You may know that carbon dioxide
is a greenhouse gas. It is not the only greenhouse gas. Other greenhouse gases are methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), perfluorocarbons (PFCѕ),
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCѕ)
and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆).
The greenhouse gases when emitted into the atmosphere, they trap heat. The heat
gradually building up causes greenhouse effect or global warming. The most
notorious of the gases, by far is carbon dioxide. Among the greenhouse gases,
there are the anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases
are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases
are gases that are generated through human activities. Got that!
Global warming, Climate Change or
6TH Mass extinction, however you term this phenomenon, whatever
context you put it in, one thing is coming out clearly. Many a scientist is of
the opinion that what is happening is induced by man. It is the official
position of the United Nations. It is man’s own doing that the natural
environment is going topsy turvy.
I am going to focus on the
greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. I am going to look at the things us, earthlings,
do here on Earth to cause so much carbon dioxide to rise into the atmosphere to
cause climate change. There is natural carbon dioxide in the natural
environment in the form of carbon cycle. The carbon dioxide generated into the
natural environment by man interferes with the carbon cycle and prevents trees
which normally absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere from doing so. When you
know what we are doing here on Earth to generate so much carbon dioxide to turn
our only home into a furnace, it stands to reason that you ought to sit up. Man
has been engineered to live here on Earth; the Earth only. It behooves each and
every one of us to protect and preserve it.
ENERGY
Fossil fuel such as coal, oil or
gas is formed over many years by the decomposition of plants and animals. The
burning of these materials to produce energy for our consumption generates
carbon dioxide. The burning of fossil fuel is the largest emitter of carbon
dioxide as anthropogenic greenhouse gas. The top three emitters of carbon
dioxide in the world are China, USA and India. Increase in carbon dioxide
emission is closely linked to industrialization. Before the industrial
revolution in the eighteenth century there was not so much carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere. Manufacture, maintenance and use of modern technology requires
dependence on combustion of fossil fuel with the concomitant emission of carbon
dioxide. Take Ghana for example. In the sixties and seventies there were no
mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, blenders, microwave ovens etc. Then,
all one needed was refrigerator, gas cooker and a car. Even with that one had
to be in the middle class, a relatively small middle class. Because few gadgets
were used so much fossil fuel was burnt. All the modern age gadgets I have
mentioned take a toll on the national grid. You have to recharge your tablet.
You have to recharge your mobile phone etc. Take MTN, a mobile phone company
for example, they have fifteen million subscribers in Ghana. Because there was
not that much technology in the sixties and seventies there was no need to burn
so much fossil fuel to generate electricity to operate them, which should
result in the emission of carbon dioxide. Ghana, for that matter the world at
large, ought to be transitioning into clean energy. Costa Rica for example, is
a shining example.
CONVEYANCE
The combustion of gasoline and
gas in vehicles to move around emits carbon dioxide. Again, take Ghana for
example. In a typical middle class home, worth its status, the father drives a SUV;
the mother drives a SUV and there is a car or two for the children to boot.
When they drive around, as gasoline or gas is burnt carbon dioxide is emitted
into the atmosphere. Supposed they use one or two cars for the whole family carbon
dioxide emission should reduce. Take a look at Ghana parliament, there are I
think 275 parliamentarians. They drive in their individual cars to parliament
burning gasoline or gas which emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If they
were given three of four buses to convey them in and out of the office carbon
dioxide emission would reduce.
CEMENT
In the manufacture of cement
there is carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. You must know the
importance of cement in the building industry. The demand for cement for
residential building alone is increasing in Ghana. The more cement is
manufactured to meet the demand the more carbon dioxide is emitted into the
atmosphere.
Let me conclude with an
illustration of a chart on carbon dioxide emissions in the United States of
America in 2013(http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/co2.html):
|
NO
|
SOURCE
|
EMISSION PERCENTAGE
|
|
1
|
Electricity
|
37%
|
|
2
|
Transportation
|
31%
|
|
3
|
Industry
|
15%
|
|
4
|
Residential and Commercial
|
10%
|
|
5
|
Others(Non fossil fuel combustion)
|
6%
|
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