238 CHAPTER 9 Global Atmospheric Changes
as calcium and magnesium have washed away from forest
and lake soils. Because soils take hundreds or even thou-
sands of years to develop, it may take that long for them
to recover from the effects of acid rain.
Many scientists are convinced that ecosystems will
not recover from acid rain damage until substantial re-
ductions in nitrogen oxide emissions occur. Nitrogen ox-
ide emissions are harder to control than sulfur dioxide
emissions because motor vehicles produce a substantial
portion of nitrogen oxides. Engine improvements may
help reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, but as the human
population continues to grow, the increasing number of
motor vehicles will probably offset any engineering gains.
Dramatic cuts in nitrogen oxide emissions will require a
reduction in high- temperature energy generation, espe-
cially in gasoline and diesel engines.- What is acid deposition, and what are the main
sources of atmospheric acid? - What are the harmful effects of acid
deposition on materials, aquatic organisms,
and soils?
policies. In 1997 representatives from 160 countries determined
timetables for reductions at a meeting in Kyoto, Japan. By 2005
enough countries had ratified the Kyoto Protocol for it to come
into force. Political and economic concerns prevented the United
States from joining the Kyoto Protocol, and those countries that
have signed on have had limited success in meeting its provisions.
Current international negotiations acknowledge that stopping
climate change is not an option. Instead, conversation focuses
on limiting the amount of change. It appears that the global
community may set a maximum global temperature increase of
2°C (3.8°F) between now and 2100 as an achievable target.International Implications
of Global Climate Change
Various social, economic, and political factors complicate
international efforts to deal with global climate change. Although
highly developed countries have historically been the major
producers of greenhouse gases, many developing countries are
rapidly increasing production as they industrialize. But because
developing countries have less technical expertise and fewer
economic resources, they are often less able to respond to the
challenges of global climate change.
The difference between total emissions from a country and
the per person emissions from that country creates tensions
among nations, especially between highly developed and
developing countries. Most developing countries view fossil fuels
as their route to industrial development and resist pressure from
highly developed nations to decrease fossil fuel consumption.
Developing countries argue that it would be most fair to
limit CO 2 on a per person basis, since highly developed countries
such as the United States, France, and Japan emit several times
as much CO 2 per person than do developing countries such as
China, India, and Kenya (see figure). However, as both population
and per person energy use increase in developing countries,
their total CO 2 emissions are increasing rapidly. The average
person in the United States is responsible for more than five
times as much CO 2 as the average person in China, but China
has surpassed the United States as the largest total emitter.
The international community recognizes that it must
stabilize and decrease CO 2 emissions, but progress is slow. At
least 174 nations, including the United States, signed the U.N.
Framework Convention on Climate Change developed at the 1992
Earth Summit, which established goals for future international
United
States(^0) Japan France China India Kenya
1
2
3
4
5
6
Per person CO
emissions as metric 2
tons of carbon equivalent, 1990 and 2008
1990
2008
Courtesy of the U. S. Department of Energy CarbonDioxide Information Analysis Center
Per person carbon dioxide (COÓ) emission
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Currently, industrialized nations produce a disproportionate share
of CO 2 emissions. As developing nations such as China and India
industrialize, however, their per person CO 2 emissions increase.
CASE STUDY ✓✓THE PLANNER