The Environment
The constituents of global greenhouse gas emissions (those gasses which contribute to global warming) can be seen below:
Figure 1.4: Global Greenhouse Gs Emissions by Gas
Click for a text description of this image.
Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Gas
Source |
2010 Data |
Carbon Dioxide (fossil fuels and industrial processes) |
65% |
Carbon Dioxide (forestry and other land use) |
11% |
Methane |
16% |
Nitrous Oxide |
6% |
Flourinated Gasses |
2% |
To see just how much the energy sector contributes to these emissions, please see below.
Note: The pie chart below is interactive. You can click on sectors of the chart to see the proportions within a sector or category.
Figure 1.5: Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector (%)
Click for a text description of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector
Table 1: Energy Sector Emissions
Sector |
Category |
Industry Sub-sector |
Emissions % |
Energy
(73.2%) |
Used in Industry
(24.2%) |
Other |
10.6 |
Iron and Steel |
7.2 |
Chemical and Petrochemical |
3.6 |
Food and Tobacco |
1.0 |
Non Ferrous |
0.7 |
Paper Pulp |
0.6 |
Machinery |
0.5 |
Used in Buildings
(17.5%) |
Residential |
10.9 |
Commercial |
6.6 |
Transportation
(16.2%) |
Road |
11.9 |
Aviation |
1.9 |
Shipping |
1.7 |
Rail |
0.4 |
Pipeline |
0.3 |
Unallocated Fuel Combustion |
|
7.8 |
Fugitive Emissions |
|
5.8 |
Agriculture & Fishing |
|
1.7 |
Agriculture
(18.4%) |
Livestock and Manure |
|
5.8 |
Agricultural Soils |
|
4.1 |
Crop Burning |
|
3.5 |
Deforestation |
|
2.2 |
Cropland |
|
1.4 |
Rice Cultivation |
|
1.3 |
Grassland |
|
0.1 |
Industry
(5.2%) |
Cement |
|
3.0 |
Chemicals |
|
2.2 |
Waste
(3.2%) |
Landfills |
|
1.9 |
Wastewater |
|
1.3 |
Hopefully, it becomes apparent that to address the threat of global warming, addressing the greenhouse gas intensity of the energy sector is paramount. In order to address this intensity, we must understand how the markets for energy work. This understanding helps us to make better decisions as we are confronted with choices to make in our professions.