One litre of gasoline produces 2.3 kg of CO2. The average vehicle emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per year.  Here are the calculations from the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to back up these figures. Note that burning fossil fuels also produces other greenhouse gasses like nitrous oxide.

Raising livestock generates 9% of all CO2 emissions, 37% of Methane emissions and 65% of nitrous oxide emissions on the planet. 18% of all Greenhouse gasses (in CO2 equivalents) come from the raising of livestock. Methane is 23 times as potent of greenhouse gas as CO2 and nitrous oxide is 296 times as potent. Raising 1kg of [...]

Climate Justice means ensuring that all people are equally free from suffering due to climate change.  Article Three of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that humans have rights to life, liberty, and personal security that create duties in others to refrain from interference with these basic rights.    While North Americans emit the most Greenhouse gasses [...]

Warmer global temperatures increase the Earth’s natural emissions of Methane and Water Vapour, two the most menacing Greenhouse Gasses.  This is called a climatic ‘Feedback Loop’. There are both Positive and Negative feedback loops. Positive feedback amplifies the situation that caused it while Negative feedback mitigates the situation. The problem being that the Positive feedback mechanisms [...]

Resilience is the ability of our community to cope with turmoil like oil, climate and economic shocks. It is our ability to reorganize while undergoing change so as to retain essentially our same identity and quality of life. It can also be thought of as an extra sack of potatoes in the root cellar and [...]

Greenhouse Gasses (GHGs) come from almost every human activity. The figure below is a comprehensive break-down of major sectors, activities and major greenhouse gases at the global level.   the chart shown below is Global.  Click to see the U.S. version of this chart which approximates Canadian GHG sources. You can click on the chart to visit the [...]

Greenhouse Gasses (GHG’s) are naturally present in our atmosphere and without them, the earth’s average atmospheric temperature would be around -18C as opposed to its current +14C.  The main Greenhouse Gasses that contribute to Global Warming and Climate Change are: Water Vapour, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane, Nitrous Oxide and Ozone.  Carbon Dioxide The primary natural processes that [...]

35 Countries produce 90% of CO2 emissions from human activity.  The top ten countries, of which Canada is number 8, emit 67.2% of the world total.  Canadians emit 17 tonnes/year (2005) while the world average is 4 tonnes/year per person.  These figures only include CO2 emited from burning fossil fuels and ignore other sources like [...]

The Story of Cap & Trade is a fast-paced, fact-filled 5 minute video look at the leading climate solution being discussed at Copenhagen. If you don’t understand Cap and Trade, this is a quick way to learn the details.  Host Annie Leonard introduces the energy traders and Wall Street financiers at the heart of this [...]

* This editorial will be published tomorrow by 56 newspapers around the world in 20 languages including Chinese, Arabic and Russian. The text was drafted by a Guardian team during more than a month of consultations with editors from more than 20 of the papers involved. Like the Guardian most of the newspapers have taken [...]