The document discusses rising greenhouse gas emissions and their effects. It notes that greenhouse gases have increased since the pre-industrial era due to human activities like electricity generation, transportation, and industry. This has led to increased global temperatures and a rise in sea levels. While greenhouse gases are necessary in small amounts to regulate the planet's temperature, the large increases in recent times are causing problems like more extreme weather, rising sea levels, and effects on biodiversity. Mitigation efforts are needed to reduce emissions through behavioral changes, technological solutions, and carbon budgets.

1. RISING GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS
By
Abubakar Bashir

2. RISING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Karnesty et.al.(2001) defined greenhouse gases as
gases that traps radiant energy near the earth’s
surface which results in greenhouse effect.These
gases increase proportionally with increasing
industrial emissions
Nick and Jordan (2008) explained that the earth has
increased in temperature of about 5 degree Celsius due
to increase in concentration of greenhouse gases which
includes Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Water
Vapour and Ozone.
20%
6%
14%
0%
60%
GHG
Methane Nitrous Oxide Halons, CFC and Others
PFC's HFC'S and SF6 Carbon Dioxide
Figure 1: Showing the percentage of each greenhouse
gas(Leggett 2008)
Bashir

3. INTRODUCTION
USEPA(2016) explained that as greenhouse gas emissions from human activities increase, they build up in the atmosphere
and warm the climate, leading to changes around the world: For example in the oceans, atmosphere and on land.
 These changes have both Positive and Negative effects on People and Environment
USEPA(2016) advocate that the net emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities increased by approximately 35%
from 1990-2010. However, IPCC(2007) estimated that the net emissions due to human activities has increased by 24%
from 1990-2007
According to (IPCC AR4) ‘Fourth assessment report of the international panel for climate change, global greenhouse
gas emissions has increased since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between 1970-2004 (UNFCCC 2014).
The world’s emissions result from electricity generation, transportation and other forms of energy production
Maria

4. MAIN SECTION
RISING
GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSION
Persistent Extreme
Weather
Irremediable
Pollution
Failure of Climate
Change Adaptation
Extreme Volatility in
energy and agriculture
prices
Eniye

5. Effects of green House gas
Positives:
Did you know that greenhouse gas helps
regulate the temperature of our planet?
How? Philip et al. (2014) states that without
it we'd all be all popsicle and the
temperature of the Earth would be about -
1800C below freezing OR 00F. which is way
too cold for life.
Figure 2: How Green house gas warms the earth (BGS
2016)
ADODO

6. Negatives
According to BGS (2016) the negative effects that can be predicted as a result of greenhouse gas include:
 More drought and more flooding: weather gets warmer, evaporation from both land and sea increases.
 Less ice and snow
 More extreme weather incidents
 Effect on the Biodiversity
 Rising sea level: melting ice and snow occurrence as a result of thermal
expansion.
However, Global climate Change (2016) states that Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to
global warming: the added water from melting land ice and the expansion of sea water as it warms.
In recent times, Thomson (2016) propose that sea rise level can be reduced by enlarging Antarctica's
continental glacier. However, Raza (2016) argues that it would not slow down rise in sea level, but cause more
energy usage and inconvenience engineering effort.
ADODO

7. Figure 3: Global Sea Level Rising from 1880-2014 (EPA 2016).
ADODO

8. According to BGS (2016) greenhouse gases are mostly caused by human activities. Some of
them are
Electricity Production: Coal, Natural Gas and Oil
Transportation: Aviation, Railway, Shipping, and Cars
Industry: Cement Manufacturing
Agriculture: Emission from livestock, and Agricultural soils
Land Use: Settlement and harvested wood products.
Sources of Greenhouse Gases
ADODO

9. According to the 3rd Risk assessment report, if no action is taken, global average temperature
will rise between 1.4-5.8◦C which will raise global average sea level by about 0.09-0.88 metres
over the same period which will pose serious risks to small islands (IPCC 2001a: 13-16).
 A One metre rise would displace 70 million people in Bangladesh. Meaning people inland,
shortage of resources, more exposed to disease, sickness and viruses.
Potential Risks
ADODO

10. CASE STUDY:
UNITED KINGDOM
Figure 4: UK greenhouse Gas Emission by Sector in 2013 (DECC 2014).
Comparing UK and USA Greenhouse Gas Emission by sector
ADODO

11. Figure 4: USA greenhouse Gas Emission by Sector in 2013 (EPA 2016).
Analysing Rising Greenhouse Gases
Two theoretical Perspectives are required
in analysing rising greenhouse gases
 Institutional Approach
Issue Based Approach
(Oshitani 2006)
ADEBANJO

12. Present Day Risks In the United Kingdom
The 2012 climate change risk assessment confirms that
extreme weather is still predominant among ‘potential risks’’
but other risks such as overheating of building, water scarcity
are becoming increasingly important.
The Magnitude of Risk is evaluated in social economic
or environmental term using ‘Risk Metrics’’
Due to the difficulties of defining likelihood related to
future emissions scenarios, changes in climate and
socioeconomic factors: they are described as potential
risks because they are dependent on specific conditions
of unknown likelihood
Largest Contributors to Co2 Emmissions
USA CHINA RUSSIA
JAPAN INDIA GERMANY
UNITED KINGDOM CANADA ITALY
KOREA MEXICO FRANCE
The United Kingdom is already affected by rising
temperature. Average Temperature in Britain is now 1◦C
Higher than it was 100 years ago (NOAA 2013)
ADEBANJO
Figure 5: Showing World’s Largest Contributors to CO2
emissions
The Energy Conservation Centre (2000).

13. Insured Losses
from Extreme
Events
£1,500,000,000
Flooding in
Summer 2007
£3,200,000,000
Cold Winter
£1,000,000,000
Average Cost
Insured Losses from Extreme Events Flooding in Summer 2007 Cold Winter
CHINA U.S.A U.K
Population 1.3*10^9 321*10^6 64*10^6
GHG ‘C02 e’’ 7,527 7,282 2,729
7,527
7,282
2,729
CO2 e''
CHINA U.S.A U.K
ADEBANJO

14. ADEBANJO

15. ADEBANJO

16. GHG DRIVERS AND MITIGATION
 Population growth aggravates
worldwide growth of GHG emissions
 Technological innovation and diffusion
support overall economic growth
 Behaviour affects emissions through
energy use, technological choices,
lifestyles
Emissions Uncertainty
 Fossil Carbon dioxide emissions
uncertainty(Leggett 2008).
ADEBANJO

17. Mitigation
 Behavioural Changes:
 Human Activities ‘Changes in lifestyles’’
 Structural Measures
 Carbon Budget
 Less Polluting Activities
 Technical Measures
 Developed to capture emissions before they enter the atmosphere
Carbon Budget:
 It places a restriction in the total amount of greenhouse gases in United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is the first
country to set legally binding carbon budget(Oshitani 2006)
ADEBANJO & ADODO
http://footprint.wwf.org.uk
CLASS EXERCISE

18. Conclusion:
After critically analysing greenhouse gas emission, with several peer review article Like Freeman, Karnesky and IPCC, we
can conclude that greenhouse gas has both positives and negatives effect to human and the atmosphere. Although the
negatives outweighs the positives, we can still appreciate its effect to us humans. Several mitigation have been put in place to
ensure that we reduce greenhouse gas emission, and some of them are through switching to low carbon fuels and Energy
efficient equipment.
MARIA

19. References
British Geology Survey, (2016) Consequences Of Greenhouse-Effect Temperature Rises [online] available from
<http://www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/climateChange/CCS/consequencesOfTemperatureIncrease.html> [2 March 2016]
Environmental Protection Agency, (2016) Sea Level | Climate Change | US EPA [online] available from
<http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators/oceans/sea-level.html> [2 March 2016]
Freeman, G. P., 1985. National style and policy sectors: explaining structural variation. Journal of Public Policy 5, p. 467– 96
Global climate Change, (2016) Sea Level [online] available from <http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/> [10 March 2016]
Gov.uk, (2014) Climate Change Explained - Detailed Guidance [online] available from <https://www.gov.uk/guidance/climate-change-
explained> [9 March 2016]
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (2007) Global Climate Projections [online] available from
<http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch10s10-1.html> [9 March 2016]

20. Karnosky, D. (2001) The Impact Of Carbon Dioxide And Other Greenhouse Gases On Forest Ecosystms. Wallingford [u.a.]: CABI
Publ.
NOAA, 2013. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [Online]
available from <http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/sltrends_global_station.htm?stnid=170-053>
[08 March 2016]
Oshitani, S. (2006) Global Warming Policy In Japan And Britain. Manchester: Manchester University Press
Thomson, J. (2016) Can We Slow Sea Level Rise By Pumping Water Onto Antarctica? [online] available from
<http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0310/Can-we-slow-sea-level-rise-by-pumping-water-onto-Antarctica> [7
March 2016]
Wallingford, H. 2012. The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2012 Evidence Report , s.n.
References