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Global climate change: the quantifiable sustainability challenge.

Frank T Princiotta, Daniel H Loughlin

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995)

|October 7, 2014

Summary

Urgent, drastic reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are essential to mitigate climate change. Achieving these goals requires fundamental energy system transformations and rapid development of new technologies like carbon capture and renewable energy.

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Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Climate Science
Energy Policy

Background:

Global population growth and increased demand for energy and resources are driving unsustainable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Current emission trends align with worst-case climate change scenarios, necessitating immediate and significant emission reductions.

Purpose of the Study:

To review research linking climate change to increasing GHG emissions and discuss necessary mitigation targets.
To examine technological pathways, barriers, and modeling results for achieving emission reductions.
To highlight the monumental challenge of transforming the global energy system to avert catastrophic climate change.

Main Methods:

Literature review of research on climate change, GHG emissions, and mitigation technologies.
Analysis of global and US. modeling results for emission reduction pathways.
Discussion of technological advancements in carbon capture, storage, renewable energy, nuclear power, and transportation.

Main Results:

Increasing global temperatures are directly tied to rising GHG emissions.
Achieving necessary emission reduction targets is challenged by population growth and developing nations' energy intensity.
Radical transformation of electric and mobile sectors is required, alongside advancements in carbon capture, renewables, nuclear, and transportation technologies.

Conclusions:

Mitigating catastrophic climate change demands an aggressive, coordinated, and timely global transformation of the energy system.
Rapid development and deployment of new technologies are critical for success.
Even with mitigation, significant adaptation to climate change will be necessary.