Greenhouse Gases In Earth Research Articles

A Synopsis on CO2 Capture by Synthetic Hydrogen Bonding Receptors.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere and responsible for global warming. Therefore, aerial CO2 capture and sequestration has become a major task for human community. Though several adsorbents for CO2 including activated carbon, zeolites, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and other surface-modified porous materials are well developed, the supramolecular approaches using synthetic hydrogen-bonding receptors are less explored. This review article highlights the synthetic development of various artificial receptors and their properties toward fixation of aerial CO2 as carbonate (CO3 2-), bicarbonate (HCO3 -), or carbamate (-NHCOO-/>NCOO-) ions, induced by excess fluoride (F-) or hydroxide (OH-) ions as their tetrabutylammonium salts. The utilization of encapsulated carbonate/bicarbonate/carbamate complexes in anion exchange metathesis for separation of oxyanions from aqueous solutions are also discussed. In addition, the release of CO2 and regeneration of receptor molecules are described in a number of occasions. Most importantly, the formation of anion complexes as crystalline materials in solid-state is described in terms of supramolecular chemistry and correlated with their solution-state properties. Finally, the types of receptors containing various functional groups are scrutinized in CO2 uptake, storage, and release processes and hints of endeavours for future research are delineated.

Fe-MOF-74 Reactivity Explored: Comprehensive Computational Assessment of O and S Atom Influence on CO2 and CO Reduction Reactions

The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) into higher-value materials is crucial for addressing escalating levels of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Employing first-principles methods, we investigated the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 and CO on two Fe-based MOFs: Fe2DOBDC and Fe2DSBDC. By directly comparing these MOFs, we aimed to discern the impact of introducing S atoms into the framework without changing the topological framework. Several chemical properties such as electronegativity, atomic radius, polarizability, and charge density are expected to lead to significant changes for the reduction reactions upon the replacement of O atoms with S atoms. CM5 atomic charge analysis highlights some of these differences by showing the equatorial Fe-O/S bonds of Fe2DSBDC are less polarized and result in smaller positive and negative charges on the Fe and O/S atoms, respectively. Additionally, the larger S atoms are expected to weaken adsorbate binding due to less favorable van der Waals interactions near the open-metal Fe site. Consequently, the less electropositive Fe site and the larger S atoms of Fe2DSBDC impede the adsorption of reduced CO2 and CO products, while the more electropositive Fe site and smaller O atoms of Fe2DOBDC strongly favor product adsorption. This implies that CO2 and CO reduction on Fe2DSBDC is likely to yield only 2e- products (HCOOH and CH2O, respectively), whereas Fe2DOBDC is expected to produce deeper reduction products (CH2O and CH4, respectively). This insight offers a foundation for constructing novel MOFs with tunable reaction behaviors by strategically replacing O atoms with heavier S atoms in the MOF scaffold.

Impact of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and related temperature rise on wildlife population: A modeling study

Climate change is driven by the increase in greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), leading to a rise in the global average temperature. This temperature rise unleash far-reaching and profound consequences on various living organisms. In this research work, we formulate a nonlinear mathematical model to perceive the impact of rising temperature on wildlife species. In formulating the model, we take into account that the escalating CO2 concentration contributes to a rise in the global average temperature, thereby impacting the growth rate of wildlife population. We pinpoint the sufficient conditions for all the dynamic variables to reach their simultaneous equilibrium levels. The model analysis reveals a spectrum of bifurcations, including transcritical, Hopf, saddle–node, and Bogdanov–Takens bifurcations. Further, the examination of transcritical bifurcation led to the identification of a critical reduction rate of wildlife species due to human activities above which the wildlife population may teeter on the brink of extinction under the considered stressor of temperature rise. This extinction of wildlife species can be avoided by increasing the carrying capacity of forest biomass. Also, we have shown that for a specific set of parameter values, there exists a bistability between the forest-wildlife free equilibrium and the coexisting equilibrium.

To be green and profitable

In 2008, my boss, C&EN editor in chief Rudy Baum, asked me to write the opening story for a special issue of the magazine devoted to sustainability. My piece laid out the chemical industry’s argument that while the industry had caused a lot of society’s environmental problems, it was also the source of many of the solutions. Fifteen years later, we still have a lot of environmental problems. Plastic waste, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and chlorinated solvents are just a few products of the chemical industry that society is grappling with today. Yet, more so than 15 years ago, there’s general agreement that our world’s most overarching environmental problem is the buildup of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Global warming was on the radar back then, and it was a problem that industry executives said they could address. But today, it dominates public discussion of the environment like no

Why the Forcing from Carbon Dioxide Scales as the Logarithm of Its Concentration

Abstract The radiative forcing from carbon dioxide is approximately logarithmic in its concentration, producing about 4 W m−2 of global-mean forcing for each doubling. Although these are basic facts of climate science, competing explanations for them have been given in the literature. Here, the reasons for the logarithmic forcing of carbon dioxide are explored in detail and a simplified model for the forcing is constructed. An essential component is the particular distribution of absorption coefficients within the 15-μm band of carbon dioxide. An alternative explanation, which does not depend on the spectrum of carbon dioxide but instead hinges on the tropospheric lapse rate, is shown to be neither necessary nor sufficient to explain the logarithmic forcing of carbon dioxide and to be generally inapplicable to well-mixed greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere.

Transformative Role of Power Electronics: In solving climate emergency

Long term shifts in weather patterns and temperature are referred to as climate change. Hotter temperatures, more severe storms, increased droughts, food and water insecurity, and economic disruption, etc. are all due to climate change. According to NASA, &#x201C;<i>Human activities (primarily the burning of fossil fuels) have fundamentally increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth&#x2019;s atmosphere, warming the plane</i>t&#x201D; <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1">[1]</xref>. One of the most difficult challenges faced by humanity is to solve the climate emergency <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2">[2]</xref>. In addition to the climate emergency, the drive to transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy has taken on a new urgency as a result of Russia&#x2019;s assault on Ukraine <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3">[3]</xref>. The recent Glasgow summit left a huge hole in addressing the challenges of climate change <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref4">[4]</xref>. In order to avoid more than 1.5&#x00B0;C of eventual warming, the 2030 goal of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be further reduced by approximately 17&#x2013;20 bn tones <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref4">[4]</xref>. Daring and transformative economic transformations are required to save humanity. There are fundamental differences between green and clean energy sources. Free fuel and renewable green energy sources such as solar and wind have negligible negative impact on the environment and require minimum use of water in electric power generation. On the other hand, clean energy source such as nuclear energy does not produce GHG emission during electric power generation, but mining, extraction, and long-term radioactive waste storage are threats to the environment, and Uranium is a nonrenewable resource. In addition, nuclear energy requires massive amount of water in electric power generation. Thus, renewable, and free fuel-based solar and wind power that have minimal negative impact on the environment are considered as green sustainable power. From safety (death rate from accidents and pollution) <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref5">[5]</xref>, minimum GHG emissions <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref5">[5]</xref>, negligible use of water in electric power generation <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref6">[6]</xref>, photovoltaics (PV) and wind power provide lowest cost <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref5">[5]</xref> of electric power generation. In 2020, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced that solar power is now the cheapest form of energy <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref7">[7]</xref>. The cost of electric power generation by photovoltaics has reached as low as $0.0104/kWh <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref8">[8]</xref>. The use of these green sustainable energy sources in place of fossil fuels is the only economical solution to address climate emergency. The objective of this article is to show that power electronics has the potential to achieve the goal of electrifying almost everything by green sustainable energy sources and providing a solution to our shared climate emergency.

Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Formate on Nanoparticulated Bi−Sn−Sb Electrodes

AbstractHuman activities during the last century have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), and the impacts of climate change around the world are becoming more damaging. Therefore, scientific research is needed to mitigate the consequences of atmospheric CO2, and, among others, the electrochemical CO2 conversion to useful chemicals is one of the most interesting alternatives. Herein, different Bi, Sn and Sb systems were synthesised as nanoparticles, supported on carbon (Vulcan XC‐72R) and finally used to manufacture electrodes. The Bi−Sn−Sb nanoparticulated systems and their corresponding electrodes were characterised by TEM, XPS, ICP‐OES and SEM. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate was performed in an electrochemical H‐type cell in a CO2‐saturated KHCO3 and KCl solution. The Bi−Sn−Sb electrodes exhibited good activity and selectivity for the CO2 reduction towards formate. Particularly, Bi95Sb05/C and Bi80Sn10Sb10/C electrodes showed improved stability compared to previous works, keeping values of formate efficiency over 50 % after 24 h.

The solar shield concept: Current status and future possibilities

The concept of deploying a large solar shield, or sunshade, near the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange equilibrium point was first proposed in 1989. The purpose of such a solar shade would be to reduce the quantity of solar radiation impinging on planet Earth, thus lowering the average global surface temperature and countering, to some extent, global warming. This form of solar radiation management seems to be one of the safest and most efficient methods proposed to date but also seems to be extremely expensive and perhaps too difficult to implement in a timely manner. The near-term arrival of cheap, re-useable launch vehicles may be able to address both of these concerns. Depending on the assumptions made, deploying a solar shield near the Sun-Earth L1 point might actually be feasible in the near term and would be able to slow, stop, or even reverse Earth's global warming, even in the face of increasing levels of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere. Solar radiation management doesn't address other environmental issues, such as the acidification of the world's oceans, but it does address the more urgent issue of impending global warming and the resulting climate change, thus buying time for the World's economies to transition to more sustainable, carbon-free energy sources. The infrastructure necessary to construct and deploy a large solar shield will probably be space-based and could be useful for many other purposes after deployment of the solar shield.

Aerosols enhance cloud lifetime and brightness along the stratus-to-cumulus transition

Anthropogenic aerosols are hypothesized to enhance planetary albedo and offset some of the warming due to the buildup of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere. Aerosols can enhance the coverage, reflectance, and lifetime of warm low-level clouds. However, the relationship between cloud lifetime and aerosol concentration has been challenging to measure from polar orbiting satellites. We estimate two timescales relating to the formation and persistence of low-level clouds over [Formula: see text] spatial domains using multiple years of geostationary satellite observations provided by the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Synoptic (SYN) product. Lagrangian trajectories spanning several days along the classic stratus-to-cumulus transition zone are stratified by aerosol optical depth and meteorology. Clouds forming in relatively polluted trajectories tend to have lighter precipitation rates, longer average lifetime, and higher cloud albedo and cloud fraction compared with unpolluted trajectories. While liquid water path differences are found to be negligible, we find direct evidence of increased planetary albedo primarily through increased drop concentration ([Formula: see text]) and cloud fraction, with the caveat that the aerosol influence on cloud fraction is positive only for stable atmospheric conditions. While the increase in cloud fraction can be large typically in the beginning of trajectories, the Twomey effect accounts for the bulk (roughly 3/4) of the total aerosol indirect radiative forcing estimate.

Design and evaluation of CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; observation network to optimize surface CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; fluxes in Asia using observation system simulation experiments

Abstract. Continuous efforts have been made to monitor atmospheric CO2 mole fractions as it is one of the most influential greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere. The atmospheric CO2 mole fractions are mostly determined by CO2 exchanges at the Earth's surface (i.e., surface CO2 flux). Inverse modeling, which is a method to estimate the CO2 exchanges at the Earth's surface, derives surface CO2 fluxes using modeled and observed atmospheric CO2 mole fraction data. Although observation data are crucial for successful modeling, comparatively fewer in situ observation sites are located in Asia compared to Europe or North America. Based on the importance of the terrestrial ecosystem of Asia for global carbon exchanges, more observation stations and an effective observation network design are required. In this paper, several observation network experiments were conducted to optimize the surface CO2 flux of Asia using CarbonTracker and observation system simulation experiments (OSSEs). The impacts of the redistribution of and additions to the existing observation network of Asia were evaluated using hypothetical in situ observation sites. In the case of the addition experiments, 10 observation stations, which is a practical number for real implementation, were added through three strategies: random addition, the influence matrix (i.e., self-sensitivity), and ecoregion information within the model. The simulated surface CO2 flux in Asia in summer can be improved by redistributing the existing observation network. The addition experiments revealed that considering both the distribution of normalized self-sensitivity and ecoregion information can yield better simulated surface CO2 fluxes compared to random addition, regardless of the season. This study provides a diagnosis of the existing observation network and useful information for future observation network design in Asia to estimate the surface CO2 flux and also suggests the use of an influence matrix for designing CO2 observation networks. Unlike other previous observation network studies with many numerical experiments for optimization, comparatively fewer experiments were required in this study. Thus, the methodology used in this study may be used for designing observation networks for monitoring greenhouse gases at both continental and global scales.

The accelerating rate of global change

The Earth’s surface temperature represents a balance between incoming solar energy, partial reflection (planetary albedo) and reradiation from the planet modified by the greenhouse effect of atmospheric gases having three or more atoms per molecule. Over the past 6,000 years the Earth’s surface temperatures have remained remarkably stable. However during the last century it became increasingly apparent that human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels were affecting the planet and causing global warming. The perturbation of climate brought on by humans has been recognized by the proposal of the terms Anthropocene or Anthropogene for the period since the beginning of the industrial revolution or even earlier, when CO2 levels began to rise rather than decline after the beginning of the current interglacial. There are four major greenhouse gases in Earth’s lower atmospheric layer, the troposphere: water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The atmospheric content of water vapor is controlled by temperature, so its distribution is restricted to the tropics and subtropics and lower part of the troposphere. Methane and nitrous oxide both have short atmospheric lifetimes of a decade or two. However, CO2 introduced into the atmosphere has a lifetime of tens of thousands of years or more. Burning of fossil fuels has increased the level of atmospheric CO2 by about 45 % over the level prior to the industrial revolution. The increasing greenhouse effect is augmented by a series of feedbacks, most positive (+), but a few negative (−), which have appeared in the climate system: Changes in (1) the thermohaline circulation system (+ or −); (2) the Atlantic to Pacific vapor transport (+); (3) Arctic river runoff (+); (4) melting of Arctic sea ice (+); (5) the ice-albedo feedback (+); (6) addition of methane from melting permafrost (+); (7) changes in the rate of ocean mixing (+); (8) changes in vegetation (+ or −); (9) wildfires (+); (10) soot accumulation on snow and ice (+); (11) accelerated melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (+); (12) decay of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (+); (13) expansion of Southern Ocean sea ice (−), and perhaps an additional potential feedback, (14) slowing the rate of organic matter sinking into the deep ocean (+). ‘Global dimming’ refers to a decrease in insolation reaching the surface of the Earth as a result of introduction of aerosols into the atmosphere, resulting in pauses in the general greenhouse warming. The increasingly chaotic weather is an indication that the Earth’s climate system is becoming unstable in response to the ongoing perturbation.

Genetic aspects of enteric methane emission in ruminants livestock

This review summarizes the importance of enteric methane (CH 4 ) emission in ruminants and relevant to the current on knowledge relevant to genetic aspects of enteric CH 4 production, highlighting future research needs and directions. Global average temperature has increased by about 0.7°C in the last century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG), including carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), CH 4 , nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and halocarbons, have been responsible for most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the twentieth century. Agriculture, particularly livestock, is increasingly being recognized as both a contributor to the process and a potential victim of it. Policy interventions and technical solutions are required to address both the impact of livestock production on climate change and the effects of climate change on livestock production. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), declared that in the next 50 years, the world’s farmers will be called upon to produce more food than has been produced in the past 10,000 years, and to do so in environmentally sustainable ways. Therefore, the GHG reduction should be treated as a public good. The United States congress is prospecting to define a price on GHG emissions. Limiting the concentration of CO 2 and other GHG in Earth’s atmosphere requires a technological and economic revolution. A cost-effective way could be the genetic improvement of livestock, which produces permanent and cumulative changes in performance. Animal variation in enteric CH 4 emission has been reported in the literature, providing potential for improvement through genetic selection.

Climate Change

Atmospheric physicists show us that rising concentrations of certain greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere should raise the temperature of the planet at rates, times, and places that are consistent with recent observations of ongoing climate change—that is, global warming. The unfolding impacts of this climate change will affect human habitation, health, and economics, and the persistence of various species in natural ecosystems during the course of this century. Much debate stems from what to do about these impacts, focusing on the cost of changing our energy infrastructure that is now dominated by fossil fuels. Alternative futures exist, but it will take great leadership to guide us to a sustainable future before we experience huge destructive impacts on the environment of our only planetary home.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration: A Potential "Win-Win" for the Oil Industry and the Public

Public Policy Focus - The status of carbon capture and sequestration. In 1972, the first commercial carbon dioxide (CO2) flood project in the world began with the injection of CO2 into the Scurry Area Canyon Reef Operators Committee (SACROC) unit in the Permian Basin in Scurry County, Texas. The goal was simple: To arrest declining oil production and recover bypassed reserves. Today, nearly 40 years later, CO2 injection is being considered on a much wider scale, and for a different purpose altogether: To help arrest an increase in the average surface temperature of the planet. CO2, among other gases such as methane and nitrous oxide, is a “greenhouse gas,” a gas that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere by absorbing and emitting radiation within the thermal infrared range, causing a greenhouselike warming effect. The presence of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere is vital, for without them, Earth’s surface would be on average about 59°F colder than at present. CO2 is also a key ingredient that nourishes plant life through photosynthesis.

Natural signals in the MSU lower tropospheric temperature record

Volcanic and ENSO forcings explain nearly two‐thirds (63.5%) of the variance in monthly global temperature anomalies in the MSU lower tropospheric temperature observations from 1979 through 1999. While the raw trend in the drift‐adjusted 1979–99 global data is a statistically significant warming of 0.055°C/decade, the combination of volcanism and ENSO account for 25.4% of this trend, or 0.014°C/decade. The remaining trend, 0.041°C/decade, is left unexplained, likely comprising a combination of factors including the anthropogenic alterations to the collection of the earth's greenhouse gases, solar variability, and other forcings internal to the earth/atmosphere system. A recent widely cited attempt to explain the discrepancy between the rate of the observed increase in lower tropospheric MSU temperatures and the much larger value predicted by general circulation models weakens considerably when the known natural forcing mechanisms are more completely specified.

Sensitivity of greenhouse summer dryness to changes in plant rooting characteristics

A possible consequence of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere is “summer dryness,” a decrease of summer plant‐available soil water in middle latitudes, caused by increased availability of energy to drive evapotranspiration. Results from a numerical climate model indicate that summer dryness and related changes of land‐surface water balances are highly sensitive to possible concomitant changes of plant‐available water‐holding capacity of soil, which depends on plant rooting depth and density. The model suggests that a 14% decrease of the soil volume whose water is accessible to plant roots would generate the same summer dryness, by one measure, as an equilibrium doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Conversely, a 14% increase of that soil volume would be sufficient to offset the summer dryness associated with carbon‐dioxide doubling. Global and regional changes in rooting depth and density may result from (1) plant and plant‐community responses to greenhouse warming, to carbon‐dioxide fertilization, and to associated changes in the water balance and (2) anthropogenic deforestation and desertification. Given their apparently critical role, heretofore ignored, in global hydroclimatic change, such changes of rooting characteristics should be carefully evaluated using ecosystem observations, theory, and models.

Potential Effects of Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases on Avian Habitats and Populations in the Northern Great Plains

Biotic response to the buildup of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere is considerably more complex than an adjustment to changing temperature and precipitation. The fertilization effect CO2 has on some plants, the impact UVB radiation has on health and productivity of organisms, and the resulting changes in competitive balance and trophic structure must also be considered. The intent of this paper is to review direct and indirect effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gases on wildlife, and to explore possible effects on populations of birds and their habitats in the northern Great Plains. Many of the potential effects of increasing greenhouse gases, such as declining plant nutritional value, changes in timing of insect emergence, and fewer and saltier wetlands, foreshadow a decline in avian populations on the Great Plains. However, other possible effects such as increased drought resistance and water use efficiency of vegetation, longer growing seasons, and greater overall plant biomass promise at least some mitigation. Effects of multiple simultaneous perturbations such as can be expected under doubled CO2 scenarios will require substantial basic research to clarify.

The greenhouse effect and US landfill methane

The author estimates likely greenhouse contributions of methane emissions from solid waste landfills in the USA. These emissions appear significant: their effect, evaluated over the short term (< 10 years), is to add the order of 1 % to the total annual Increase of radiative forcing due to build-up of all green-house gases in Earth's atmosphere. Costs to mitigate landfill methane emissions were also estimated. Such costs appear quite low compared to those of most carbon dioxide mitigation approaches giving comparable benefit. This work, while preliminary, suggests landfill methane abatement is one of the more cost-effective measures that can be taken to address a component of the greenhouse problem.

An annotated bibliography on the greenhouse effect and climate change

The literature on climate change from an enhanced greenhouse effect is large and growing rapidly. The problems considered are increasingly inter-disciplinary. For these reasons many workers will find useful pointers to the literature in the fields interacting with, but outside of, their own. We present here an annotated bibliography on issues relating to changes in the concentrations of Earth's greenhouse gases. The areas covered include theory and numerical modelling of climate change; cycles involving carbon dioxide and other radiatively important trace gases; observations of climate change and the problems associated with those observations; paleoclimatology as it relates to previous changes in the greenhouse gases; the impacts on and interactions with managed and natural ecosystems from climate change; policy issues related to climate change and to the limitation of climate change; history of the study of the greenhouse effect; and some other causes of climate change. Selection of papers has been made to facilitate rapid introduction to most of the important issues and findings in an area. Over 600 articles, reports, and books are discussed.