Global Warming: Emissions Sources and Solutions J. Drake Hamilton Science Policy Director Fresh Energy October 17, 2015.

Global Warming:Emissions Sources and Solutions

J. Drake HamiltonScience Policy DirectorFresh EnergyApril 20, 2023

Fresh Energy – our core goals

• Healthy economy• Healthy people• Healthy environment• Energy independence

Fresh Energy – our core goals

• Healthy economy• Healthy people• Healthy environment• Energy independence

Fresh Energy promotes public policy to create an energy system that sustains our economy,

our people, and our planet.

NASA’s Dr. James Hansen:The Window of Opportunity

We must cut emissions by 80 percent

by 2050.

We must begin to significantly reduce

emissions within 10 years.

Minnesota Global Warming Legislation

Next Generation Energy Act of 2007

State goal to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions to at least

15 percent below 2005 levels by 2015

30 percent by 2025

80 percent by 2050

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Minnesota by Major Activity (Ciborowski 2006)

-

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000

100,000,000

120,000,000

140,000,000

160,000,000

19

70

19

72

19

74

19

76

19

78

19

80

19

82

19

84

19

86

19

88

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

20

02

20

04

Year

CO

2-E

qu

iva

len

t T

on

s

Other

Waste

Agricultural

Energy

Global Warming Emissionsby Sector, Year 2000

Transport26%

Industrial Process

5%

Res/Com Fuel Use

9%

Fossil Fuel Ind. (CH4) 3%

Industrial Fuel Use

14%

Waste4%

Electricity32%

Agric.7%

US

MN

Waste3.6%

Industrial Process

1.1%Transport26%

Res/Com Fuel Use

11%

Fossil Fuel Ind. (CH4)

1.6%

Industrial Fuel Use

12%Electricity

Consumption 32%

Agriculture13%

Human Causes of Global Warming

1) power plants that burn coal, and

2) oil-consuming vehicles, and

3) energy use in buildings

4) agriculture

Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies (Pacala and Socolow 2004)

“Humanity can solve the carbon and climate problem in the first half of this century simply by

scaling up what we already know how to do.”

Needed: Cut 7 billion tons of carbon per year

Focusing on technologies that have the potential to

produce a material difference.

Strategies available for reducing global carbon emission rate by 1 GT/year

Transportation

1. Increase fuel economy for 2 billion cars from 30 to 60 mpg

2. Decrease car travel by half for 2 billion 30 mpg cars (from 10,000 to 5,000 miles per year )

Source: Science Magazine “Toward a Hydrogen Economy”S. Pacala and R. Socolow August 2004

Strategies (continued)

Power Plants

3. Increase coal burning efficiency output from 32% [today]

to 60% for twice today’s coal power

4. Replace 50% of coal plants with natural gas plants

5. Replace coal power with nuclear energy: double world’s nuclear capacity

6. Replace coal power with wind: Add 2 million wind turbines

7. Replace coal power with photovoltaic systems: 700 times the current capacity

Source: Science Magazine “Toward a Hydrogen Economy”S. Pacala and R. Socolow August 2004

Strategies (continued)

Capturing CO2

8. Carbon capture and storage at baseload power plants

9. Capture CO2 at hydrogen plants

10. Capture CO2 at coal-to-synfuels plants

Source: Science Magazine “Toward a Hydrogen Economy”S. Pacala and R. Socolow August 2004

Strategies (continued)

Conservation & Preservation

11. Reduced deforestation

and increase reforestation: decrease tropical deforestation to zero plus add new tree plantations at twice current rate

12. Conservation tillage on all cropland

Source: Science Magazine “Toward a Hydrogen Economy”S. Pacala and R. Socolow August 2004

Strategies (continued)

Other

13. Add four million wind turbines to produce H2 to replace gasoline in hybrid cars

14. Replace some liquid fossil fuels with ethanol generated from biomass

15. Efficiency: Cut carbon emissions by 25% in buildings and appliances

Source: Science Magazine “Toward a Hydrogen Economy”S. Pacala and R. Socolow August 2004

Keeping Climate in Control

In the next 50 years, we need twice as

much energy with no increase in

carbon dioxide emissions

•50 times more wind power•700 times more solar power•60 mpg vehicles•34 million barrels per day

of biofuels•25% increase in building energy efficiency•1,400 coal plants replaced with natural gas•1,600 gas-fired plants that capture and store

carbon

All of the measures would need to be taken!

Learn More and Share the Information

Sign up for Global Warming Action e-alerts at www.fresh-energy.org the latest news and effective actions each month

www.fresh-energy.org

April 20, 2023