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Climate ChangeReference Guide
SOURCES OF CLIMATE CHANGEMEASURING CLIMATE CHANGECONSEQUENCES OF GREENHOUSE GAS BUILDUPCLIMATE DIPLOMACYCLIMATE CHANGE GLOSSARY
 
At the heart of climate change is the greenhouse effect,in which molecules of var-ious gases trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere and keep it warm enough to supportlife. Carbon dioxide and other“greenhouse gases”(GHGs) are an important partof Earth’s natural cycles, but human activities are boosting their concentrationsin the atmosphere to dangerous levels. The result is rising global temperaturesand an unstable climate that threatens humans, economies, and ecosystems.
Climate Change Reference Guide
by Alice McKeown and Gary Gardner 
Greenhouse Gas Generated by
Carbon Dioxide (CO
2
) Fossil fuel combustion, landclearing for agriculture,cement productionMethane (CH
4
) Livestock production,extraction of fossil fuels,rice cultivation, landfills,sewageNitrous Oxide (N
2
O) Industrial processes,fertilizer useHydrofluoro- Leakage from refriger-carbons ators, aerosols, air (HFCs) conditionersF gases Perfluoro- Aluminum production,carbons semiconductor industrySulfur Hexa- Electrical insulation,fluoride (SF
6
) magnesium smelting
Global Emissions of Greenhouse Gases
The primary human-generated greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, fluorinated gases (includingCFCs), and nitrous oxide. Greenhouse gases are only one source of climate change; aerosols such as blackcarbon and land use changes such as deforestation also affect warming.
Share of Global Emissions, in CarbonDioxide Equivalent, 2004
CO
2
from fossilfuel use (56.6%)CO
2
fromdeforestation,biomassdecay, etc.(17.3%)CH
4
(14.3%)N
2
O (7.9%)F-gases (1.1%)CO
2
fromcementproductionand gasflaring(2.8%)
Source: IPCC
This is an updated version of the reference guide that originally appeared in
State of the World 2009:Into a Warming World
, published by the Worldwatch Institute.For more information about the book, please visit www.worldwatch.org/stateoftheworld.
© 2009 Worldwatch InstituteISBN 78-1-878071-88-0 (13)
     S     O     U     R     C     E     S     O     F     C     L     I     M     A     T     E     C     H     A     N     G     E
 
     M     E     A     S     U     R     I     N     G     C     L     I     M     A     T     E     C     H     A     N     G     E     S     O     U     R     C     E     S     O     F     C     L     I     M     A     T     E     C     H     A     N     G     E
Source Sample Emission-generating Activities
Energy Supply Electricity and centralized heatgeneration, resource extraction,and grid base transmission/distributionIndustry Production of metals, pulp andpaper, cement, and chemicals;petroleum refiningForestry Deforestation, decompositionof biomass that remains after loggingAgriculture Crop and livestock productionTransport Travel by car, freight truck, plane,train, or shipResidential and Heating, cooling, and electricityCommercial BuildingsWaste Landfills, incineration, wastewater 
Greenhouse Gas Sources, by Sector
Greenhouse gases come from a broad range of human activities, including energy use, changes in land use(such as deforestation), and agriculture.
Emissions by Sector, in CarbonDioxide Equivalent, 2004
Waste andwastewater (2.8%)Energy supply(25.9%)Industry(19.4%)Forestry(17.4%)Transport(13.1%)Buildings(direct emissions)(7.9%)
Source: IPCC
Agriculture(13.5%)
The Carbon Cycle
Fossil fuel burning andcement production
6.4
GtC
Land usechanges
1.6
GtC
Land sinks
2.6
GtC
Ocean sinks
2.2
GtC
     A     B     S     O     R     P     T     I     O     N     A     B     S     O     R     P     T     I     O     N     E     M     I     S     S     I     O     N     S     E     M     I     S     S     I     O     N     S
 Annual change in billions of tons of carbon (GtC)
Net increase to the atmosphere=
3.2
GtC
Source: IPCC
Carbon flows among land, sea, and the atmosphere. But human activities since the mid-eighteenth centuryhave changed carbon flows in ways that have lasting implications for the climate. This graphic depicts changesto global carbon flows in the 1990s relative to the preindustrial state.
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