학술논문

How China's Options Will Determine Global Warming.
Document Type
Article
Source
Challenges (20781547). 2014, Vol. 5 Issue 1, p1-25. 25p.
Subject
*GLOBAL warming
*CARBON dioxide & the environment
*EMISSIONS (Air pollution)
*FOSSIL fuels & the environment
*ENVIRONMENTAL engineering
*ELECTRIC power production
Language
ISSN
2078-1547
Abstract
Carbon dioxide emissions, global average temperature, atmospheric CO2+ concentrations, and surface ocean mixed layer acidity are extrapolated using analyses calibrated against extensive time series data for nine global regions. Extrapolation of historical trends without policy-driven limitations has China responsible for about half of global CO2+ emissions by the middle of the twenty-first century. Results are presented for three possible actions taken by China to limit global average temperature increase to levels it considers to be to its advantage: (1) Help develop low-carbon energy technology broadly competitive with unbridled carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels; (2) Entice other countries to join in limiting use of what would otherwise be economically competitive fossil fuels; (3) Apply geo-engineering techniques such as stratospheric sulfur injection to limit global average temperature increase, without a major global reduction in carbon emissions. Taking into account China's expected influence and approach to limiting the impact of anthropogenic climate change allows for a narrower range of possible outcomes than for a set of scenarios that are not constrained by analysis of likely policy-driven limitations. While China could hold back on implementing geoengineering given a remarkable amount of international cooperation on limiting fossil carbon burning, an outcome where geoengineering is used to delay the perceived need to limit the atmospheric CO2+ concentration may be difficult to avoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]