Finding the way forward on climate change

It has been nearly two decades since the international community came together with a formal plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and put a stop to global warming.

The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 was premised on two key acknowledgements: that global warming existed, and that human activities such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions were the most likely reason the problem was accelerating.

The Kyoto Protocol came into force in 2005. It committed signatory nations to binding targets on cutting CO₂ emissions to below 1990 levels. In 2011, Canada withdrew from Kyoto, arguing that major emitters such as China and India were not required to cut their emissions. Canada wanted a new international agreement that included commitments from all major emitters, including countries in the developing world.

As international leaders and global science experts gather in France from Monday, November 30 to Friday, December 11 for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (21^st session of the Conference of the Parties (or COP 21)), hopes are high a meaningful new agreement will be achieved. And Canada is once again back at the table.

Among those in France in advance of COP21 was the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) Dr. Dan Hoornweg, a Professor in the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science.

“Paris is still recovering from the terrorist attacks of November 13, so the joie de vivre is temporarily strained, but everyone agrees the city needs to stay open and COP21 must go ahead,” said Dr. Hoornweg, who regularly blogs on environmental issues and advocates new approaches to urban planning to help achieve sustainability goals. “The citizens of cities are critical for any climate agreement, as they are responsible for about 80 per cent of the world’s GHG emissions, and they will be especially impacted by a changing climate.”

More evidence of rising temperatures

On November 25, 2015 the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicated the year 2015 remains on track to be the warmest on record – and the first where the average global surface temperature surpassed the symbolic milestone of being one degree Celsius above the pre-industrial era. This has resulted in:

• Rising sea level.
• Glacial melting, especially at the Earth’s poles.
• Increased global precipitation.
• Changing ecosystems.

Some experts say a two-degree temperature increase above pre-industrial levels will set off an irreversible spiral of increasingly warmer conditions, potentially leading to:

• Dramatic sea level rise that will threaten oceanside communities (e.g. one quarter of the city of Miami, Florida is less than one metre above sea level).
• Melting of permafrost in northern climates, releasing methane and CO₂ from the soil.
• Warmer oceans with decreased capacity to hold CO₂ from the atmosphere.
• Stronger and more frequent storms such as hurricanes.
• More droughts and floods.
• Less available fresh water.
• Major ecosystem changes.
• Greater spread of diseases.

Various links to UOIT faculty conducting research in alternatives technologies, green energy and environmental issues (partial list from the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science; Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science; and Faculty of Science):

• Dr. Martin Agelin-Chaab (sustainable energy systems)
• Dr. Greg Crawford (oceanography)
• Dr. Ibrahim Dincer (hydrogen and fuel cell systems; renewable energies)
• Dr. Min Dong (communication systems and networks)
• Dr. Brad Easton (fuel cells, electrochemical systems)
• Dr. Hossam Gaber (smart energy grids)
• Dr. Franco Gaspari (third-generation solar cells, renewable sustainable energy)
• Dr. Yuping He (fuel-efficient vehicle system design)
• Dr. Shahram Heydari (smart city infrastructure)
• Dr. Doug Holdway (aquatic toxicology)
• Dr. Dan Hoornweg (sustainable communities; energy systems and public policy)
• Dr. Walid Morsi Ibrahim (smart grids; smart meters; plug-in hybrid electric vehicles)
• Dr. Andrea Kirkwood (environmental science)
• Dr. Brendan MacDonald (sustainable energy; water quality monitoring)
• Dr. Igor Pioro (nuclear energy; thermal efficiencies)
• Dr. Faisal Qureshi (intelligent traffic control systems to ease congestion)
• Dr. Bale Reddy (advanced energy systems, solar energy, energy conservation)
• Dr. Isaac Tamblyn (renewable energy; artificial photosynthesis; water-splitting)
• Dr. Sheldon Williamson (transportation electrification)
• Dr. Mohamed Youssef (power systems operation and stability)