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1 Your web browser (Safari 7) is out of date. For more security, comfort and the best experience on this site: Update your browser Ignore GLO BAL CARBO N EMISSIO NS Investigate carbon dioxide emissions using the MapMaker Interactive For the complete mapmaker interactive with media resources, visit: Carbon dioxide (CO ) is a trace gas in the Earth s atmosphere. It is also found in large quantities dissolved in the world s oceans. It is a byproduct of cellular respiration and is an essential component of photosynthesis plants, algae, and certain types of bacteria remove it from the air in the process of carbon fixation. Carbon dioxide is also a greenhouse gas produced as a byproduct of human activities. Burning fossil fuels coal, oil, and natural gas is the number one source of global CO emissions. In 009, the world got more than 80% of its energy from fossil fuels. Sixteen countries got 99% or more of their energy from fossil fuels. Electricity, heat production, and transportation are the biggest sources of global CO emissions. Broken down by fuel type, the single largest source of global CO emissions is the consumption of coal, followed by petroleum, then natural gas. CO, like other greenhouse gases, is found naturally in the Earth s atmosphere. Scientists believe that the concentration of CO in the Earth s atmosphere remained relatively stable for thousands of years at roughly 80 parts per million (ppm). However, since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, human activity has significantly increased the atmospheric concentration. Today, the concentration of CO in the atmosphere stands at about 390ppm an increase of over 30%. This map layer shows average annual CO emissions per capita in metric tons 1 of 6

2 for each country from The data come from the United States Energy Information Administration. Questions Based on what you see in the MapMaker Interactive, which world region emits the most CO per capita? Which region emits the least? North America, not including Central American and the Caribbean, emits by far the most CO per person, mostly because of the United States and Canada. Overall, Africa emits the least. Thirty-one countries in Africa emit less than 1 metric ton of CO per person each year. Why is it important to monitor CO emissions? CO is a greenhouse gas a gas that traps heat from the sun inside the Earth s atmosphere, warming the surface of the Earth. Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change, which has multiple irreversible effects of Earth s atmospheric and oceanic conditions. Between 006 and 010, Canada and the Caribbean island chain of St. Vincent and the Grenadines emitted the same amount of CO per capita about 17 metric tons person. However, during the same time, Canada emitted more than,000 times as much total CO as St. Vincent and the Grenadines. How is this possible? Per capita is a Latin phrase that translates to "for each head", or per person. CO emissions per capita is the total amount of CO emitted by a country divided by the number of people in that country. Because Canada has a much larger population than St. Vincent and the Grenadines, they emit the same amount of CO per person even though Canada emits much more overall. Fast Facts From 006 to 010, the United States emitted the most total CO per person at metric tons (105.3 tons). Chad emitted the least at under 0.13 of 6

3 metric tons (0.145 tons) per person. This means that the United States emitted 74 times as much CO per person as Chad. Human activities have contributed significantly to the rising concentration of CO in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. For this reason, many scientists refer to climate change as an anthropogenic trend. Anthropos is Greek for human, while -genic means to produce or cause something. Anthropogenic climate change, therefore, means climate change caused by human activity. The United Nations Kyoto Protocol holds 37 industrialized countries including Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. However, it imposes no restrictions on emerging economic powers like China and India. Since the United States never ratified the agreement and China was not covered in the terms, the Protocol does not address the two largest emitters of CO. Canada, the seventh-largest emitter of CO in 008, eventually withdrew from the agreement. Talks to extend the Kyoto Protocol at UN Climate Change Conferences in Copenhagen, Cancun, Durban, and Doha have resulted in the development of a second commitment period and a framework for a more potent treaty, set to begin in 015, but it is not yet clear what reductions China or the United States will commit to. Coal is the fossil fuel that emits the most CO when used to generate electricity. Coal-burning facilities emit an average of 1,00 kilograms (,49 pounds) of CO for every megawatt hour of electricity generated. Oil emits 758 kilograms (1,67 pounds) and natural gas emits 515 kilograms (1,135 pounds) of CO per megawatt hour of electricity generated. Alternative energy sources like wind or hydroelectric power emit a negligible amount of CO during electricity production. One of the best things people can do to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions is prevent deforestation. Forests act as carbon sinks, meaning they can store carbon dioxide before it reaches the outer layers of the Earth's atmosphere 3 of 6

4 and contributes to global warming. Vocabulary algae Term anthropogenic source atmosphere bacteria byproduct carbon cycle Part of Speech plural plural carbon dioxide carbon emission carbon fixation cellular respiration 4 of 6 Definition (singular: alga) diverse group of aquatic organisms, the largest of which are seaweeds. caused by people. layers of gases surrounding a planet or other celestial body. (singular: bacterium) single-celled organisms found in every ecosystem on Earth. substance that is created by the production of another material. series of processes in which carbon (C) atoms circulate through Earth's land, ocean, atmosphere, and interior. greenhouse gas produced by animals during respiration and used by plants during photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is also the byproduct of burning fossil fuels. carbon compound (such as carbon dioxide) released into the atmosphere, often through human activity such as the burning of fossil fuels such as coal or gas. method plants use to attach carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to a chemical (RuBP) in order to start the process of photosynthesis. process by which cells turn nutrients into useful energy. coal dark, solid fossil fuel mined from the earth. commercial adjective having to do with the buying and selling of goods and services.

5 Term Part of Speech Definition concentration measure of the amount of a substance or grouping in a specific place. deforestation destruction or removal of forests and their undergrowth. dissolve verb to break up or disintegrate. emission discharge or release. emit verb to give off or send out. fossil fuel coal, oil, or natural gas. Fossil fuels formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals. gas in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, greenhouse methane, water vapor, and ozone, that absorbs solar gas heat reflected by the surface of the Earth, warming the atmosphere. industrial adjectivehaving to do with factories or mechanical production. change in economic and social activities, beginning in Industrial the 18th century, brought by the replacement of hand Revolution tools with machinery and mass production. Kyoto Protocol (1997) international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. mitigate verb to lower the severity of a natural or human condition. natural gas type of fossil fuel made up mostly of the gas methane. oil fossil fuel formed from the remains of marine plants and animals. Also known as petroleum or crude oil. per capita adjectivefor each individual. photosynthesis process by which plants turn water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide into water, oxygen, and simple sugars. Articles & Profiles NPR: What Countries Are Doing to Tackle Climate Change National Geographic Education: Working with Nature to Slow Global Warming 5 of 6

6 Websites National Geographic: The Great Energy Challenge Environmental Protection Agency: Household Carbon Footprint Calculator NASA: Global Climate Change Effects: The current and future consequences of global change National Geographic Society. All rights reserved. 6 of 6