I think it is necessary to work through the definitions before reading the 2015 Summit agreement. The list is not very long. It doesn't matter to me how long this might take during an election year. This is important and paramount to life on Earth.
I will include current events within this progression of information. I will also enter a few concepts that will provide a more realistic understanding of greenhouse gases and the state of play.
This week I will address the gross misinformation of the militia in Oregon. The reasons for their actions are based in ignorance of the facts and resultant economics.
Assigned amount unit (AAU) A Kyoto Protocol unit equal to 1 metric tonne of CO2 equivalent. Each Annex I Party issues AAUs up to the level of its assigned amount, established pursuant to Article 3, paragraphs 7 and 8, of the Kyoto Protocol (click here). Assigned amount units may be exchanged through emissions trading.
The main focus of this definition is the "1 metric tonne (tonne is another word for metric ton or 1000 kilograms or 2200 pounds - grammatically tonne is a more widely recognized scientific measurement (click here)) of CO2."
CO2 is the primary focus of the climate summit simply because it has been 86 percent of all the greenhouse gases in Earth's troposphere where infrared is produced causing the warming. That is not double talk, that is real. CO2 has been 86% of the greenhouse gases of concern.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), by definition, has an (GWP - Global Warming Potential) AAU (AAU is a new acronym and better defines the global warming potential) of 1 regardless of the time period used, because it is the gas being used as the reference.
Methane (CH4) is estimated to have an AAU of 28-36 over 100 years.
Those two compounds, CO2 and CH4, are often comparisons used when discussing greenhouse gases.
The picture to the left are the gases that scientists are most concerned with when it comes to Earth's stable atmospheres.
Easily noted are HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons - click here). These are the gases that destroy ozone in the upper atmosphere. Ozone protects us from the sun's harmful rays. They are not greenhouse gases exactly, but, they are ozone depleting substances.
PFCs are perfluorocarbons. These are also fluorinated gases artificially produced. The fluorinated gases in Earth's atmosphere today have no natural source. The fluorinated gases are all generated as by products to human activity. PFCs are often considered to be "immortal gases," because they stay in Earth's atmosphere for so long.
The fluorinated gases of which there are four types are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). They get lumped in with better known greenhouse gases because they have high AAUs. As an example SF6 has an AAU of 22,800. Yes, that is correct. Twenty-two thousand, eight hundred Assigned Amount Units. These fluorinated gases are produced and are not natural. They have high AAUs and pose a very big danger to Earth, because, they last in Earth's atmosphere for a very long time; far longer than the traditional greenhouse gases. It is vital to monitor the fluorinated gases and the ozone as well.
I'll get into all this later.
Scientists have set carbon dioxide as number 1 in defining of what a greenhouse gas it and is not. CO2's role with Earth's climate is a thermal unit. The degree CO2 insulates Earth is a thermal component to the infrared radiation of Earth. That infrared is not up for negotiation. Earth's has it's own physics in this galaxy and gratefully it doesn't change WITHOUT being acted on as in human activity. That is a good thing. CO2 is a very, very stable compound. In that is the overwhelming safety for life on Earth. We can all count on Earth being a friendly planet because of it's very stable climate producing greenhouse gases.
Accession
An act whereby a State becomes a Party to a treaty already negotiated and signed by other States; has the same legal effect as ratification.
I will include current events within this progression of information. I will also enter a few concepts that will provide a more realistic understanding of greenhouse gases and the state of play.
This week I will address the gross misinformation of the militia in Oregon. The reasons for their actions are based in ignorance of the facts and resultant economics.
Assigned amount unit (AAU) A Kyoto Protocol unit equal to 1 metric tonne of CO2 equivalent. Each Annex I Party issues AAUs up to the level of its assigned amount, established pursuant to Article 3, paragraphs 7 and 8, of the Kyoto Protocol (click here). Assigned amount units may be exchanged through emissions trading.
The main focus of this definition is the "1 metric tonne (tonne is another word for metric ton or 1000 kilograms or 2200 pounds - grammatically tonne is a more widely recognized scientific measurement (click here)) of CO2."
CO2 is the primary focus of the climate summit simply because it has been 86 percent of all the greenhouse gases in Earth's troposphere where infrared is produced causing the warming. That is not double talk, that is real. CO2 has been 86% of the greenhouse gases of concern.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), by definition, has an (GWP - Global Warming Potential) AAU (AAU is a new acronym and better defines the global warming potential) of 1 regardless of the time period used, because it is the gas being used as the reference.
Methane (CH4) is estimated to have an AAU of 28-36 over 100 years.
Those two compounds, CO2 and CH4, are often comparisons used when discussing greenhouse gases.
The picture to the left are the gases that scientists are most concerned with when it comes to Earth's stable atmospheres.Easily noted are HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons - click here). These are the gases that destroy ozone in the upper atmosphere. Ozone protects us from the sun's harmful rays. They are not greenhouse gases exactly, but, they are ozone depleting substances.
PFCs are perfluorocarbons. These are also fluorinated gases artificially produced. The fluorinated gases in Earth's atmosphere today have no natural source. The fluorinated gases are all generated as by products to human activity. PFCs are often considered to be "immortal gases," because they stay in Earth's atmosphere for so long.
The fluorinated gases of which there are four types are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). They get lumped in with better known greenhouse gases because they have high AAUs. As an example SF6 has an AAU of 22,800. Yes, that is correct. Twenty-two thousand, eight hundred Assigned Amount Units. These fluorinated gases are produced and are not natural. They have high AAUs and pose a very big danger to Earth, because, they last in Earth's atmosphere for a very long time; far longer than the traditional greenhouse gases. It is vital to monitor the fluorinated gases and the ozone as well.
I'll get into all this later.
Scientists have set carbon dioxide as number 1 in defining of what a greenhouse gas it and is not. CO2's role with Earth's climate is a thermal unit. The degree CO2 insulates Earth is a thermal component to the infrared radiation of Earth. That infrared is not up for negotiation. Earth's has it's own physics in this galaxy and gratefully it doesn't change WITHOUT being acted on as in human activity. That is a good thing. CO2 is a very, very stable compound. In that is the overwhelming safety for life on Earth. We can all count on Earth being a friendly planet because of it's very stable climate producing greenhouse gases.
In referring to the Kyoto Protocol the Annex I Parties are listed on this webpage (click here). The Annex I of the 2015 Summit is very different. There are many more countries taking place in the summit. I am sure the parties list will be in the agreement while we work through the agreement.
Abatement
Refers to reducing the degree or intensity of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Refers to reducing the degree or intensity of greenhouse-gas emissions.
There are all kinds of use of the word abatement in language and it is used correctly in the definition of greenhouse gas emissions.
Accession
An act whereby a State becomes a Party to a treaty already negotiated and signed by other States; has the same legal effect as ratification.
Here again the 2015 Climate Summit Agreement clarifies it's language. Accession is the formal acceptance of the agreement.
I find it interesting the definitions are basically clarifying any misuse of words as in the past. There is no misuse of words and it follows the lines of good science. Definitions are clear, concise, understood diplomatically and applicable without confusion to the many languages at this summit.
