GreenBrig

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pose one of the biggest threats to Earth’s future. GHG, by absorbing and emitting radiation in the form of thermal energy, is the root cause of the greenhouse effect. This in turn causes the gradual warming of the planet that has been observed. The primary greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide (NOx), water vapor, methane, and ozone.

The developed, industrial nations tend to produce a disproportionate amount of total greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturing and power generation industries are two of the largest sources of greenhouse gases. Fossil fuels, like coal, petroleum, natural gas, and other forms lead to large amounts of GHG emissions due to our dependence on them. Since we are becoming even more dependent on fossil fuels, humans are likely to continue emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Map

The map below summarizes the relative intensity of greenhouse gas emissions by country. The industrialized countries of North America and Europe, as well as certain developing countries like Brazil, India, and China are shown to be the largest producers of greenhouse gases. By contrast, African countries emit relatively low amounts of GHG.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Country in 2000

The map above shows countries in the world colored by greenhouse gas emissions. The darker colored, developed nations produce relatively large amounts of GHG compared to third-world, developing countries.

Reducing Greenhouse Gases

It is imperative that the developed nations that produce the largest amounts of greenhouse gases take the lead in reducing their emissions. As developing countries continue to add to total greenhouse gas emissions, concerted effort must be taken to control global warming and other effects of GHG.

United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) starts today in Copenhagen, Denmark. Billed as the most significant meeting regarding climate change in more than a decade, the Climate Change Conference will address issues related to the global problem of rapid climate change as a result of human impact as well as ways to promote sustainability. Drawing leaders from more than 60 countries, including the United States, Germany, France, India and China, the Copenhagen conference is hoped to result in pledges by developed and developing countries to reduce human impact on nature.

Tougher environmental laws and better plans to cut emissions by all parties are necessary to promote environmentally sustainable practices around the world. Countries like India and China have recently announced ambitious emissions targets to reduce their carbon footprint, putting pressure on developed countries like the United States, Australia, United Kingdom to do likewise. England and France, meanwhile, have proposed a multi-billion dollar fund set up by developed countries to help poorer nations enact emissions cuts and promote sustainability.

After years of debate and negotiation, it is hoped that the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference will lead to a firm framework to address the root causes of climate change. Running from December 7-18, 2009, the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference will count on more than 105 heads of government in its closing stages to secure a significant climate change accord. The climate treaty that is adopted in Copenhagen will replace the last major environmental protection agreement, the Kyoto Protocal, that expires in 2012.

Ecological footprint refers to humans’ impact on our planets resources. Comparing human demand to the ability of nature to regenerate, ecological footprint measures humanity’s needs. In recent years, ecological footprint has emerged as an important matrix for quantifying sustainability. A subset of ecological footprint, carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by an organization, product or event. The measure of the environmental impact of a given product or service is also known as life-cycle analysis.

Ecological Footprint

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) publishes humanity’s ecological footprint annually. Conceived in the 1990′s by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, ecological footprint has emerged as the premier measure of the pressure exerted by humans on nature’s resources. The total ecological footprint of humans in 2005 was estimated at 1.3 earth’s, meaning it would take 1.3 planet earth’s to sustain human needs. Ecological footprint measures human demands for earth’s resources against the planet’s ability to regenerate and sustain those resources for the future. The World Wildlife Federation (WWF), meanwhile, claims that the human footprint has exceeded available natural resources by more than 20 percent.

By assessing a population’s ecological footprint, it is hoped that it will lead to better, more sustainable practices. By comparing how fast humans consume resources and produce waste to how fast nature can regenerate resources and absorb our waste using current technology, we can hope to use our resources in more environmentally sustainable ways as well as prevent over-consumption. The Global Ecological Footprint Network provides more details on the accounting methods used to calculate ecological footprint. The total ecological footprint is measured as a combination of six factors: carbon footprint, grazing footprint, fishing ground footprint, forest footprint, cropland footprint as well as built-up land.

World Map of Countries by Ecological Footprint

Reducing Ecological Footprint

The task of reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is both daunting and imperative. If we continue to use resources faster than nature’s ability to regenerate, it will ultimately lead to an unsustainable future. While improving technology will help offset humanity’s demand on nature, individuals as well as organizations must do their part in reducing our ecological footprint. Recycling and reducing our energy use will help lessen our needs. Furthermore, utilizing environmentally friendly products and sustainable life-practices, we can help bring our ecological footprint more in line with earth’s ability to regenerate.