Technology for Climate Change Mitigation - Essay Example

Technology for Climate Change Mitigation Overview of Climate Change Mitigation Climate Change Mitigation implies the reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions through the ratified actions. This involves the actions intended to reduce the magnitude and the rate of long term climate change. Climate change has always been linked to carbon dioxide gases and associated components in the atmosphere. Climate change as reflected its impacts as a tragedy of the commons and thus the mitigation measures. Therefore, climate change mitigation should be embraced by everyone in the society and should not be left to be the role of particular individuals, institutions or nation. Consequently, climate change mitigation technologies involve the actions taken by humans to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases in specific areas of practice (Yamaguchi, 2012). Climate Change Mitigation Technology in the Agricultural Sector With reference to Yamaguchi (2012), climate change and agriculture are connected. This implies that climate change is contributed to through agricultural practices while on the other hand, agriculture sectors suffer most due to the implications of climate change in the globe. The primary source of climate change draws links to the agricultural activities in the environment. Therefore, it is of great essence to draw a climate change mitigation technology within the agricultural sphere. Different greenhouse gases are emitted through agricultural activities in the environment. For instance; use of fertilizers, land conversion to agriculture and biomass burning contribute to Nitrous oxide (N2O). Rice paddy cultivation, biomass burning and ruminants contribute to methane gas (CH4), while the aerosol sprays contribute to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) (Surampalli & EWRI, 2013). The article captures on climate change mitigation through Nitrous Oxide emission control by the use of nitrogen inhibitor. Nitrogen Oxide Mitigation Technology The agricultural by-products involving the diverse kinds of fertilizers and their technological applications and related land uses add to over 62% of Nitrogen oxide. There are two sources of nitrous oxide in the agricultural field. These are from the animal rearing and plant or crop growing. The animal husbandry practices produce larger amounts of nitrous oxide than the gardening practices. Though for efficiency in controlling nitrous oxide emissions in the agricultural fields, technologies are integrated with between. Nitrous oxide accounts for approximately 7.9% of greenhouse gases in totality. Nitrification and urease inhibitors technology highly applies to this study. Nitrification and Urease Inhibitors Technology Nitrification and Urease inhibitors have application conditions that the soils have lost their nitrate contents. Soils lose their nitrogen content through nitrogen fixation by legumes to the atmosphere in the form of gases. These gases include; nitrogen (N2), ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) which is a greenhouse gas. Soils also lose their nitrate contents via ground waters through leaching as Nitrate (NO3-). These losses of nitrate content in the soils have economic implications as well as contributing to ground water contamination and increase in greenhouse gas effect in the atmosphere. This technology is composed of three different structures in the agricultural fields. These are urease inhibitor, nitrogen stabiliser and nitrification inhibitor. With the reflections from Gong, et al, (2013), the Urease Inhibitor is a substance used to hamper the hydrolytic act on urea by the urease enzyme. This inhibitor, when applied to the soils reduces the urea nitrogen loss through ammonia volatilization. On a different ground, the nitrogen stabiliser implies the substance added to the fertilizers. It has the role to lengthen the time taken by the fertilizer’s nitrogen component lingers in the soils either in the form of urea or synthesised form, ammonia. Nitrification inhibitor is just a substance which holds back the processes of biological oxidation of nitrogen components in ammonia to nitrate nitrogen (Zaman, et al. 2013). The Functionality of Nitrification and Urease Inhibitors Technology The nitrification inhibitors when applied to the soils alongside nitrate fertilizers and animal wastes, improve the amount of time the nitrate elements take on the ground before the nitrate is chemically altered or leached into the underground waters. These inhibitors increase the efficiency of plant use of nitrate fertilizers. In actual sense, the nitrification inhibitors such as DCD (dicyandiamide) reduce the time for which the N components in the fertilizers are converted to nitrate leaching and nitrous gas emissions (Luo, Ledgard & Lindsey, 2013). This consequently reduces the contributed amount of nitrous oxide gas to greenhouse gases and that of nitrate leachate to the contamination of ground waters. On the other side, nitrification inhibitors increase plant growth through the increase of the amount and efficiency of plant N use efficiency. These inhibitors therefore have both economic impacts, through the rise of crop yields. They also have high environmental value as the climate change is mitigated through the reduction of nitrous oxide which is a greenhouse gas (Gong. et al. 2013). According to Szulczewski, et al. (2012), the Urease inhibitors slow down the volatilization process of ammonia to the atmosphere. With increasing temperatures in the world, the urea fertilizers have proven less important in relation to plant yields linked with less nutrient intake by plants. Once applied, the urea granules increase the soil pH values through the process of hydrolysis which is catapulted by the increased temperatures and subsequently increased volatilization of the ammonia to the atmosphere. The urease inhibitors reduce the process of volatilization of ammonia and reduce the amount of ammonia taken into the air. At times, urea itself thwarts germination or damage seedlings due to the accumulation of ammonium ions. This is reduced by introducing the urease inhibitors which reduces hydrolysis process (Zaman, et al. 2013). The reduction of volatilization of ammonia process reduces the amount of ammonia in the atmosphere. Ammonia reacts with water in the soils and transforms to ionic form ammonium (NH4+) which disassociates through the action of the denitrifying bacteria, thereby releasing H+ ions. This is consequently converted to methane (CH4) which is a greenhouse gas (Szulczewski. et al. 2012). Thus, through the introduction of urease inhibitors, the amount of greenhouse gas emission is reduced thereby curbing climate change in the region. The Status of Technology on Modification According to Zaman, et al. (2013), the technology on nitrification inhibitors should be developed further due to the varied and unpredictable outcomes in brings. The nitrification inhibitors like dicyandiamide increase N losses over long periods of use. These inhibitors also have the potential to increase the emissions of ammonia to the atmosphere after prolonged use (Luo, Ledgard & Lindsey, 2013). The urease inhibitors increase the amount of Urea intake by plants which often, when uptake is excess reduces plant growth due to urea’s scorching effect on plant leaves. This can diminish the use of these inhibitors to a great extent due to unwillingness of the farmers to reduce their crop yields through using urease inhibitors. This technology should, therefore be modified to address the counter effects it has in long terms. It should also be tailored to contribute wider scopes and spheres of development (Gong. et al. 2013). For instance, it should emphasise on improving yields, reducing emissions of GHS to the atmosphere maximally. References Gong, P, et al. (2013). Responses of Ammonia-oxidising Bacteria and Archea in two Agricultural soils to Nitrification Inhibitors DCD and DMPP. A Pot Experiment. Pedosphere, vol. 23. Pp.729-739. Luo, J., Ledgard, S. F., & Lindsey, S. B. (2013). Nitrous oxide and greenhouse gas emissions from grazed pastures as affected by use of nitrification inhibitor and restricted grazing regime. Science Of The Total Environment, 465. Surampalli, R. Y., & EWRI(Environmental and Water Resources Institute), (. (U.S.). (2013). Climate Change Modeling, Mitigation, and Adaptation. Reston, Virginia: American Society of Civil Engineers. Szulczewski, M. L., et al. (2012). Lifetime of carbon capture and storage as a climate-change mitigation technology. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America. Yamaguchi, M. (2012). Climate change mitigation: A balanced approach to climate change. London: Springer. Print. Zaman, M., et al.(2013). The effect of urease and nitrification inhibitors on ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from simulated urine patches in pastoral system: A two-year study. Science Of The Total Environment. P.465 Read More