Greenhouse Gas Inventory: Overview and workshop objective

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Greenhouse Gas Inventoryoverview and workshop
objectives
Brian Fath Department of Biological Sciences,
Towson University
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Climate Science in brief

• EM radiation from sun and earth are different due
  to temperature differences
• Some gases in the atmosphere respond to the
  differences passing sunshine, absorbing
  earthshine
• These gases are increasing in concentration
• Inventories can tell us where the gases originate

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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) Scientists sound the alarm

• Evidence in the 1960s and '70s that
  concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
  atmosphere were increasing first led
  climatologists and others to press for action. It
  took years before the international community
  responded.
• In 1988, the IPCC was created by the World
  Meteorological Organization and the UN
  Environment Programme.
• This group issued a first report in 1990
  reflecting views of 400 scientists stating that
  global warming was real and urged that something
  be done about it.
• The Panel's findings spurred governments to
  create the United Nations Framework Convention on
  Climate Change. It was ready for signature at the
  1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development
  -- the "Earth Summit" -- in Rio de Janeiro.
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• IPCC reports played a major role in the
  negotiations leading to the Kyoto Protocol in
  1997 a second, more far-reaching international
  treaty on climate change.

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  Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory for
Ohio   1990     Prepared by   Craig A.
McDonald Brian D. Fath Robert Garrick     Ohio
Department of Development Office of Energy
Efficiency   77 South High St. Columbus,
Ohio 43266
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Total (excl. biomass) 413,751,931 Tons CO2 equivalent
Equivalent Emissions of CO2 for Ohio, 1990
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• THIRTEEN YEARS AFTER THE UNFCCC at RIO
• The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16th
  February 2005 !!
• Lack of U.S. national leadership prompted much
  local action

Kyoto signatures and ratifiers
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U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection
Agreement
685 as of 9/28/2007
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Maryland Greenhouse gas inventory And climate
action Plan
http//www.mde.state.md.us/air/climatechange/index
.asp
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Baltimore County GHG inventory
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PANEL ICompleted inventories/getting started

• Issues in completing the inventory
• how did you handle scope issues?
• data difficulties?
• what would you do differently?
• is this an overestimation/underestimation?
• Institutionalizing the process, etc

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PANEL IIImplementing the Knowledge

• Campus action plans
• Mitigation strategies
• Meeting ACUPCC goals
• Networking with others in the process

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Long term Goals

• Reaching climate neutrality/sustainability
• Changing campus culture/ curriculum change
• Co-op for purchasing green energy
• Other?