In this blog, we are constantly referring to Climate Change and measures that can reduce its effects. It has been awhile since we re-examined the basic facts about Climate Change and whether it has changed and just how strong the effect is. Here is a brief discussion so you can talk about this with your bosses and colleagues and share with your children! These facts have been published by mainstream organizations who study and measure this, such as the USEPA, the World Resources Institute, the World Watch Institute, NASA, and the US Green Building Council.
• 97% all scientists in this field agree that warming trends over the past century are very likely caused by human activity.
• The main greenhouse gas, CO2, trapping radiation and releasing it as heat, causing this overall global warming trend reached levels exceeding its historic, stable atmospheric concentration of the previous 400,000 years beginning around 1950, and continuing to grow since. The average concentration of CO2 is about 407 ppm, well above the historic stable concentration of 270 ppm.
• The average worldwide temperature increase in the last century is 1.5°F. This doesn’t appear to be much, but consider the huge circumference of the Earth and 50,000 feet above the entire surface. That’s a lot of excess heat released to raise that volume’s temperature by that 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Global sea levels have risen on average 8 inches over the last century. The rate of rise has nearly doubled in the last two decades.
• In 18 years since, 2000, nearly all, 16, were record-setting hot years. 2016 was the hottest year yet.
• The 9 most explosive fires in US history have all occurred since 2000, with the biggest one burning 10.1 million acres of land.
• The acidity of the world’s ocenas have increased 30%.
• The estimated economic loss to the US by end of the century if no action is taken on climate change is $180 billion.
Of course, CO2 emissions are derived mostly from combustion of fossil fuels and people love to burn gas, oil, coal, etc. for comfort, electricity, movement, etc. Increases in US and world wide energy consumption (requiring more combustion of fossil fuels) is tied to higher concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and the atmospheric temperature rise.
• Domestic US energy consumption in the commercial, industrial and transportation segments totaled 70,930 trillion BTU’s in 2017 – a 35% increase over 2013.
• Operations using the most energy and, thus, causing largest emissions of greenhouse gases:
Space Heating 25%
Other (mostly plug load) 13%
Lighting 10%
Refrigeration 10%
Ventilation 10%
Cooling 9%
IT/Office 8%
Cooking 7%
Water Heating 7%
Type of building and its average annual energy use per square foot:
Building Type Electricity (kWh) Natural Gas (cf)
Health Care 23 110
Office 17 32
Retail 14 31
Grocery 49 50
Restaurant 38 141
Sources of CO2:
• Solid fuels, such as coal: 35%
• Liquid fuels such as oil or petroleum – 36%
• Gaseous fuels such as natural gas – 20%
• Industrial gas emissions from manufacturing or processing plants – <1%
• Deforestation which increases emissions by decreasing the cleaning performed by forests – 5%
• Consuming 70% of US electricity, structures account for more greenhouse gas emissions than from the industrial or transportation sectors.
CCES can help your firm develop your own Climate Change or Sustainability program to evaluate how much energy your entity uses and greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Quantifiable changes will both make your company be a leader in the growing Climate Change movement and, if done intelligently, can reduce costs and provide other direct financial benefits, as well. Contact us to help you begin a program at karell@CCESworld.com or 914-584-6720.