The Carbon Dioxide Diet Exercise

The Carbon Dioxide Diet Exercise

Environmental regulations limit the amount of certain waste products released into the air or water, but there are no regulations that limit the release of carbon dioxide. It is simply released into the air, and there is no charge for its disposal. The amount of carbon dioxide injected into the air is directly related to the energy used in the mining, processing, manufacture, transport, sale, use, and disposal of the products we buy. Every day far more carbon dioxide pours into the atmosphere than plants and algae can use in the process of photosynthesis, so the level of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere is rising.

Until scientists began to study climate change, carbon dioxide was not thought of as a pollutant. Now, computerized climate models show that too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can create major changes that will impact our lives. If scientists are correct, the environmental changes caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will be very costly.

William Cline, of the Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC, predicts that a doubling of carbon dioxide levels will cost the US economy $60 billion a year by the middle of the 21st century. If the level of carbon dioxide continues to increase, the predicted cost may eventually reach $355 billion a year.

A look at the possible future economic impact caused by increasing levels of carbon dioxide is troubling. To reduce the threats to the environment and the economy, we must reduce the production of carbon dioxide. Since carbon dioxide emissions are directly related to the products that we buy and use, our actions can help reduce these emissions. A reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will require a change in our lifestyle. How far are you willing to go to participate in a nationwide carbon dioxide diet?
Procedure:

Calculate the amount of carbon dioxide you could save by taking the actions suggested below.

To calculate the mileage you drive, write down the mileage on your/your family’s car. First fill up the gas tank and set the trip meter to 0. When the tank is empty, or after a week (whichever comes first), fill the tank again, and note the gallons purchased and the miles traveled per unit time.

Calculate the amount of CO₂ your family produces in one year from using electricity

Find the average daily use in therms _____________

• Total Impact of YOUR Personal Carbon Dioxide Diet

2. Electricity: _______________ pounds

3. Natural Gas: _______________ pounds
total ___________ pounds of CO₂ per person

• 
  There are 300 million people in the United States. If all of them produced as much CO₂ as you do, how much CO₂ would the United States produce by domestic use in one year?________________ (note that this number does not include industrial and agricultural sources of CO₂)
  
• 
  For each category, state two reasonable and specific changes in your lifestyle that would result in less CO₂ produced.
  

• 
  THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART OF THE EXERCISE. PLEASE COME UP WITH REALISTIC AND THOUGHTFUL MEASURES BEYOND THE OBVIOUS.
  

1. Driving

(cont’d)

2. Electricity

3. Natural Gas

What are the external costs to owning a hybrid vehicle and are these any different from a traditional vehicle?

Using both information discussed in class and other references, answer the following questions in as much detail as possible:

1. 
   What is the purpose of the Kyoto Protocol?
   

2. 
   What categories of Countries have both signed and ratified the Protocol?
   

3. 
   What important countries have not ratified the Protocol?
   

4. 
   Why have the above countries not ratified the Protocol?
   

5. 
   What are some major problems with the Protocol and how might the Protocol be improved?
   

6. 
   What is your opinion of the Protocol and the U.S.’s involvement? Support your opinion with specific arguments.
   

Most authorities suggest that global warming will cause the sea level to rise as polar regions warm and polar ice melts. However, others assert that warming the poles will result in more snow, thus a greater accumulation of ice, and not melting. But there is one effect that can be easily evaluated arithmetically: the impact on sea level resulting from warming the water. The coefficient of thermal expansion (c.t.e.; also referred to as coefficient of cubic expansion) of seawater is approximately 0.00019 per degree Celsius. This simply means that for each °C increase in the temperature of a given amount of seawater, the volume of the water will expand by this fraction. Since ocean basins are constrained by their bottoms and “sides” the only way to go is up. Up means onto land that is presently above sea level, and this could result in extensive coastal flooding.

To calculate how an increase in seawater temperature would affect the sea level, simply multiply the average ocean depth (3,850 m) in centimeters by the c.t.e., multiplied by the number of degrees of temperature increase. The resulting number is the expansion in 3 directions, but the ocean can only expand in one direction, so multiply the answer by 3 to determine the rise of sea level.

1. How much would each °C increase in seawater temperature cause the sea level to rise? Express your answer in centimeters and feet.(30 cm = 1 ft). SHOW WORK

2. Evaluate the impact of a 0.5°C and a 2°C increase in seawater temperature on coastal communities such as Virginia Beach, Virginia, where 400,000 people live in an area that is at 4 feet above sea level.

3. The U.S. has 5% of the world’s population but emits about 22% of the total greenhouse gases released. Do you think Americans have a responsibility to prevent a rise in sea level or to address the effects caused by the build-up of these gases? In a paragraph, state your reasons and discuss. If you think that Americans do have a responsibility, describe what we could do to either decrease the effect or assist people affected by the increase in sea level. Be specific and explain your choices.-(use the back of this sheet to answer.)