CO2 World

THE GOOD SHEET · N° 001 · September 11– 17, 2008 · WWW.GOOD.IS/ CATEGORIES: ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS AND MONEY LIVING CO, WORLD Carbon dioxide (CO,) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas. It is emitted when fossil fuels--such as gasoline, oil, and coal-are burned, and it traps A A FIELD GUIDE TO AMERICA'S FAVORITE GREENHOUSE GAS heat in the atmosphere. We produce more Co, than the environment can process, raising the temperature of the planet. It's getting hot in here. 1 Where it comes from: The big picture: 3 The bad news: 4 Now what? Total U.S. CO, emissions by sector Huh A look at global greenhouse gas emissions by type The global sea level is expected to rise 21 more inches by 2050. TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Transportation Man-made CO, 77% If the number of Americans taking public transit to work increased by 10%, we could reduce CO, emissions by almost 6,000,000,000 pounds per year. 76% Automobiles and trucks 23% Since 1970, the Amazon rain forest has shrunk by an area the size of Texas. Other Greenhouse Gases 34% 9% Air Other Based on current melt rates, all of the glaciers in Glacier National Park will be gone in the next 62 years. Boats Oops Percent share of CO: emissions from burning fossil fuels, by country Trains and buses Industrial 29% Chemical manufacturing 60% USE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY United States The safe level of atmospheric CO, is no more than 350 parts per million. We're currently at 385 parts per million. 28% Petroleum refining 19% The wind in North Dakota alone 28% could produce enough energy to provide 1/3 of the U.S's power. 21% China 24% Other Others 10% Paper manufacturing Metal manufacturing The ocean only absorbs about half of our man-made CO, making the water more acidic, endangering life. 9% Residential Whoa Difference between the average American's yearly C0: emissions and the world average RECYCLE For every pound of office paper recycled, CO2 emissions are reduced by 4 pounds. 47% Heating 20% 24% Lighting and appliances Scientists predict that 97% of the world's coral reefs will be wiped out if global temperatures rise by more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit. 17% Water heating U.S. World Air-conditioning 9,600 pounds per person, per year 5% Refrigeralion In 2006 alone, the U.S. produced 13,083,000,000,000 pounds of CO2 44,400 pounds per person, per year Commercial 32% Heating 23% Lighting Z bad P really bad * run worse For the past 200 years, we have been steadily increasing the amount of fossil fuels we burn to create the energy we use. 18% 15% Water heating Cooling Other Office equipment Cooking Refrigeration Ventilation 4% 3% Petroleum CO, 44% Coal CO, 36% Natural Gas C0, 20% Renewables .2% These include emissions from and geothermal energy for electricity generation solid waste Carbon is readily exchanged between the atmosphere When the sun is shining, plants perform and the ocean in a natural cycle, but the ocean cannot photosynthesis to convert CO, into carbohydrates, absorb the amount of man-made CO2 we release. releasing oxygen in the process. ©000 Copyright © 2008 GOOD Worldwide, Inc. SOURCES The Alliance for Climate Protection; Central Oregon Environmental Center; Environmental Literacy Councill; James E. Hansen of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies: Mongabay.com; National Geographic; Natural Resources Defense Council; Solar Energy International; U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Energy: U.S. Energy Information This exploration of carbon emissions is a collaboration se0 WATCH videos on the environment at www.good.is/ - NEXT WEEK'S GOOD SHEET: Some rights reserved. GOOD is a U.S. registered trademark and trademark of GOOD Worldwide, Inc. GOOD between GOOD and ICONOLOGIC. Administration; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; World Resources Institute. NOTE Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding Health Care The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1990, and the global sea level has already risen by 4 to 8 inches in the past century. The average Ar emits 55,000 pounds of CO, each year n househol Unused but plugged-in electronic devices are responsible for 1% of the world's CO2 emissions. Installing energy-saving lighting in all U.S. commercial buildings could save an estimated 175,000,000,000 pounds of CO2 annually. About 80% of all industrial CO2 emissions in the U.S. come Trom manufacturing-including cars, After fossil fuel consumption, the largest source of U.S. CO, emissions is cement manufacturing. For every gallon (about 6 pounds) of gas a car burns, it releases about 20 pounds of CO2. The average American releases 30 pounds of Co, every day in commuting to work.