CO₂ Emissions

"Take an energy excursion to better understand CO2 emissions globally, within the United States, and as a result of the Texas manufacturing economy."

Summary

This lesson explores emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) at local, regional and global scales. Specific connections of the lesson include energy consumption, especially for industrial use, transportation, and power generation. The balance of energy scenarios that use carbon-based and renewable primary energy sources is explored.

Learning Outcomes

• Summarize why carbon storage is an important part of addressing global climate change
• Gain facility with units used to discuss CO₂ emissions
• Understand the general distribution of global CO₂ emissions across industrialized nations
• Recognize the correlation between energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
• Explain the consequences of energy use on nations that want to industrialize at the same rate as the United States
• Interpret data on global, country, and state CO₂ emissions from charts and graphs
• Summarize why the Texas industrial sector is so large
• Describe why Texas ranks #1 in the United States for CO₂ emissions
• Explain Texas’ leadership role in renewable energy and its impact on CO₂ emissions