Chemical Engineers and Global Climate Change

2. Chemical Engineers and Global Climate Change Bruce R. Peachey, P.Eng., MCIC President, New Paradigm Engineering Ltd. April, 2000

3. Global Climate Change - a Fuzzy Ball What are the viewpoints on the issue? Which viewpoints meet �the balance of evidence�? Do we have to choose one view? Picking �robust solutions� Chemical Engineering finding solutions

4. Six Climate Change Views Warming Not Happening Real Problem is Waste of Fossil Fuels GHGs Trapping Solar Heat Energy Use Warming Atmosphere Human Impact Minor or Beneficial Can�t Afford the Solutions To set up a bit of the background on the issue let�s look at it from a number of other points of view that tend to be well known. From the public point of view most of what they hear are lists that rank Canada against other large economies (and it ranks high as an emitter) or rank provinces against each other from either a total carbon dioxide emissions or per capita emissions point of view (which makes Alberta the worst of the worst). The relevance of the number is often not put in perspective or emphasized. Because fossil fuels are the source of the carbon emissions the public assumes that the energy industry is to blame for the whole problem. And if they are concerned they feel that the government should force them to clean up their act and of course this should be at no cost to the general public.To set up a bit of the background on the issue let�s look at it from a number of other points of view that tend to be well known. From the public point of view most of what they hear are lists that rank Canada against other large economies (and it ranks high as an emitter) or rank provinces against each other from either a total carbon dioxide emissions or per capita emissions point of view (which makes Alberta the worst of the worst). The relevance of the number is often not put in perspective or emphasized. Because fossil fuels are the source of the carbon emissions the public assumes that the energy industry is to blame for the whole problem. And if they are concerned they feel that the government should force them to clean up their act and of course this should be at no cost to the general public.

5. Warming Not Happening Various reports and data adjustments both ways Historical record is not long What should we expect coming out of a little ice age? Motivation and accuracy of measurement not constant Are we comparing apples and oranges

6. Global Temperature Increases Changes in measurement, motivation & technology, might have caused two step changes upwards in temperatures 1800 - 1920 best global readings would be near water - No demand for accuracy, just how does it feel (how hot and how cold) Three temperature scales in use Reaumer close to Centigrade (0oR= 0oC; 80oR= 100oC so Reaumer gives lower readings)

7. Global Temperature Increases Step 1 - 1917 recognized that tropical and arctic air masses exist and mapping movement of the fronts allows better weather forecasts. Focus on humidity and accurate temperatures Awareness of wet-bulb/dry-bulb grows. Link to airports inland instead of seaports on the coast. Standardization of procedures and higher frequency of readings.

8. Global Temperature Increases Step 2 - 1980-90 Transition to digital temperature measurement. Truncated readings? �Global cooling� in N.A. when Canada went metric?