Greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are growing at an accelerating pace this year, researchers said Wednesday, putting the world on track to face some of the most severe consequences of global warming sooner than expected. A greenhouse gas can be defined as a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal…
Greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are growing at an accelerating pace this year, researchers said on Wednesday, putting the world on track to face some of the most severe consequences of global warming sooner than expected.
Background
A greenhouse gas can be defined as a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. Greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse effect. The gaseous compound is capable of absorbing infrared radiations, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. This ultimately leads to global warming. The primary greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Human activities, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, have produced a 40% increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide in early 2017.
Behind the struggle to address global warming and climate change lies the increase in the greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere. According to researchers, emissions rose 1.6% last year, ending a three-year plateau. A few countries are largely to blame for the rising emissions. In 2017, the world’s largest emitter is still China, which produces 27 percent of global carbon emissions, according to the report. The United States accounts for 15 percent of emissions, the European Union 10 percent and India 7 percent.
Analysis
Scientists describe the quickening rate of carbon dioxide emissions in stark terms, comparing it to a “speeding freight train” and laying part of the blame on an unexpected surge in the demand for oil. Worldwide, carbon emissions are expected to increase by 2.7 percent in 2018, according to the new research, which was published by the Global Carbon Project.
As it stands, there are only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C. Scientists warn that if warming is to reach 2C, the effects will be catastrophic. The report, commissioned on the back of the 2015 Paris Agreement, has warned that global warming caused by humans is speeding up as opposed to slowing down. The report calls for carbon pollution to be cut in half by 2030. The United States, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, is responsible for a third of all human-caused carbon emissions to date, more than any other country. China is now the largest emitter of heat-trapping gases.
The analysis found that the world is on pace to release a record 37.1 gigatons of planet-warming emissions in 2018, led in large part by China, the United States and India. Even as coal has fallen out of favour in some markets, the rise in emissions has been driven by stronger demand for natural gas and oil, scientists said. And even as the use of renewable energy like solar and wind power has expanded exponentially, it has not been enough to offset the increased use of fossil fuels.
As part of the latest report, scientists wrote on Wednesday in the journal Nature that the recent rise in global emissions, combined with other factors such as natural temperature fluctuations, could bring those dire consequences a decade sooner, by 2030. Emissions are expected to grow this year by nearly 5 percent in China, more than 6 percent in India, and 2.5 percent in the US. Emissions from EU nations dropped by less than 1 percent. The earth has already warmed 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (one degree Celsius) above preindustrial levels.
Assessment
Our assessment is that climate change is not considered subjective as no region or country is immune to the impact of such climate change. We believe that the prime objective for the global leaders would be to make the right decision in the present that would help minimise and reduce the effects of climate change in the future.
We understand that the primary cause for such climate change is humans; however, they could also be the primary cure and their activities would contribute towards limiting and curbing carbon emission. The world must aim towards a sustainable future with the use of the market forces and the digital revolution. Technology can directly influence 30% of the emissions cuts needed and indirectly affect the rest through influencing consumer habits, scaling up a sharing economy and supporting business transformation to a circular economy.
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