Climate Change Causes

Eduardo Rodriguez & Tobit Rincn

Mining

Quick Facts

Expanding mines, coal fires, subsidence,

contaminated water
Acid drainage
US-Coal 18% of energy
US-24.5% of CO2 emission
Global-Coal 29.7% of energy
Global-44% of CO2 emissions
Methane-MMTCO2e: China 299.5, USA 59.0,
Russia 55.2

Chemicals Involved

Methane(CH4)
Cyanide(CN) and sulfuric acid(H2SO4)
Nitric acid(HNO3)
Ammonium nitrate(NH4NO3)and fuel
oil(C10H20)(ANFO)
Mercury(HgO), uranium(U), and lead(Pb(NO3)2)
Gasoline(C4-C12), diesel fuel(C12H23), and
exhaust fumes
Acetylene(C2H2)

Chemical Reactions

Gold Cyanidation: 4 Au + 8 NaCN + O2 + 2H2O

4 Na[Au(CN)2] + 4NaOH
Acid Mine Drainage: 2FeS2(s) + 7O2(g) + 2H2O(l)
2Fe2+(aq) + 4SO42(aq) + 4H+(aq)
Methane Combustion: CH4 + 2 O2 CO2 +
2H2O (H = 891 k J/mol
Sulfuric Acid with metals:
Fe (s) + H2SO4 (aq) H2 (g) + FeSO 4 (aq)

Solutions

The Global Methane Initiative (GMI)

China/Usa: Global VAM Projects, the
thermal flow reversal reactor technology. (
reduce emissions by 180,000 MTCO2E
annually)
China: Liquefying CMM for Energy Use( 2.93
MTCO2E of emissions reductions annually and
44 MTCO2E over its 15-year lifetime.)

Population Growth

Quick Facts

1999-2001: +1 Billion
+70 million every year
2x or 3x production to keep
35% ice-free agriculture
60x larger than cities
Biggest use of water = irrigation
Clearing forests 30% unsustainable CO2

Chemicals Involved

Nitrogen Fertilizer
Industrial fertilizer 2x flows of nitrogen (N) &
phosphorus (P) compounds
Causes water pollution & degradation of lakes &
rivers

NH4NO3 + CaMg (CO3)2

Solutions

African Soil Information Service

Developing continent-wide digital soil maps

Uses analysis, statistics, field trials and
crowdsourcing
Key to planning natural resource management

Hydroponics - Japan

Fish provide plant nutrition

Fish waste metabolites - nitrification and uptake by
plants
Requires -95% water/ traditional horticulture

Drones - Dubai

Reduce reliance on fertilizers and boosts yields

Air Pollution

Quick Facts

Intro of chemicals, particulates and biological

materials atmosphere = discomfort,
disease, death or damage
Inhaling -1 or -2 years of life
Not recent, 1952 = Great Smog of London
8000 x_x
Biggest concentration = Northern Africa,
Middle East, eastern Asia

Chemicals Involved

Ground Level Ozone

Chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
and volatile organic compounds (VOC)

Particulate Matter

Sulphate- SO42 Nitrate- NO3-

Carbon Monoxide - CO
Lead - Pb
Sulfur Dioxide - SO2
Nitrogen Dioxide - NO2

Solutions

Photovoltaic Systems
Solar electric systems
Zero air pollution,
hazardous wastes, noise.
Light solar cell
electrons knocked loose
from atoms of
semiconductor can be
captured as an electric
current
China, Germany, Japan

Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Batteries
Most promising project =
Japan
Residential fuel systems
used to provide heat and
power in homes
Net Reaction = 2H2 + O2
2H2O

Causes problems in
human respiratory
systems

Citations
"40 Facts About Air Pollution - Conserve Energy Future." ConserveEnergyFuture. 13
Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Sept. 2016.
"About Coal Mining Impacts." Greenpeace International. Web. 02 Sept. 2016.
"Coal." Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Web. 02 Sept. 2016.
"Criteria Air Pollutants." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 02 Sept. 2016.

Citations
Dunbar, Brian. "New Map Offers a Global View of Health-Sapping Air
Pollution." NASA. NASA, 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 02 Sept. 2016.
Lal, R. "Soil Carbon Sequestration Impacts on Global Climate Change and Food
Security." Science 304.5677 (2004): 1623-627. Print.
Team, Postconsumers Content. "Postconsumers Content Team." Educational

Articles and Tips from Postconsumers. 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 02 Sept. 2016.

Citations