United States: Global Warming

Kendra Custer

ATMS Department UNC Asheville

March, 2014


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ABSTRACT

Global Warming is a major concern that the world is facing. The following data

includes graphs of the increasing carbon dioxide emissions, and carbon dioxide emissions

percentage by country. This paper outlines the impacts of the rising temperatures (global

warming) caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions specifically that of carbon

dioxide. Furthermore, it explains China and the United States (the top two contributors

of carbon dioxide emissions) reduction efforts in promotion of world-wide global

warming reduction efforts and discusses the innovation of cleaner fuels as a first step to a

cleaner environment.


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Introduction

Global Warming is a serious threat to livelihood as we know it. It is defined as the

heating up of the earth and is due to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The most abundant greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide has serious effects on resource

quality, health risks for humans, economic productivity, and overall species survival. The

top two contributors of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are China and the United States.

Developing countries argue that larger developed countries are responsible for global

warming and should take the initiative to reduce emissions. Despite this controversy,

China and the United States are currently showing initiative to reduce global warming

including advancement in the developing of renewable environmentally friendly fuels,

and setting an example for the rest of the world.

Impacts of Global Warming

Global Warming is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

causing the earth to heat up. Carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the most abundant greenhouse

gases is emitted by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. Global warming is primarily

human-induced. When the temperature of the earth rises, it will have a significant impact

on resource quality, increased health risks for humans, economic productivity, and

overall species survival.

As the climate changes, the water resources will be stressed. Reduced rainfall will

result in increased droughts. This lack of water is detrimental to many areas that rely on

rainfall for drinking water and crop production. Declines in mountain snowpack will also


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be affected where it is required for natural water storage. Because of this reason, some

areas may experience excess flooding and problems with water quality. Although there

will be a reduction in the levels of cold related deaths, there are serious health concerns

related to global warming. These include an increase in heat related deaths and

waterborne diseases, poor air quality, extreme (life-threatening) weather events, and

diseases transmitted by insects and rodents.

People are not the only species affected by the rising temperatures however, the

rising temperatures will also have an effect on crop production and species (livestock and

otherwise) survival. Higher levels of warming often negatively affect growth and yields.

There will be an increase in pests, water stress, diseases, and weather extremes that will

also pose challenges for crop and livestock to survive. If crops and animals (including

livestock) are struggling to survive, it will negatively affect economic productivity and

growth.

Data Analysis

China and the United States are the top two

contributors of greenhouse gas emissions globally. As

seen in figure 1, as of 2008, China emitted twenty-three

percent, and the United States emitted nineteen percent of

CO2 globally. The majority of CO2 in the atmosphere is

emitted by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural

gas, and oil. Industrialization also plays a role in burning

Figure 1: Global CO2 Emissions b

country (2008)


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Figure 2 Global CO2 Emissions Increase

fossils fuels to harvest energy emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is no surprise that

the top two contributors of CO2 are countries with top economies.

Global carbon dioxide emissions have increased significantly since 1990. As seen in figure 2,

global emissions increased by over sixteen times between 1900 and 2006, and about 1.5 times

between 1990 and 2008.

Greenhouse gas emissions have increased

and the United States and China are the top

contributors of these greenhouse gases, but how are

they being released? As seen in figure 3, the

greatest percentages of greenhouse gas emissions

are released through the energy supply with twenty-

Figure 3: Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

by Source


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six percent. This includes the burning of fossil fuels such as coil, oil, and natural gas. Following

emissions from energy is industry with nineteen percent, forestry with seventeen percent,

agriculture with fourteen percent, and transport with thirteen percent. Buildings and

waste/wastewater emit a combined emissions percentage of eleven.

The impacts of global

warming are illustrated in

polar and arctic regions first.

For example, the increase in

carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere causing the snow

on glaciers and ice sheets to

melt. This in turn decreases the

reflect-ability that the snow

has on the suns rays. This

means that the longer that the

snow is allowed to melt, the faster that it will melt.

The extent of the monthly sea ice has been decreasing since the 1970s. As seen in figure

4, the Northern Hemispheres Sea Ice extent has an overall negative correlation with the majority

of anomalies fluctuating lower than the average. A temperature anomaly is the difference

between the actual amount and the recorded average.

Figure 4: Monthly Sea Ice Extent (Decrease) 1979-2014


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Reduction Efforts

China and the United States have agreed to five new action initiatives designed to

reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The first initiative is to reduce

emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. This will include comprehensive policies to reduce

carbon dioxide and black carbon emissions through cleaner fuels and emission control

technologies. The second initiative involves increasing carbon capture, utilization, and

storage (CCUS). The United States and China account for more than forty percent of

global coal consumption. Emissions from coal combustion can be reduced and trade and

commerce will be encouraged from an increase in using CCUS. This is followed by an

initiative to increase energy efficiency in buildings, industry, and transport. The fourth

initiative is for the improvement of the collection and management of greenhouse gas

emission data. Collecting accurate data will improve the implementation of policies and

encourage emission reduction. The final initiative involves promoting smart grids. Smart

grids are a form of clean, renewable energy. The United States and China will collaborate

on building grids that are more resilient and efficient.

Discussion

The current reduction effort plans include producing cleaner fuels and technologies,

energy efficient construction, policies, and smart grids. Producing cleaner fuels could be a good

first step to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, it would be best to develop renewable

environmentally friendly or beneficial fuels. Some examples of these types of technologies that

are currently being developed are technologies that derive energy from the sun (solar energy


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panels), wind (turbines), and water (hydropower). There is no doubt that these technologies are

revolutionary but they require further advancement.

Additional fuel sources that could be developed as clean renewable energies for human

use are that of biomass, and geothermal energy. Biomass resources include trees, food crops,

algae, agricultural and forestry byproducts, and even Methane fumes from landfills (Weiman,

2014). Using biomass as energy is an example of using a material that will continue to renew

itself as long as production occurs. Geothermal energy comes from harvesting energy from the

earth. Some examples of this are producing hot water and electricity from the heat within the

earth, and allowing the earths shallow groundwater for heating and cooling.

Many developing countries claim that the larger developed countries caused more of the

pollution and the problem of global warming than they did. For this reason, they state that the

developed countries should provide reduction technologies to countries that are still developing.

This poses a problem when you consider that China as an undeveloped. The country of

China is still developing and has many of its citizens living in poverty despite the fact that it has

the second largest economy in the world. However, if you go by the statement that claims that

the nations that emit the most greenhouse gases should be the first to reduce emissions and to

promote reduction among other nations, then China is on the top of that list.


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It is interesting though, when thinking about the fact that the regions that have done the

least to contribute to global warming will be the ones that are projected to be the most vulnerable

to it. Figure 5 illustrates regions of high versus low emissions and high versus low vulnerability

to global warming affects by region. As seen in figure 5, the top two contributors, the United

States and China, are in the low (-18 blue) regions. This means that these regions will be less

vulnerable to the impacts of global warming than regions that contributed less. This was

determined by the Climate Demography Vulnerability Index (CDVI). The CDVI takes into

account how global warming will affect regional climate change, and how much the local

population is supposed to grow (Cook, 2011). The most vulnerable regions include South

America, the Middle East, and Eastern and Southern Africa. The least vulnerable regions are

located in the northern part of the northern hemisphere. This is the reason why the world needs to

Figure 5: High/Low CO2 Emissions and High/Low Vulnerability by region


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work together to combat global warming. It is going to affect everyone. More developed

countries should help the lesser developed and impoverished countries in their reduction efforts.

If successful reduction is not made, the already impoverished countries will face tougher

hardships. Even though they did not create the majority of the mess, they should still make

efforts to help clean it up.

Obviously, the Chinese government should take efforts to help the impoverished in their

country, but if global warming and the emissions causing it are not reduced, the whole world will

be facing consequences of detrimental proportions. Regardless of the state of the nation, if it is

largely industrialized, and producing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, reduction efforts

should be made. China and the United States alike should adapt to the world around them and the

affect that their mass industrialization has had on the planet. The reliance on fossil fuels such as

coal, oil, and natural gas needs to be replaced with a sustainable, renewable, and environmentally

friendly or beneficial resource. This replacement would not only benefit the environment, but the

people of the world themselves.

Conclusion

Global Warming is a serious issue that the world facing that has some serious

consequences. If efforts are not made to significantly reduce global warming, our

resources, health, economy, and life as we know it will change drastically. The United

States and China, being the top two contributors of the increasing greenhouse gas carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere are collaborating efforts to reduce global warming. Among

these reduction efforts are the development of cleaner fuels and fuel technologies,


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initiatives for energy efficient buildings and technologies, and the implementation of

policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The development of cleaner fuels and

technologies such as those from the sun, wind, water, geothermal, and biomass are the

first step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions while reduction efforts progress.

There is a lot of controversy around the idea of developed countries holding the

reduction responsibility. China is a developing country but is also a top contributor of

greenhouse emissions due to industrialization and thus holds significant responsibility.

The efforts of these two top contributor, top economy countries (China and the United

States), will promote the rest of the world to make their own efforts to reduce global

warming.


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Works Cited

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html

http://nca2009.globalchange.gov/executive-summary

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/07/211768.htm

http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/11/2012s-carbon-emissions-in-five-graphs/

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/definition-examples-renewable-resources-79625.html

http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_geothermal.html

https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/

http://skepticalscience.com/news.php?n=630&p=2
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.htmlhttp://nca2009.globalchange.gov/executive-summaryhttp://nca2009.globalchange.gov/executive-summaryhttp://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/07/211768.htmhttp://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/07/211768.htmhttp://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/11/2012s-carbon-emissions-in-five-graphs/http://homeguides.sfgate.com/definition-examples-renewable-resources-79625.htmlhttp://homeguides.sfgate.com/definition-examples-renewable-resources-79625.htmlhttp://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_geothermal.htmlhttp://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_geothermal.htmlhttps://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/http://skepticalscience.com/news.php?n=630&p=2http://skepticalscience.com/news.php?n=630&p=2http://skepticalscience.com/news.php?n=630&p=2https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_geothermal.htmlhttp://homeguides.sfgate.com/definition-examples-renewable-resources-79625.htmlhttp://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/11/2012s-carbon-emissions-in-five-graphs/http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/07/211768.htmhttp://nca2009.globalchange.gov/executive-summaryhttp://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html

china and the united states: climate change

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