Customer center

We are a boutique essay service, not a mass production custom writing factory. Let us create a perfect paper for you today!

Example research essay topic: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Global Climate Change - 1,790 words

NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote

Kyoto Protocol According to the basic theory of microeconomics, mutually beneficial trades are possible with the presence of marginal abatement costs differences. In terms of the trades of pollution permits, the level of pollution remains the same as when it is regulated by law; but the amount spent on pollution control is lower. Thus, we say that the practice of tradable pollution permits increases efficiency. With the aim to protect the global commons of the earths atmosphere, the obligations established in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 were strengthened in the Kyoto Protocol (1997). The protocol sets out legally binding greenhouse emission targets for industrialized countries. There is a consensus among the scientific community that increases in greenhouse gas emissions will affect climate.

Considerable uncertainty, however, exists with regard to the magnitude of the effect, its timing, and its regional pattern. In addition, there is great uncertainty about changes in climate variability and regional impacts (Ha-Duong et al. ). In order to understand the underlying principles of potential climatic change, we must discuss what the greenhouse effect is, the nature of the gases to be controlled, and the effects this will have on the climate, if the controls are implemented. We will also look at human activities that may contribute to increased atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and their effects on climate change.

Then, we will look at the impacts that global warming may have on Earths climate and consider possible immediate and long-term solutions. Finally, international cooperation for the control of greenhouse gas emissions will be addressed, with particular attention given to the most recent convention, the Kyoto Protocol. In December 1997, representatives from more than 160 countries gathered in Kyoto, Japan, to ratify a treaty regulating the emissions of greenhouse gases. The Kyoto Protocol calls for 38 industrialized nations to cut their emissions by an average of 5. 2 percent from 1990 levels by 2012 (Stevens, 1997). Different goals were specified for developed and developing countries, as stated in the protocol (Stevens, 1997). Annex 1 countries can reduce emissions by limiting fossil fuel consumption or by increasing net carbon absorption in terrestrial carbon sinks, with a direct reference to forests (IGBP Terrestrial Carbon Working Group).

The protocol can be regarded as an attempt to induce Annex 1 countries to find efficient ways to reduce greenhouse emissions. It has also set the stage for gradually creating a global market for trading emission permits, allowing cooperation between Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 countries in reducing net emissions of important greenhouse gases such as CO 2. The atmospheric concentration of CO 2 has risen steadily from 315 p. p. m.

to more than 360 p. p. m. since regular monitoring began in the 1950 s (Thompson, 1997). The current population of 6 billion people emits about 6 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year (Thompson, 1997). A doubling of atmospheric CO 2 concentration, estimated by the end of the next century, would increase the global mean temperature by 1. 5 to 4. 5 C, according to general circulation models (Daley, 1998).

The ultimate objective of the Kyoto Convention is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system (Stevens, 1997). Even with a decline in emissions, greenhouse gases will continue to accumulate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has estimated that an immediate 60 percent reduction in emissions of long-lived gases (smaller reductions for short-lived gases) would be required to stabilize atmospheric concentrations (Stevens, 1997). As long as concentrations continue to rise, so does the warming potential of the atmosphere and hence the risk of global climate change. Greenhouse gases are important in maintaining Earths habitable climate.

These greenhouse gases must fall within a narrow range. Too much of any of the greenhouse gases can induce climatic changes, in particular, global warming. Of the greatest concern are the anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases because they are steadily increasing in concentration in the atmosphere, and therefore increasing the natural ability of the greenhouse effect. As the debate continues on whether or not global warming is occurring over a long time scale, humans continue to increase greenhouse gas emissions. This increase in heat-trapping gases could invariably cause an increase in global temperatures, from a simplistic point of view. The world is not simple though, and with its complex interactions between the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere, climate change may be difficult to predict with accuracy.

Humans must look at all the Earths interactions in a holistic view to determine what actions must be done to decrease and eliminate further degradation to the environment. Without a holistic viewpoint, humans will not be able to change their patterns of destruction and any individual environmental problem will not be solved, as everything on Earth is complexly related. Is global warming actually occurring? On a short-term time scale, the observations clearly show an increase in the average global temperature.

The increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is the most obvious reason for this increase in temperature. The major difficulties in dealing with the current generation of international and global environmental problems are, first, scientific uncertainty about their effects and second, the need for agreements among governments to deal with them. Economists refer to this latter difficulty as the free-rider problem, since costly controls are necessary to achieve improvements, and countries that fail to institute controls will receive some of the benefits resulting from the efforts of others (Herzog, 1999). Scientific uncertainty is a difficult issue because uncertainty means that it is always possible to argue that better policies can be developed by waiting until a broader scientific consensus emerges. Unfortunately, there are costs as well as benefits associated with waiting, and sometimes these costs and benefits cannot be measured with enough accuracy to be useful. The Kyoto agreement has the potential to affect every sector of society because most anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO 2, come from energy production and use.

It will be necessary to have full cooperation of all countries, both developed and developing, to fulfill the goals set out at the Kyoto Convention. Global warming will be a great concern for future generations, but it is time to take action now to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and to slow the human-induced global warming process. The longer the worlds nations wait to respond, the more costly the response will be (Herzog, 1999). It would appear that Canada is an ideal place live, yet in order to succeed and live in this fast past environment, a few unknowingly sacrifices have been made. Canada is one of the main contributors of emission and other deadly gases, which leads to global climate change and therefore should take a more aggressive approach in finding solutions. By not concentrating on finding ways to reduce emission gases, the ozone layer continues to deplete, and therefore causes the climate to change worldwide.

Nevertheless it is also important to understand how exactly climate can change. Climate change, or global warming, as it is other wise known as, is the result of when the levels of greenhouse gases rise and less infrared light, or heat, escapes the earths atmosphere. The earths atmosphere is made up of seventy-eight percent of nitrogen and twenty-one percent of oxygen. That means that one percent of gas that is left comes from water vapor, carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), nitrous oxide, and methane, which are other wise known as trace gases.

Human activity can also impact these trace gases and therefore can alter the climate in the long run. By looking at the infinite carbon dioxide cycle, it is easy to see how carbon dioxide is absorbed in and out of the atmosphere. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide through the process of photosynthesis. They do this to sustain life, while getting rid of a waste product. Humans contribute to the amount of carbon dioxide by using transportation, residential and commercial buildings, industrial factories, and by the land clearing of trees.

The increase in greenhouse gases results from human related environmental pressures generated by growing population levels and greater consumer demands. As with so many environmental problems, the real challenge is to find effective ways to address these demands. Possible solutions to decreasing or avoiding the problems with the impending climate change will involve both immediate and long-term strategies. Immediate strategies to curb global warming are those, which act directly on the prices or quantities of CO 2 emitting sources.

These include carbon taxes, CO 2 emission rights, programs to halt the destruction of tropical forests, and various command and control regulations on the use of carbon emitting sources. They are called immediate strategies because once they are agreed upon they can be relatively quickly implemented and can begin to have a substantial effect in a matter of a few years (Herzog, 1999). Long-term strategies are those, which, if implemented now, would only begin to have an important impact after a decade. Two such strategies are afforestation and an increase in energy efficiency. Another important long-term strategy would be the development of alternative, non-fossil fuel, environment-friendly sources of energy, such as solar, solar-hydrogen, nuclear fusion, and wind (Hebert, 1996).

Under the international greenhouse gas emission trading system, country emission would be limited according to their emission targets or Qualified Emission Limitation and Reduction Objectives commitments. Participatory nations would be required to hold greenhouse gas units equivalent to the amount of greenhouse gases they emitted in order to prove that they had not exceeded their entitled quantity of emissions. With the global tradable market, individual sectors or firms can buy and sell greenhouse gas emissions units from each other. In Canada, there are old and new factories, where the marginal abatement costs for different firms are different. According to the production history, location, and some other criterions, factories are granted different number of tradable rights. They can get more rights through auctions and trading with other factories.

Yet, when this comes to an international level, it is always hard to determine how many permits each country should be granted. The Kyoto Protocol does not set a deadline for achieving the targets, but allows countries to average their emissions over a five-year period 2008 to 2012 to allow for variations in economic growth, weather and other factors. Scientists believe the emissions, once in the atmosphere, produce a greenhouse effect on the Earths temperature, gradually increasing it and causing changes in historical weather patterns. To come into force, the Kyoto accord needs ratification by 55 countries that account for 55 % of all industrialized countries' carbon emissions caused mostly by the burning of fossil fuels believed to cause global warming and other...


Free research essays on topics related to: carbon dioxide, greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gases, global climate change, earths atmosphere

Research essay sample on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Global Climate Change

Writing service prices per page

  • $18.85 - in 14 days
  • $19.95 - in 3 days
  • $23.95 - within 48 hours
  • $26.95 - within 24 hours
  • $29.95 - within 12 hours
  • $34.95 - within 6 hours
  • $39.95 - within 3 hours
  • Calculate total price

Our guarantee

  • 100% money back guarantee
  • plagiarism-free authentic works
  • completely confidential service
  • timely revisions until completely satisfied
  • 24/7 customer support
  • payments protected by PayPal

Secure payment

With EssayChief you get

  • Strict plagiarism detection regulations
  • 300+ words per page
  • Times New Roman font 12 pts, double-spaced
  • FREE abstract, outline, bibliography
  • Money back guarantee for missed deadline
  • Round-the-clock customer support
  • Complete anonymity of all our clients
  • Custom essays
  • Writing service

EssayChief can handle your

  • essays, term papers
  • book and movie reports
  • Power Point presentations
  • annotated bibliographies
  • theses, dissertations
  • exam preparations
  • editing and proofreading of your texts
  • academic ghostwriting of any kind

Free essay samples

Browse essays by topic:

Stay with EssayChief! We offer 10% discount to all our return customers. Once you place your order you will receive an email with the password. You can use this password for unlimited period and you can share it with your friends!

Academic ghostwriting

About us

© 2002-2024 EssayChief.com