The topic of climate change is an ongoing and, to some, controversial topic. According to NASA, the global temperature has risen 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, sea levels are rising 3.3 millimeters per year, and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has risen by 411 PPM. The effects of the warming atmosphere are visible by the increase of devastating hurricanes, fires, and floods.
CO2 in the atmosphere keeps the heat energy from the sun in Earth's atmosphere and in turn makes Earth livable. The excessive CO2 going into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, however, is what dangers the planet. Drastic climate and weather changes are often a direct result of the rise in the atmospheric temperature. One result of this is ocean acidification, which cannot easily be reversed, even after a decline in CO2 emissions. “Earth’s oceans have absorbed 560 billion tons of CO2, which has increased its acidity by 30% and suppressed the pH of surface waters from 8.2 to 8.07” (Schnoor 2014). A study done in European countries in 2007 was also looking at population and the effects that it has on CO2 emissions. Their results showed that growth in population is more than proportional to CO2 emissions. Multiple previous studies that have looked at CO2 emissions have used Stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology (STIRPAT). The European study also used STIRPAT and IPAT (a non statistical way to show impacts on the environment have multiple variables). (Martínez-Zarzoso, et al, 2007). A study done in China looked at the Greenhouse Gas Emission in Chinese cities. They conducted data on the carbon emissions in varying cities. Through regression and inductive analysis, they were able to calculate the emissions of CO2 per person throughout the country. There were 122 cities studied in the survey. The results from the study showed there was 23 million to 3,050 million t (tons) of carbon present, an average of 0.09 t CO2 / person. The lowest emission value is 8.8053 million t in Jingdezhen, whereas the largest emission value is 273.4413 million t in Shanghai. (Chen et al., 2017). This is one example of how a regression analysis has been used to compare carbon emissions in different cities. Another study done was looking at the relationships between population, regulation, economic growth and CO2 emissions. The upper income countries emit 86 percent of global CO2 emissions, while the mid to low income countries emit only 14 percent. The remainder of low income countries make up 9 percent of the world population and are responsible for just 0.5 percent in total (Hashmi 2019). When reviewing population data of CO2 emissions, the relationship with continental and economic variables vary. For example, North America makes up only five percent of the world population; however it emits 18 percent of the world’s total CO2 annually. Compare this to Asia, which holds 60 percent of the global population and emits 49 percent of the CO2. Although 18 percent is much lower than 49 percent, population must be taken into account. North America has a smaller population, yet has emissions that are on par with almost half of Asia. Africa holds 18 percent of the population, which is 13 percent more than North America, yet they emit only 4 percent of the CO2. When looking at per capita emissions, average North American emission rates per person are 17 times higher than the average African. Looking at only population is not always clear when seeking the main issue or variable of an increase in CO2 though. There are many other variables needed to show the relationships between emissions per country (Ritchie 2018). CO2 emissions per country vary with population, economic status, and regulation, which goes to show the importance of looking at multiple variables to ensure precise answers. Many factors play a role in the dependence of burning fossil fuels and in turn the emission of carbon dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere. |