Stabilization Wedges Game - Assignment Example

Stabilization Wedges Game Memo Veema HERBAL HEALTHCARE Date: 19/04/2012 To: Group Members From: The Group Representative Subject: Stabilization Wedges Game: Offering Carbon Cutting solutions to the constant threat, arising from carbon dioxide Emission 2005(7)2055 List of the carbon cutting strategies selected for this study 1. Wind electricity – which displaces coal-based production of electricity (30 X current capacity) 2. Solar Energy (electricity) production – it reduces coal-based production of electricity (700 X Current capacity) 3. Efficiency-electricity – increases the efficiency of power generation 4. Efficiency transport – Increasing automobile fuel efficiency 5. Nuclear electricity production – will displace coal-burning electricity plants 6. CCS Electricity – Co2 produced by fossil fuel electricity plants will be captured and stored underground. 7. Fuel switching-electricity – where coal-burning electricity plants will be replaced by Natural gas plants Introduction The carbon and climate problem Evidence from studies continues to show that carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels is greatly impacting on the climate. Studies indicate that six of the seven warmest years – this including 2006 – ever recorded were witnessed after 2001. The ten highest ranking years, in the aspect of warmth levels, have been witnessed after 1995. During these warm years, the impacts include the disappearance of tropical glaciers, which had been in place for thousands of years. From studies, there is a high prediction that the failure to address the situation of the increasing greenhouse gases from the universe, may lead to an effect on the ocean circulation pattern. The predicted impacts may also include the loss of the West Atlantic Ice expanse and the possibility of unbounded increase in the incidence of category-five hurricanes. The effect of injecting carbon dioxide and other gases into the earth’s atmosphere – result to changes in the climate. This takes place, through the effect of sunlight passed onto the earth’s atmosphere, which results to the warming of the planet – as these gases hinder the transmission of the accumulated heat into outer space. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect, which results, most times, from the burning of fossil fuels – which are mainly composed of carbon and hydrogen. As a result, the consequence is the injection of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As the situation is, the Earth’s atmosphere contains an approximate amount of 800 billion tons of Carbon in the form of Carbon dioxide. From the burning of fossil fuels, the carbon dioxide produced injects an extra 7 billion tons of Carbon into the universe every year. The accumulated carbon dioxide is removed from the universe through two main ways, these including that taken up by growing forests and that which is dissolved into the surface of the ocean. Unfortunately, these two channels are only, able to remove half the Carbon emitted into the atmosphere leaving the other half accumulating at an approximated rate of 4 billion tons every year. This, typically, means that the accumulated amount of carbon in the universe is increasing year after year (Socolow, Stephen & Jeffery 10). The injection of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere started at the onset of the industrial revolution. This can be proved from the figures – indicating that before the onset of the industrial revolution, the atmosphere contained approximately, 600 billion tons of carbon, which are 200 billion tons less than the presently accumulated amount. From inquiries and observation, indications show that the carbon added into the atmosphere, has led to an average increase in global temperature by 10 Fahrenheit. This effect is expected to be an accumulation dating back to the 19th century, and the production of fossil-fuel carbon is increasing year after year – at the rate of 14 billion tons. It is also predicted that in the next 50 years, the rate injected into the atmosphere will be twice that of today, unless emergency care is taken to reduce the injection. Research indicates that, in the case the same record of carbon accumulation is kept, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere will click 1200 billion tons (double the amount at the pre-industrial time) by the end of a century. As a result, the temperatures at the earth are expected to increase at a non-controllable rate. On the basis of this an account, there is a pressing need for a way to cut down the amounts of carbon injected into the atmosphere, which calls for stabilization strategies (Socolow, Stephen & Jeffery 12). The need for Stabilization wedges: Strategy and effectiveness Stabilization wedges are an application concept – defining the tools that can help administer emission cuts – as an effort towards avoiding the imminent climate change. The principles underlying mix of wedges selected The principles underlying the selection of wedges include that the strategies picked, often, enhance the operability and the success of the rest of the strategies. Wind-electricity, which is a carbon free strategy, will displace the usage of coal-based plants. The electricity production of wind plants can also be supplemented by solar energy production. The benefits from this combination will include the usage of the electricity production grounds for other purposes like farming. Efficiency in electricity production will be affected through carbon capture and storage, which will be stored for future use, as a source of carbon energy. From this strategy, the costs involved in replacing natural gas and coal based energy plants will be set aside, allowing for better deployment of the carbon capture and storage infrastructure. From the use of this strategy, there will also be the production of other forms of energy, these including chemicals and heat – which can be used in stabilizing the energy producing models in use. From the efficiency transport strategy the carbon produced will be reduced by half – from the half cut in the fuel used. The fuel saved, may also be rechanneled to the fuel-run energy plants – which have the CCS strategy implemented, therefore an overall increase in energy production at a reduced carbon emission level. The nuclear energy strategy will complement the carbon-free energy production of wind, solar, efficient electricity production, and efficiency transport – to offer an approximated 83% of energy needs, which is not covered by nuclear energy. The CCS electricity strategy will render credibility to the carbon-producing models, as the strategy allows for the taping of the carbon – which would have been released into the atmosphere. As a result, the need to replace these plants will be rendered unnecessary, thus allowing for the intensification of the CCS strategies. Fuel-switching to natural gas run plants will be complemented by the CCS strategies, as the half-amount of carbon produced will be captured and rechanneled into the ground, thus allowing for the production of the required energy at no increase in carbon levels (Hoffert 1292-1294). Consideration of costs and impacts of wedges The costs involved in the different wedge strategies include the approximate 370,000 km2 of land required for the production of wind-electricity. This cost – as compared to the wedge reduction in emission levels can be disregarded, mainly because the land used for the strategy can be used as farm land or grazing areas. This automatically, shows that the cost of the land can be overlooked. The estimated 20,000 km2 of land required for solar-electricity production may easily be disregarded, mainly because the model can use already useful surfaces like the roofs and walls of houses. The cost to be borne from employing solar-electricity strategies includes that of cost- which is 2-5 times that of fossil fuel production. However, this cost can be borne, considering the effects of continued use of fossil-fuel plants. Efficiency in electricity production will involve the costs of employing the multi-productive energy models as well as the construction of CCS infrastructure – which will be used to rechannel the carbon produced into the ground. In the efficient-transport strategy, there are no direct costs to be borne. The CCS electric strategy will create the cost to be borne, in constructing the 3500, 1 billion ton plants to be used for the saving of the carbon produced. In Fuel-switching from coal to gas-run plants – the cost to be borne is that of converting or replacing the coal plants with those run using natural gas (Pacala & Robert 968-72). The benefits to be realized from the wedge strategies The benefits from the usage of the different wedge strategies include the reduction in the carbon levels emitted to the atmosphere – which will be realized from the wind-electricity, the solar-electricity, efficiency in electricity production, efficient transport, nuclear electricity, CSS electricity and the fuel-switching electricity wedge strategy. There is the benefit of using the energy production grounds for more than one purpose, as realized from the wind-electricity and the solar-electricity strategies. In the case of the wind-electricity grounds, the areas can be used for farming or grazing, while the solar-electricity strategy can use wall and roof surfaces, thus a reduction in the costs involved. The ability to use fully renewable sources of energy will be realized, especially from using the wind-electricity, solar energy, nuclear electricity, and the fuel-switching wedge strategies. The potential to use the production systems for more than one purpose will be possible – for instance the production of chemicals, nuclear fuel and heat energy from the energy producing plants. This is the case with the efficiency in electricity production wedge strategy. Saving the natural resources available from using fewer resources will be realized, as the case will be from the efficient transport strategy, where half the original fuel will be consumed. As a result, the exhaustion of the available resources will be delayed, which is a global development threat. The CCS strategy will see the preservation of carbon at underground storage grounds. The stored carbon will later be used as a source of carbon energy, therefore a substitute to the energy resources under use (Hoffert 1292-1294). The drawbacks to be borne The drawbacks to be borne, towards realizing the emission reductions from the different wedge strategies are enumerated below. These include, the costs to be borne in building the infrastructure required for the implementation of these strategies – these including the construction of CCS infrastructure, the costs of wind mills and photovoltaic cells, the construction of nuclear energy plants, and the conversion of fossil into natural gas plants. The area to be dedicated to these strategies is another drawback – where 357,000 km2 and 20,000 km2 will be required for Wind and solar-electricity, respectively. The intermittent nature of some of the energy sources is another drawback, especially in the case of solar and wind-electricity. There is the drawback from the efficiency transport strategy, where the cost of producing low-consumption vehicles will be borne (Watson et al. 24). Stakeholders Reaction The stakeholders involved in the wedge implementation strategies include car manufacturers, petroleum producing companies, power generating companies, bio-fuel producers, environmentalist institutions and power system companies. From the different stakeholders, it was harmoniously agreed, that power generating companies would work towards the realization of non-carbon producing energy sources. The task of carbon capture and storage measures were put forward as the chief strategy to be used by power generating companies and petroleum refining and processing companies, as these contribute a substantial percentage into the emission levels. Environmentalist groups offered the recommendations that the application and employment of these wedge strategies was to be implemented in a manner that is friendly to the environment. These included the usage of wind-electricity generating grounds as vegetation filled areas. There are calls among electricity generating companies, towards moving into the production of more than one product – for instance fuel refining companies offered to produce fuels and lubricants that help in the reduction of carbon emissions. Car manufacturing companies reacted by initiating the production of low-consuming cars, made out of strong, but lighter materials. Power generating stakeholders are currently working towards the installation of nuclear-electricity – as a substitute to power generation from fossil fuels (Boyce 124). Conclusion Through this memo report on carbon cutting solutions, the following wedge strategies were offered: wind electricity, solar electricity, efficiency electricity production, and efficiency transport. Others include nuclear electricity production, CCS electricity, and fuel switching electricity. The carbon climate problem has resulted from the accumulation of carbon dioxide, which is produced by fossil-fuel run electricity and other production plants. The warmest years were witnessed between 2001 and 2006, during which the impacts included the loss of the West Atlantic Ice expanse and a possible increase in category five hurricanes. The injection of carbon into the atmosphere started with the industrial revolution – after which 200 billion tons have been accumulated, on top of the original amount. In the case, the carbon production trend continues, the amount will hit 1200 billion tons by 2055. The principles of the wedge mix were based on the choices that will support one another towards the reduction of carbon emission into the atmosphere, as well as the realization of a stable carbon reduction system. The costs involved include the land to be used, the costs of constructing the wedge strategies and the plant conversion labor required. The benefits to be realized include the reduction of carbon emission, the production of more than one product from the same production plant, and the reservation of exhaustible natural resources. The drawbacks to be borne include the costs of infrastructure development involved and the land requirements to be dedicated for the wedge strategies. The stakeholders’ reactions include the move by fossil-fuel run companies to use the CCS strategy to cut down carbon emissions. Works Cited Boyce, Nell. "Climate Game Gives Real Options to Save World". National Public Radio (2007): 124. Hoffert, Martin."Farewell to Fossil Fuels?" Science 329.5997 (2010): 1292–1294. Pacala, Stephen, & Robert Socolow. “Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies.” Science (2004): 968–72. Socolow, Robert, Stephen, Pacala, & Jeffery Greenblatt. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technology. Vancouver, Canada, 2004. Socolow, Robert, Stephen, Pacala, & Jeffery Greenblatt. “Wedges: Early Mitigation with Familiar Technology,” to be published in the Proceedings of GHGT-7, the 7thInternational Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technology, Vancouver, Canada, September 5. 9 (2004): 15. Watson, Rick et al. Climate Change 2001: Synthesis Report. Contribution to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2001. Print. Read More