Peru's Contribution to Climate Change







FIGURE 1

In FIGURE 1 Peru's main source of CO2 Emissions is from liquids.  In the 1900's it began to admit CO2 in the atmosphere and from 1919 to 2010 it proceeded upward on a steady climb.  It wasn't until 1968 that other sources began so show itself continually and by 2003 there was a sudden spike in all sources.

The main source of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in Peru is the conversion of forests and pastures, attributed to the deforestation of the Amazon for agricultural and animal husbandry purposes. Other factors that increase deforestation are urban development, infrastructure, communications, mining, oil and illegal coca plantations in the Amazon. (2)  

The second category of GHG total emissions in Peru is energy. In this case, emissions main source is transportation, caused by a low turnover of the fleet, poor driven-cars practices, inadequate traffic laws and lack of maintenance of vehicles.  It is very common to find in the streets of Lima, junk cars on the road from 1980’s that generate a lot of smoke into the environment. (2) 

The third category that contributes to total national GHG emissions is represented by agriculture, with a major source in fermentation. Due to the short work of genetic improvements and productivity of livestock, Peru needs more animals to meet the demand, and that generates more emissions. (2) 

Finally, landfills, solid waste dumps and a bad treatment of wastewater are an important source of GHG (5,7%) in Peru. (2)

FIGURE 2




In FIGURE 2 Peru's per capita in 2010 is 0.54 metric tons of carbon per person compared to the United States' 4.71 metric tons of carbon per person which is 11% of what the united states emits. Peru had a significant peak around 1950's. with a jump up 0.16  metric tons of carbon per person.  Peru's rank based on per capita CO2 Emissions is #127, compared to the United States' rank of #12.  In my opinion I am very proud of the low amount of CO2 Emissions.  

 

 

FIGURE 3 - Data obtained from CDIAC September 26, 2013

According to FIGURE 3 per has no significant input to thousands of metric tons of carbon compared to the other countries with China leading the pack in 2010 followed by the united states.

 

Carbon dioxide has an continual steady climb and In the year 2010 the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide is United States',  with a number of 1,481,608  thousand metric tons of carbon.  This record obtained from the U.S. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) (1),  is compared to the other countries as the following:

 

China 2,259,856

 

India 547,811

 

Italy 110,801

 

Peru 15,702

 

Kenya 3,368

 

(Note that a Chinese citizen is more at fault to emitting CO2 )

   

The United States’ has contributed the most CO₂ emissions to the climate with a whopping number of 4,225,770 thousand metric tons of carbon from the year 1900 to 2010.  This was really not as surprising to me as compared to Peru, whose numbers are 394,983 thousand metric tons of carbon (.09% compared to the United States)which is almost 238 times less . But compared to the population and the industry of the United States’ it is not a surprise to me.

 

The other countries cumulative contribution to the climate are as follows:

China 36,152,087 (8.56% compared to the United States)

India 10,229,326 (2.42% compared to the United States)

Italy 5,579,562 (1.32% compared to the United States)

Kenya 86,840 (.02% compared to the United States)


FIGURE 4 - Data generated September 26, 2013



FIGURE 5

When comparing FIGURE 4 to FIGURE 5 the graph grows on an upward trend from 1900 to 2010.  Carbon emissions are different than carbon dioxide concentrations which occurs naturally and it is a gas at normal temperatures and plays a very important part in photosynthesis.  Carbon dioxide are emitted by humans and animals when they breath. It is also a byproduct of burning of fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal.  (3)  

 

Sources:
 

(1) http://cdiac.ornl.gov/
(2) http://www.eoi.es/blogs/ianamalaga/2012/02/05/climate-change-and-low-carbon-economy-perus-main-sources-of-ghg/
(3) http://www.ehow.com/info_8583118_differences-carbon-carbon-dioxide-oxygen.html#ixzz2i2MowHcZ