Global Warming in China?
Answer:
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
Main article: Greenhouse effect
Recent increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The monthly CO2 measurements display small seasonal oscillations in an overall yearly uptrend; each year's maximum is reached during the northern hemisphere's late spring, and declines during the northern hemisphere growing season as plants remove some CO2 from the atmosphere.
Recent increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The monthly CO2 measurements display small seasonal oscillations in an overall yearly uptrend; each year's maximum is reached during the northern hemisphere's late spring, and declines during the northern hemisphere growing season as plants remove some CO2 from the atmosphere.
The greenhouse effect was discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824 and was first investigated quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896. It is the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases warms a planet's atmosphere and surface.
Greenhouse gases create a natural greenhouse effect, without which mean temperatures on Earth would be an estimated 30 °C (54 °F) lower so that Earth would be uninhabitable. Thus scientists do not "believe in" or "oppose" the greenhouse effect as such; rather, the debate concerns the net effect of the addition of greenhouse gases, while allowing for associated positive and negative feedback mechanisms.
On Earth, the major natural greenhouse gases are water vapor, which causes about 36–70% of the greenhouse effect (not including clouds); carbon dioxide (CO2), which causes 9–26%; methane (CH4), which causes 4–9%; and ozone, which causes 3–7%. The atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and CH4 have increased by 31% and 149% respectively above pre-industrial levels since 1750. These levels are considerably higher than at any time during the last 650,000 years, the period for which reliable data has been extracted from ice cores. From less direct geological evidence it is believed that CO2 values this high were last attained 20 million years ago. "About three-quarters of the anthropogenic [man-made] emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere during the past 20 years are due to fossil fuel burning. The rest of the anthropogenic emissions are predominantly due to land-use change, especially deforestation."
The present atmospheric concentration of CO2 is about 383 parts per million (ppm) by volume. Future CO2 levels are expected to rise due to ongoing burning of fossil fuels and land-use change. The rate of rise will depend on uncertain economic, sociological, technological, natural developments, but may be ultimately limited by the availability of fossil fuels. The IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios gives a wide range of future CO2 scenarios, ranging from 541 to 970 ppm by the year 2100. Fossil fuel reserves are sufficient to reach this level and continue emissions past 2100, if coal, tar sands or methane clathrates are extensively used.
Positive feedback effects such as the expected release of CH4 from the melting of permafrost peat bogs in Siberia (possibly up to 70,000 million tonnes) may lead to significant additional sources of greenhouse gas emissions not included in climate models cited by the IPCC.!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/list_of_cou...
As of 2002, China contributed 14.5% of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions. The US contributed 24.3%. I don't have recent numbers, but here is a projection that shows China will catch the US in approximatley 2012:
http://photos.mongabay.com/07/co2_countr...
I don't have numbers on any of the other greenhouse gases, but carbon dioxide dominates anyway.
This might help a little... i heard that every gallon of gas burned releases 18 Lbs of carbon into the air.
look
The assumption about China surpassing the USA in 2012 is based on current rates. It does not take into account what China is actively doing to curtail emissions. For instance, this year China is adopting the strictest car emission standards modeled after the European standards.
When the 3 Gorge Dam is fully online it will help with curtailing emissions as well.
China's education system is full of pollution and global warming issues. This starts at a very young age.
China has a long way to go, but to make predictions based on current is flawed. China may surpass the USA in the future, but I believe it will be much further down the road.
No, I don't know the rates. An internet search is all you really need to do. I'd take an average from a half dozen sites to come to any kind of accurate conclusion.
Peace
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