query: CO2 emissions from all commercial operations in 2018 totaled 918 million metric tons—2.4% of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use.

positive: Gasoline Gasoline ( American English ) or petrol ( British English ) , is a transparent , petroleum-derived liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in internal combustion engines . It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum , enhanced with a variety of additives . On average , a 42-gallon barrel of crude oil ( 159 L ) yields about 19 gal of gasoline when processed in an oil refinery , though this varies based on the crude oil source 's assay .   The characteristic of a particular gasoline blend to resist igniting too early ( which causes knocking and reduces efficiency in reciprocating engines ) is measured by its octane rating . Gasoline is produced in several grades of octane rating . Tetraethyllead and other lead compounds are no longer used in most areas to regulate and increase octane-rating , but many other additives are put into gasoline to improve its chemical stability , control corrosiveness and provide fuel system ` cleaning , ' and determine performance characteristics under intended use . Sometimes , gasoline also contains ethanol as an alternative fuel , for economic or environmental reasons .   Gasoline , as used worldwide in the vast number of internal combustion engines used in transport and industry , has a significant impact on the environment , both in local effects ( e.g. , smog ) and in global effects ( e.g. , effect on the climate ) . Gasoline may also enter the environment uncombusted , as liquid and as vapors , from leakage and handling during production , transport and delivery , from storage tanks , from spills , etc. . As an example of efforts to control such leakage , many ( underground ) storage tanks are required to have extensive measures in place to detect and prevent such leaks . Gasoline contains benzene and other known carcinogens .

positive: Environmental impact of aviation The environmental impact of aviation occurs because aircraft engines emit heat , noise , particulates and gases which contribute to climate change and global dimming . Among others airplanes emit particles and gases such as carbon dioxide , water vapor , hydrocarbons , carbon monoxide , nitrogen oxides , sulfur oxides , lead and black carbon which interact among themselves and with the atmosphere .   Despite emission reductions from automobiles and more fuel-efficient and less polluting turbofan and turboprop engines , the rapid growth of air travel in recent years contributes to an increase in total pollution attributable to aviation . From 1992 to 2005 , passenger kilometers increased 5.2 % per year . And in the European Union , greenhouse gas emissions from aviation increased by 87 % between 1990 and 2006 .   Comprehensive research shows that despite anticipated efficiency innovations to airframes , engines , aerodynamics and flight operations , there is no end in sight -- even many decades out -- to rapid growth in CO2 emissions from air travel and air freight , due to projected continual growth in air travel . This is because international aviation emissions have escaped international regulation up to the ICAO triennial conference in October 2016 agreed on the CORSIA offset scheme , and because of the lack of taxes on aviation fuel worldwide , lower fares become more frequent than otherwise which gives a competitive advantage over other transportation modes . Unless market constraints are put in place this growth in aviation 's emissions will result in the sector 's emissions amounting to all or nearly all of the annual global emissions budget by mid-century , if climate change is to be held to a temperature increase of 2 ° C or less .   There is an ongoing debate about possible taxation of air travel and the inclusion of aviation in an emissions trading scheme , with a view to ensuring that the total external costs of aviation are taken into account .

positive: Greenhouse gas emissions by the United States According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) , the United States produced 6,587 million metric tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions in 2015 . Compared to 2014 levels , U.S. greenhouse gas emissions decreased in 2015 . Compared to levels in 1990 , emissions have increased by about 4 percent . From year to year , emissions can rise and fall due to changes in the economy , the price of fuel , and other factors . The EPA has attributed recent decreases to a reduction in emissions from fossil fuel combustion , which was a result of multiple factors including substitution from coal to natural gas consumption in the electric power sector ; warmer winter conditions that reduced demand for heating fuel in the residential and commercial sectors ; and a slight decrease in electricity demand .   While the Bush administration opted against Kyoto-type policies to reduce emissions , the Obama administration and various state , local , and regional governments have attempted to adopt some Kyoto Protocol goals on a local basis . For example , the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ( RGGI ) founded in January 2007 is a state-level emissions capping and trading program by nine northeastern U.S. states . In December 2009 President Obama set a target for reducing U.S. greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions in the range of 17 % below 2005 levels by 2020 .   The U.S. State Department offered a nation-level perspective in the Fourth US Climate Action Report ( USCAR ) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , including measures to address climate change . The report showed that the country was on track to achieve President Bush 's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product ) by 18 percent from 2002 to 2012 . Over that same period , actual GHG emissions were projected to increase by 11 percent . The report estimated that in 2006 , U.S. GHG emissions decreased 1.5 percent from 2005 to 7,075.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent . This was an increase of 15.1 percent from the 1990 levels of 6,146.7 million tonnes ( or 0.9 percent annual increase ) , and an increase of 1.4 percent from the 2000 levels of 6,978.4 million tonnes . By 2012 GHG emissions were projected to increase to more than 7,709 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent , which would be 26 percent above 1990 levels .

positive: Electricity sector in Argentina The electricity sector in Argentina constitutes the third largest power market in Latin America . It relies mostly on thermal generation ( 60 % of installed capacity ) and hydropower generation ( 36 % ) . The country still has a large untapped hydroelectric potential . The prevailing natural gas-fired thermal generation is at risk due to the uncertainty about future gas supply .   Faced with rising electricity demand ( over 6 % annually ) and declining reserve margins , the government of Argentina is in the process of commissioning large projects , both in the generation and transmission sectors . To keep up with rising demand , it is estimated that about 1,000 MW of new generation capacity are needed each year . An important number of these projects are being financed by the government through trust funds , while independent private initiative is still limited as it has not fully recovered yet from the effects of the Argentine economic crisis .   The electricity sector was unbundled in generation , transmission and distribution by the reforms carried out in the early 1990s . Generation occurs in a competitive and mostly liberalized market in which 75 % of the generation capacity is owned by private utilities . In contrast , the transmission and distribution sectors are highly regulated and much less competitive than generation .

negative: Environmental issues in Austria The Ministry of Health and Environmental Protection of Austria , established in 1972 , is responsible for the coordination at the national level of all environmental protection efforts , addressing its efforts toward problems including waste disposal , pollution , noise , sulfur dioxide , and carbon monoxide levels , as well as emissions by the iron , steel , and ceramics industries . A toxic waste law enacted in 1984 established strict regulations for the collection , transport , and disposal of dangerous substances .   The Austrian government has imposed strict regulations on gas emissions , which helped to reduce sulfur dioxide by two-thirds over an eight-year period beginning in 1980 . In 1992 Austria was among the 50 countries with the highest level of industrial carbon dioxide emissions , producing 56.6 million metric tons of emissions , or 7.29 m tons per capita . In 1996 , the level rose to 59.3 million metric tons . In 2000 , the total was 60.8 million metric tons .

negative: Mitsubishi 4J1 engine The Mitsubishi 4J1 engine is a new range of all-alloy straight-4 engines . The main goal was declared as reduction on-road CO2 emission on new vehicles . According to cars specifications fuel consumption also was improved . Comparing to previous engine series ( 4B1 ) valvetraint configuration was changed from DOHC to SOHC , Variable valve lift ( VVL ) technology added .

negative: ECOnetic ECOnetic is a tradename for certain car models produced by Ford of Europe , currently consisting of one model in each of the Fiesta , the Focus and the Mondeo range , with an emphasis on higher fuel efficiency and low-CO2 emissions .

negative: Sustainable Silicon Valley Sustainable Silicon Valley ( SSV ) is a collaboration of businesses , governments , and non-governmental organizations that are identifying and addressing environmental and resource pressures in Silicon Valley . As its first initiative , SSV engaged Valley organizations , who are the SSV Partners , to work towards a goal of reducing regional carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) emissions 20 % below 1990 levels by 2010 . The SSV approach to reaching this goal is to facilitate strategies to reduce CO2 emissions through increased energy and fuel efficiency and through the use of renewable sources of energy .

negative: CERINA-Plan CERINA Plan is the abbreviation for `` CO2 Emissions and Renewable Investment Action Plan '' . It is a CO2 reduction concept developed by the German renewable energy institute IWR . The CERINA Plan proposes a technical investment approach linking a country 's CO2 emissions to its investment in renewable energy technology . Therefore , it is an alternative model to approaches like the Kyoto idea of mere cuts in greenhouse gas emissions . The model is meant to be flexible and to adapt to the special national circumstances of each country .

negative: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ` The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ( RGGI , pronounced `` Reggie '' ) is the first mandatory market based program in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions . RGGI is a cooperative effort among the states of Connecticut , Delaware , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , New York , Rhode Island , and Vermont to cap and reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector . RGGI compliance obligations apply to fossil-fueled power plants 25MW and larger within the nine-state region .   RGGI establishes a regional cap on the amount of CO2 pollution that power plants can emit by issuing a limited number of tradable CO2 allowances . Each allowance represents an authorization for a regulated power plant to emit one short ton of CO2 . Individual CO2 budget trading programs in each RGGI state together create a regional market for CO2 allowances .   The RGGI states distribute over 90 percent of allowances through quarterly auctions . These allowance auctions generate proceeds , which participating states are able to invest in strategic energy and consumer benefit programs . Programs funded through RGGI have included energy efficiency , clean and renewable energy , greenhouse gas abatement , and direct bill assistance .   An initial milestone program 's development occurred in 2005 , when seven states signed a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU ) announcing an agreement to implement RGGI . The RGGI states then established individual CO2 budget trading programs , based on the RGGI Model Rule . The first pre-compliance RGGI auction took place in September 2008 , and the program became effective on January 1 , 2009 . The RGGI program is currently in its third three-year compliance period , which began January 1 , 2015 .

negative: End Use Energy Demand Centres The End Use Energy Demand ( EUED ) Centres carry out interdisciplinary research and advise policy on reducing energy demand to help achieve the UK government 's CO2 emissions targets . The Centres are a # 30m investment of the Research Councils UK Energy Programme ( with additional funding from industrial partners ) that run from 2013-2018 . The six large centres are based across 25 institutions and encompass over 200 researchers .

negative: Nichioh Maru Nichioh Maru is a ro-ro car carrier built for the transport of Nissan cars and parts around Japan . The ship employs various features designed to promote energy efficiency , including solar power panels , an electronically controlled diesel engine , LED lighting in the ship 's hold and living quarters , and low friction paint on its hull . According to its owners it will achieve a fuel reduction of up to nearly 1,400 tons annually , with an annual reduction of 4,200 tons of CO2 emissions .

negative: Bio Fuel Systems BFS Blue Enterprises is a wholly Spanish owned firm whose multi-patented , microalgae-based technology uses emissions to produce crude oil and analytical-grade biotech & pharmaceutical products . It was formed in 2006 in eastern Spain after three years of research by scientists and engineers connected with the University of Alicante . Currently , an industrial-size pilot plant has been producing consistent yields with a process proven to produce a standardized quality of products in both an industrially scalable and commercially viable way . All while using and neutralizing CO2 emissions . Their system of bioconversion is about 400 times more productive than any other plant-based system producing oil or ethanol .

negative: Oxy-fuel combustion process Oxy-fuel combustion is the process of burning a fuel using pure oxygen instead of air as the primary oxidant . Since the nitrogen component of air is not heated , fuel consumption is reduced , and higher flame temperatures are possible . Historically , the primary use of oxy-fuel combustion has been in welding and cutting of metals , especially steel , since oxy-fuel allows for higher flame temperatures than can be achieved with an air-fuel flame .   There is currently research being done in firing fossil-fueled power plants with an oxygen-enriched gas mix instead of air . Almost all of the nitrogen is removed from input air , yielding a stream that is approximately 95 % oxygen . Firing with pure oxygen would result in too high a flame temperature , so the mixture is diluted by mixing with recycled flue gas , or staged combustion . The recycled flue gas can also be used to carry fuel into the boiler and ensure adequate convective heat transfer to all boiler areas . Oxy-fuel combustion produces approximately 75 % less flue gas than air fueled combustion and produces exhaust consisting primarily of CO2 and H2O ( see figure ) .   The justification for using oxy-fuel is to produce a CO2 rich flue gas ready for sequestration . Oxy-fuel combustion has significant advantages over traditional air-fired plants . Among these are :   The mass and volume of the flue gas are reduced by approximately 75 % .  Because the flue gas volume is reduced , less heat is lost in the flue gas .  The size of the flue gas treatment equipment can be reduced by 75 % .  The flue gas is primarily CO2 , suitable for sequestration .  The concentration of pollutants in the flue gas is higher , making separation easier .  Most of the flue gases are condensable ; this makes compression separation possible .  Heat of condensation can be captured and reused rather than lost in the flue gas .  Because nitrogen from air is absent , nitrogen oxide production is greatly reduced .   Economically speaking this method costs more than a traditional air-fired plant . The main problem has been separating oxygen from the air . This process needs lots of energy , nearly 15 % of production by a coal-fired power station can be consumed for this process . However , a new technology which is not yet practical called chemical looping combustion can be used to reduce this cost . In chemical looping combustion , the oxygen required to burn the coal is produced internally by oxidation and reduction reactions , as opposed to using more expensive methods of generating oxygen by separating it from air .   At present in the absence of any need to reduce CO2 emissions , oxy-fuel is not competitive . However , oxy-fuel is a viable alternative to removing CO2 from the flue gas from a conventional air-fired fossil fuel plant . However , an oxygen concentrator might be able to help , as it simply removes nitrogen .   In industries other than power generation , oxy-fuel combustion can be competitive due to higher sensible heat availability .   Oxy-fuel combustion is common in various aspects of metal production .   The glass industry has been converting to oxy-fuel since the early 1990s because glass furnaces require a temperature of approximately 2800 degrees F , which is not attainable at adiabatic flame temperatures for air-fuel combustion unless heat is regenerated between the flue stream and the incoming air stream . Historically , glass furnace regenerators were large and expensive high temperature brick ducts filled with brick arranged in a checkerboard pattern to capture heat as flue gas exits the furnace . When the flue duct is thoroughly heated , air flow is reversed and the flue duct becomes the air inlet , releasing its heat into the incoming air , and allowing for higher furnace temperatures than can be attained with air-fuel only . Two sets of regenerative flue ducts allowed for the air flow to be reversed at regular intervals , and thus maintain a high temperature in the incoming air . By allowing new furnaces to be built without the expense of regenerators , and especially with the added benefit of nitrogen oxide reduction , which allows glass plants to meet emission restrictions , oxy-fuel is cost effective without the need to reduce CO2 emissions . Oxy-fuel combustion also reduces CO2 release at the glass plant location , although this may be offset by CO2 production due to electric power generation which is necessary to produce oxygen for the combustion process .   Oxy-fuel combustion may also be cost effective in the incineration of low BTU value hazardous waste fuels .   Oxy-fuel combustion is often combined with staged combustion for nitrogen oxide reduction , since pure oxygen can stabilize combustion characteristics of a flame .

negative: Efficient Dynamics EfficientDynamics is a set of technologies that are defined by BMW in its products to maximise performance , reduce CO2 emissions and reduce fuel consumption .  Common rail injection for diesel engines .  Stop start engine  brake regeneration  air vent control  electric power steering

negative: Carbon offset A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere .   Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent ( CO2e ) and may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases : carbon dioxide , methane ( CH4 ) , nitrous oxide ( N2O ) , perfluorocarbons ( PFCs ) , hydrofluorocarbons ( HFCs ) , and sulfur hexafluoride ( SF6 ) . One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases .   There are two markets for carbon offsets . In the larger , compliance market , companies , governments , or other entities buy carbon offsets in order to comply with caps on the total amount of carbon dioxide they are allowed to emit . This market exists in order to achieve compliance with obligations of Annex 1 Parties under the Kyoto Protocol , and of liable entities under the EU Emission Trading Scheme . In 2006 , about $ 5.5 billion of carbon offsets were purchased in the compliance market , representing about 1.6 billion metric tons of CO2e reductions .   In the much smaller , voluntary market , individuals , companies , or governments purchase carbon offsets to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions from transportation , electricity use , and other sources . For example , an individual might purchase carbon offsets to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by personal air travel . Many companies ( see list ) offer carbon offsets as an up-sell during the sales process so that customers can mitigate the emissions related with their product or service purchase ( such as offsetting emissions related to a vacation flight , car rental , hotel stay , consumer good , etc. ) . In 2008 , about $ 705 million of carbon offsets were purchased in the voluntary market , representing about 123.4 million metric tons of CO2e reductions . Some fuel suppliers in the UK offer fuel which has been carbon offset such as Fuel dyes .   Offsets are typically achieved through financial support of projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short - or long-term . The most common project type is renewable energy , such as wind farms , biomass energy , or hydroelectric dams . Others include energy efficiency projects , the destruction of industrial pollutants or agricultural byproducts , destruction of landfill methane , and forestry projects . Some of the most popular carbon offset projects from a corporate perspective are energy efficiency and wind turbine projects .   Carbon offsetting has gained some appeal and momentum mainly among consumers in western countries who have become aware and concerned about the potentially negative environmental effects of energy-intensive lifestyles and economies . The Kyoto Protocol has sanctioned offsets as a way for governments and private companies to earn carbon credits that can be traded on a marketplace . The protocol established the Clean Development Mechanism ( CDM ) , which validates and measures projects to ensure they produce authentic benefits and are genuinely `` additional '' activities that would not otherwise have been undertaken . Organizations that are unable to meet their emissions quota can offset their emissions by buying CDM-approved Certified Emissions Reductions . Emissions from burning fuel , such as red diesel , has pushed one UK fuel supplier to create a carbon offset fuel named Carbon Offset Red Diesel .   Offsets may be cheaper or more convenient alternatives to reducing one 's own fossil-fuel consumption . However , some critics object to carbon offsets , and question the benefits of certain types of offsets .  Due diligence is recommended to help businesses in the assessment and identification of `` good quality '' offsets to ensure offsetting provides the desired additional environmental benefits , and to avoid reputational risk associated with poor quality offsets .   Offsets are viewed as an important policy tool to maintain stable economies and to improve sustainability . One of the hidden dangers of climate change policy is unequal prices of carbon in the economy , which can cause economic collateral damage if production flows to regions or industries that have a lower price of carbon -- unless carbon can be purchased from that area , which offsets effectively permit , equalizing the price .

negative: European Union Emission Trading Scheme The European Union Emissions Trading System ( EU ETS ) , also known as the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme , was the first large greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in the world , and remains the biggest . It was launched in 2005 to fight Global warming and is a major pillar of EU climate policy . As of 2013 , the EU ETS covers more than 11,000 factories , power stations , and other installations with a net heat excess of 20 MW in 31 countries -- all 28 EU member states plus Iceland , Norway , and Liechtenstein . In 2008 , the installations regulated by the EU ETS were collectively responsible for close to half of the EU 's anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and 40 % of its total greenhouse gas emissions .   Under the ` cap and trade ' principle , a maximum ( cap ) is set on the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted by all participating installations . ` Allowances ' for emissions are then auctioned off or allocated for free , and can subsequently be traded . Installations must monitor and report their CO2 emissions , ensuring they hand in enough allowances to the authorities to cover their emissions . If emission exceeds what is permitted by its allowances , an installation must purchase allowances from others . Conversely , if an installation has performed well at reducing its emissions , it can sell its leftover credits . This allows the system to find the most cost-effective ways of reducing emissions without significant government intervention .   The scheme has been divided into a number of `` trading periods '' . The first ETS trading period lasted three years , from January 2005 to December 2007 . The second trading period ran from January 2008 until December 2012 , coinciding with the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol . The third trading period began in January 2013 and will span until December 2020 . Compared to 2005 , when the EU ETS was first implemented , the proposed caps for 2020 represents a 21 % reduction of greenhouse gases . This target has been reached 6 years early as emissions in the ETS fell to 1812 mln tonnes in 2014 .   The EU ETS has seen a number of significant changes , with the first trading period described as a ` learning by doing ' phase .  Phase III sees a turn to auctioning a majority of permits rather than allocating freely ; harmonisation of rules for the remaining allocations ; and the inclusion of other greenhouse gases , such as nitrous oxide and perfluorocarbons . In 2012 , the EU ETS was also extended to the airline industry , though this has been paused for one year given the possibility of a global system for these emissions . The price of EU ETS carbon credits has been lower than intended , with a large surplus of allowances , in part because of the impact of the recent economic crisis on demand . In 2012 , the Commission said it would delay the auctioning of some allowances . Currently legislation is under way which would introduce a Market Stability Reserve to the EU ETS that adjusts the annual supply of CO2 permits based on the CO2 permits in circulation .   Overall , since its conception , the EU ETS has been characterized by relatively high levels of policy uncertainty . This uncertainty has been both technical , in terms of its detailed rules and procedures , and political , in terms of its public , industry , and governmental support . As a result , the scheme has resulted in a rather informal and tepid response by regulated organizations .

negative: Aquifer thermal energy storage Aquifer thermal energy storage ( ATES ) is the storage and recovery of thermal energy in the subsurface . ATES is applied to provide heating and cooling to buildings .  Storage and recovery of thermal energy is achieved by extraction and injection of groundwater from aquifers using groundwater wells . Systems commonly operate in a seasonal mode . The groundwater that is extracted in summer , is used for cooling by transferring heat from the building to the groundwater by means of a heat exchanger . Subsequently , the heated groundwater is injected back into the aquifer , which creates a storage of heated groundwater . In wintertime , the flow direction is reversed such that the heated groundwater is extracted and can be used for heating ( often in combination with a heat pump ) . Therefore , operating an ATES system uses the subsurface as a temporal storage to buffer seasonal variations in heating and cooling demand . When replacing traditional fossil fuel dependent heating and cooling systems , ATES can serve as a cost-effective technology to reduce the primary energy consumption of a building and the associated CO2 emissions .   In 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen , Denmark , many countries and regions have made targets for global climate protection . The European Union also set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions , increase use of sustainable energy and improve energy efficiency . For this target , ATES can actually contribute significantly , as about 40 % of global energy consumption is done by buildings , and is mainly for heating and cooling . Therefore , the development of ATES has been paid a lot of attention and the number of ATES has increased dramatically , especially in Europe . For example , in the Netherlands , it was estimated that about 20,000 ATES systems could be achieved by 2020 . This can yield a CO2 emission reduction of about 11 % , for the target of the Netherlands . Besides the Netherlands , Belgium , Germany , Turkey , and Sweden are also increasing the application of ATES .  ATES can be applied worldwide , as long as the climatic conditions and geohydrological conditions are right . As ATES systems cumulate in urban areas optimisation of subsurface space requires attention in areas with suitable conditions .

negative: Electricity sector in Italy The electricity sector in Italy describes the production , sale , and use of electrical power in Italy . The country 's total electricity consumption was 297.3 TWh in 2013 , of which 278.8 TWh ( 93.7 % ) was produced domestically ( the remaining 6.3 % was imported ) .   According to its national energy plan , Italy plans to increase renewable power generation from all renewable sources to 26 % of all electricity produced by 2020 , covering 17 % of its total energy consumption . In 2014 , 38.2 % of the national electric energy consumption came from renewable sources ( in 2005 this value was 15.4 % ) , covering 16.2 % of the total energy consumption of the country ( 5.3 % in 2005 ) . Solar energy production alone accounted for almost 9 % of the total electric consumption in the country in 2014 , making Italy the country with the highest contribution from solar energy in the world .   Italy has abandoned nuclear power following a referendum in the wake of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster , and nuclear power in Italy has never been greater than a few percent of total power generation .   Italy has a high share of electricity in the total final energy consumption . The share of primary energy dedicated to electricity production is above 35 % , and grew steadily since the 1970s .   Emissions of carbon dioxide per capita in 2007 were 7.4 tons , below the EU27 average of 7.9 tons CO2 . Emission change 1990/2007 was 10 % increase .

negative: Hydrogen Energy California Hydrogen Energy California ( HECA ) was an alternative energy , hydrogen power project in development with support from the U.S. Department of Energy in Kern County , California .  The facility proposed to convert coal and refinery waste into an impure hydrogen fuel that would be used to generate electricity and fertilizer . HECA was supposed to capture ninety percent of its carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) emissions to theoretically minimize greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions and inject it , ironically , for enhanced oil recovery .  If it had become fully operational , HECA would have generated nearly 300MW of clean electricity and will produce one million tons of locally manufactured , low-carbon fertilizer . But , most of the electricity produced by HECA would have been consumed by the different processes at the plant .  On March 4 , 2016 , the California Energy Commission ordered the HECA application to be terminated .   HECA would have produced over 500 tons of criteria air pollutants . This air pollution would have been added to an area that already has the worst air pollution in the entire United States .   The facility was to be located on 542 acres of prime farmland in western Kern County , about 7 mi west of Bakersfield and 1.5 mi northwest of the unincorporated community of Tupman . The site is near the Elk Hills Oil Field where the captured CO2 was to be used for enhanced oil recovery by Occidental of Elk Hills , Inc. . HECA would have employed an expected 2,000 union workers to construct the facility and would have created approximately 200 permanent jobs .   HECA was a project of SCS Energy LLC , an independent developer of clean power . HECA was cofunded by the U.S. Department of Energy 's Office of Fossil Energy and administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory . The HECA project was awarded a $ 408 million grant by the U.S. Department of Energy under Clean Coal Power Initiative Round 3 .

negative: Zero carbon housing Zero Carbon Housing and Zero Energy Housing are terms used interchangeably to define single family dwellings with a very high energy efficiency rating . Zero Energy Housing requires a very low amount of energy to provide the daily needs and functions for the family occupying the home .   A zero carbon home has a yearly net carbon footprint of zero . The carbon footprint is the total measure of all greenhouse gas emissions generated or produced directly or indirectly by activities in the home such as heating the home or running an appliance , personal activities such as driving a car , broader services such as the use of public transportation or air travel , and individual consumption of food and other products . A home 's carbon footprint consists of the sum of two parts , the primary footprint and the secondary footprint , expressed in units of metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent ( CO2e ) . The primary carbon footprint is a measure of the CO2 emissions from the direct consumption of fossil fuels for energy consumption and transportation . The secondary carbon footprint is the measure of indirect CO2 emissions related to the manufacturing process of products used in the home and eventual decomposition of products . Examples of the parts that make up the secondary carbon footprint are the manufacturing of clothes , cars , and furnishings , as well as recreational activities by the inhabitants .   The calculation of the carbon footprint becomes detailed when considering secondary factors . Secondary factors involve the home 's occupant lifestyle such as diet , foods are consumed ( example organic vs. non organic ) , frequency of yearly air travel , commuting mileage to and from work , school , etc. , use of public transportation , and number , type , and use of private vehicles . Secondary factors also include fashion or type of clothes purchased and worn , frequency of recycling , recreational activities and use of financial and other services throughout a given year . The frequency of airline flights in a year is considered due to the amount of fuel consumption and other energy usage and emissions generated by one flight . A person that travels frequently may have a significantly bigger carbon footprint than someone who flies once a year for a vacation . The emissions for an individual flight are calculated by using the greater circle method . First , the distance between airports is determined . Then calculations are completed to account for indirect distances and by an emissions factor in relation to the type of flight ( international or a short flight , and what class seating the person is in ) . Another contributing factor to a person 's carbon footprint is their personal vehicle which includes the type of car driven , the efficiency or miles per gallon ( MPG ) rating , and the amount of miles driven each year . The frequency of public transportation used by an individual , miles traveled on public transportation and the type of public transportation used such as bus , train , or subway contributes to their carbon footprint as well . Other factors , as trivial as they might seem , are included in the calculation of a person 's carbon foot print to include things such as the type of diet . A vegetarian compared to a person that eats a lot of red meat will have a lower carbon footprint . All factors being the same except diet , a vegetarian secondary carbon footprint averages three metric tonnes of CO2 , one tonne less than the individual who consumes meat . Other factors include the purchase of local and / or organically grown produce vs. imported items , the latest clothes fashions vs. more conventional purchases , buying individually packaged products vs. buying in bulk , recycling activities , and the types of recreation such as carbon-free activities like hiking and cycling or carbon-intensive activities like skydiving or boating .

negative: Direct carbon fuel cell A Direct Carbon Fuel Cell ( DCFC ) is a fuel cell that uses a carbon rich material as a fuel such as bio-mass or coal . The cell produces energy by combining carbon and oxygen , which releases carbon dioxide as a by-product . It also called coal fuel cells ( CFCs ) , carbon-air fuel cells ( CAFCs ) , direct carbon/coal fuel cells ( DCFCs ) , and DC-SOFC .   The total reaction of the cell is C + O2 → CO2 .  The process in half cell notation :  Anode : C + 2 O2 − → CO2 + 4 e −  Cathode : O2 + 4 e − → 2 O2 −   Despite this release of carbon dioxide , the direct carbon fuel cell is more environmentally friendly than traditional carbon burning techniques . Due to its higher efficiency , it requires less carbon to produce the same amount of energy . Also , because pure carbon dioxide is emitted , carbon capture techniques are much cheaper than for conventional power stations . Utilized carbon can be in the form of coal , coke , char , or a non-fossilized source of carbon .   At least four types of DCFC exist :  The first one is based on the Solid oxide fuel cell ( SOFC ) concept .   Overall reaction in the solid oxide electrolyte based DCFC  C + O2 → CO2 .   Anode reaction   <Direct electrochemical oxidation path>   C + 2O2 − → CO2 + 4e −   C + O2 − → CO + 2e −   <Indirect electrochemical oxidation path>   CO + O2 − → CO2 + 2e −   <Boudouard reaction:indirect chemical reaction path>   C + CO2 → 2CO   Cathode reaction   O2 + 4e − → 2O2 −   The second one is molten hydroxides fuel cell . William W. Jacques obtained an US Patent 555,511 in this type of fuel cell in 1896 . Prototypes have been demonstrated by the research group , SARA , Inc. .  The third one is based on the Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell ( MCFC ) concept . William W. Jacques obtained a Canadian patent in this type of fuel cell in 1897 . It has been developed further at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory .  The fourth is a molten tin anode solid oxide fuel cell design , which utilizes molten tin and tin oxide as an inter stage reaction between oxidation of the carbon dissolving in the anode and reduction of oxygen at the solid oxide cathode .

negative: Low rolling resistance tire Low rolling resistance tires minimize wasted energy as a tire rolls , thereby decreasing required rolling effort -- and in the case of automotive applications , improving vehicle fuel efficiency . Approximately 5 -- 15 % of the fuel consumed by a typical car may be used to overcome rolling resistance . A 2003 California Energy Commission ( CEC ) preliminary study estimated that adoption of low-rolling resistance tires could save 1.5 -- 4.5 % of all gasoline consumption , but that current data were also insufficient to compare safety and other characteristics . A database of much more complete data will be released by the CEC pending completion of an ongoing study .   A U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( NHTSA ) study in 2009 , if 2 % of the replacement tires would reduce their rolling resistance by 5 % , there would be 7.9 million gallons fuel and 76,000 metric tons of CO2 saved annually .

negative: Expo 2017 Expo 2017 is an International Exposition scheduled to take place between June 10 and September 10 , 2017 in Astana , Kazakhstan . The expo 's theme is `` Future Energy '' , and aims to create a global debate between countries , nongovernmental organizations , companies and the general public on the crucial question : `` how do we ensure safe and sustainable access to energy for all while reducing CO2 emissions ? ''

negative: Climate change mitigation scenarios Climate change mitigation scenarios are possible futures in which global warming is reduced by deliberate actions , such as a comprehensive switch to energy sources other than fossil fuels . A typical mitigation scenario is constructed by selecting a long-range target , such as a desired atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) , and then fitting the actions to the target , for example by placing a cap on net global and national emissions of greenhouse gases .   An increase of global temperature by more than 2 ° C has come to be the majority definition of what would constitute intolerably dangerous climate change with efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 ° C above pre-industrial levels per the Paris Agreement . Some climate scientists are increasingly of the opinion that the goal should be a complete restoration of the atmosphere 's preindustrial condition , on the grounds that too protracted a deviation from those conditions will produce irreversible changes .

negative: Tire-derived fuel Tire-derived fuel ( TDF ) is composed of shredded scrap tires . Tires may be mixed with coal or other fuels , such as wood or chemical wastes , to be burned in concrete kilns , power plants , or paper mills . An EPA test program concluded that , with the exception of zinc emissions , potential emissions from TDF are not expected to be very much different from other conventional fossil fuels , as long as combustion occurs in a well-designed , well-operated  and well-maintained combustion device .

negative: Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C (SR15) was published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on 8 October 2018. The report, approved in Incheon, South Korea, includes over 6,000 scientific references, and was prepared by 91 authors from 40 countries. In December 2015, the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference called for the report. The report was delivered at the United Nations' 48th session of the IPCC to "deliver the authoritative, scientific guide for governments" to deal with climate change.Its key finding is that meeting a 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) target is possible but would require "deep emissions reductions" and "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society." Furthermore, the report finds that "limiting global warming to 1.5 °C compared with 2 °C would reduce challenging impacts on ecosystems, human health and well-being" and that a 2 °C temperature increase would exacerbate extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, coral bleaching, and loss of ecosystems, among other impacts. SR15 also has modelling that shows that, for global warming to be limited to 1.5 °C, "Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching 'net zero' around 2050." The reduction of emissions by 2030 and its associated changes and challenges, including rapid decarbonisation, was a key focus on much of the reporting which was repeated through the world.

negative: Exhaust heat recovery system In transportation , an exhaust heat recovery system turns thermal losses in the exhaust pipe into energy . This technology seems to be more and more of interest by car and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers as an efficient way to save fuel and reduce vehicles ' CO2 emissions .  This technology can be used either on a hybrid vehicle or a conventional one : it produces either electric energy for batteries or mechanical energy reintroduced on the crankshaft .

negative: Energy and Environmental Research Center The Energy and Environmental Research Center ( EERC ) in Grand Forks , North Dakota , United States is a research , development , demonstration , and commercialization facility for energy and environment technologies development . The center is a nonprofit division of the University of North Dakota .   The center was founded in 1951 as the Robertson Lignite Research Laboratory , a federal facility under the United States Bureau of Mines . It became a federal energy technology center under the United States Department of Energy in 1977 and was defederalized in 1983 . The center employs approximately 210 employees .   The EERC conducts research , development , demonstration , and commercialization activities involving zero-emissions coal conversion ; CO2 capture and sequestration ; energy and water sustainability ; hydrogen and fuel cells ; advanced air emission control technologies , emphasizing SOx , NOx , air toxics , fine particulate , CO2 , and mercury control ; renewable energy ; wind energy ; water management ; flood prevention ; global climate change ; waste utilization ; energy efficiency ; and contaminant cleanup .   The EERC is located on more than 15 acre of land on the southeast corner of the UND campus in Grand Forks , North Dakota , and houses 254000 sqft of laboratories , fabrication facilities , technology demonstration facilities , and offices . The EERC has a current contract portfolio of over $ 208.4 million and the EERC 's estimated regional economic impact is $ 78.1 million . Since 1987 , the EERC has had more than 1,315 clients in 50 states and 52 countries .

negative: Climate change in Massachusetts Formet Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has signed into law three global warming and energy-related bills that will promote advanced biofuels , support the growth of the clean energy technology industry , and cut the emissions of greenhouse gases within the state .   The Clean Energy Biofuels Act , signed in late July , exempts cellulosic ethanol from the state 's gasoline tax , but only if the ethanol achieves a 60 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to gasoline . The act also requires all diesel motor fuels and all No. 2 fuel oil sold for heating to include at least 2 % `` substitute fuel '' by July 2010 , where substitute fuel is defined as a fuel derived from renewable non-food biomass that achieves at least a 50 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions . The requirement for both motor diesel fuel and heating oil increases by a percentage point per year until 2013 , after which it holds steady 5 % . The act also allows the state to expand the requirement to other forms of fuel oil , and it requires the state to work to establish a low-carbon fuel standard under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative .   In early August of 2008 , Governor Patrick signed two additional bills : the Green Jobs Act and the Global Warming Solutions Act . The Green Jobs Act will support the growth of a clean energy technology industry within the state , backed by $ 68 million in funding over 5 years . The Global Warming Solutions Act requires a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the state to 10 % -25 % below 1990 levels by 2020 and to 80 % below 1990 levels by 2050 . Under the act , the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection will carry the burdens of determining the baseline level of emissions in 1990 and creating a plan to meet the future emissions limits , including the establishment of interim limits for 2030 and 2040

negative: EcoBlue EcoBlue is the marketing name for a range of diesel engines from Ford Motor Company .   The EcoBlue engines were developed by Ford engineering teams in the U.K. and Germany , and are expected to succeed the Duratorq diesel engines , offering optimised fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 and NOX emissions .   An initial 2.0-litre variant will be offered with 105 PS , 130 PS and 170 PS in commercial vehicle applications . This engine architecture is capable of delivering more than 200 PS , and will later feature with such power outputs in Ford passenger cars , alongside a 1.5 litre variant .

negative: Gouda Wind Facility Gouda Wind Farm is a wind-farm just outside the town of Gouda in the Western Cape province of South Africa that at 138MW is one of the largest wind-farms in Southern Africa . The project cost R2 .7 billion ( US$ 199 million ) and was brought online in early September 2015 . At the time of its completion it was the largest wind-farm in the Western Cape . It is capable of powering 200 000 households per year or 400 gigawatt hours of electricity . It is estimated that power generated from Gouda Wind Farm will avoid the emission of 406 million metric tons of CO2 per year of equivalent power produced from a coal fired power plant . It is owned in partnership between the South African renewable energy and engineering firm Aveng and Spanish renewable energy company Acciona Energia .   It is located along the R44 34 km from the town of Porterville or 115 km north east of Cape Town , just outside of Gouda .

negative: Premium efficiency As part of a concerted effort worldwide to reduce energy consumption , CO2 emissions and the impact of industrial operations on the environment , various regulatory authorities in many countries have introduced , or are planning , legislation to encourage the manufacture and use of higher efficiency motors . This article looks at the development of the premium efficiency standard ( IE3 ) and premium efficiency motors ( PEMs ) and associated environmental , legal and energy-related topics .

negative: Coptodon spongotroktis Coptodon spongotroktis is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family . It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon . It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities , and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) from the lake 's bottom ( compare Lake Nyos ) , although Bermin is too shallow to contain very high amounts of this gas .

negative: Coptodon imbriferna Coptodon imbriferna is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family . It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon . It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities , and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) from the lake 's bottom ( compare Lake Nyos ) , although Bermin is too shallow to contain very high amounts of this gas .

negative: Coptodon gutturosa Coptodon gutturosa is a critically endangered species of fish in the cichlid family . It is endemic to Lake Bermin in Cameroon . It is threatened by pollution and sedimentation from human activities , and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) from the lake 's bottom ( compare Lake Nyos ) , although Bermin is too shallow to contain very high amounts of this gas .


query: While the north-east, midwest and upper great plains have experienced a 30% increase in heavy rainfall episodes – considered once-in-every-five year downpours – parts of the west, particularly California, have been parched by drought.

positive: California California ( -LSB- kælᵻˈfɔːrnjə , _ - ni.ə -RSB- , ) is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area . Located on the western ( Pacific Ocean ) coast of the U.S. , California is bordered by the other U.S. states of Oregon , Nevada , and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California . The state capital is Sacramento . Los Angeles is California 's most populous city , and the country 's second largest after New York City . The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation 's second - and fifth-most populous urban regions , respectively . California also has the nation 's most populous county , Los Angeles County , and its largest county by area , San Bernardino County .   California 's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east ; and from the redwood -- Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast . The Central Valley , a major agricultural area , dominates the state 's center . Though California is well-known for its warm Mediterranean climate , the large size of the state means it can vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north , to arid desert in the interior , as well as snowy alpine in the mountains .   What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries . The Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony . The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its successful war for independence , but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican -- American War . The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California , and admitted as the 31st state on September 9 , 1850 . The California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes , with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom .   If it were a country , California would be the 6th largest economy in the world and the 35th most populous . It is also regarded as a global trendsetter in both popular culture and politics , and is the origin of the film industry , the hippie counterculture , the Internet , and the personal computer , among others . Fifty-eight percent of the state 's economy is centered on finance , government , real estate services , technology , and professional , scientific and technical business services . The San Francisco Bay Area has the nation 's highest median household income by metropolitan area , and is the headquarters of three of the world 's largest 40 firms by revenue , Chevron , Apple , and McKesson . Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the state 's economy , California 's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state .

positive: San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley -LSB- ˌsæn_hwɑːˈkiːn -RSB- is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento -- San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River . It comprises seven Northern California counties -- all of Kings County ; a majority of Fresno , Merced , Stanislaus counties ; segments of Madera and Tulare counties -- and all of Kern County , in Southern California . Although a majority of the valley is rural , it does contain urban cities such as Fresno , Bakersfield , Stockton , Modesto , Turlock , Porterville , Visalia , Merced , and Hanford .

positive: Western United States The Western United States , commonly referred to as the American West , the Far West , or simply the West , traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States . Because European settlement in the U.S. expanded westward after its founding , the meaning of the West has evolved over time . Prior to about 1800 , the crest of the Appalachian Mountains was seen as the western frontier .   Since then , the frontier generally moved westward and eventually lands west of the Mississippi River came to be referred to as the West . Though no consensus exists , even among experts , for the definition of the West as a region , the U.S. Census Bureau 's definition of the 13 westernmost states includes the Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin to the West Coast , and the outlying states of Hawaii and Alaska .   The West contains several major biomes . It is known for arid to semi-arid plateaus and plains , particularly in the American Southwest -- forested mountains , including the major ranges of the American Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains -- the massive coastal shoreline of the American Pacific Coast -- and the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest .

negative: 2010–13 Southern United States and Mexico drought The 2010 -- 2013 Southern United States and Mexico drought was a severe to extreme drought plaguing the US South , including parts of Texas , Oklahoma , Kansas , Colorado , New Mexico , Arizona , Louisiana , Arkansas , Mississippi , Alabama , Georgia , South Carolina , and North Carolina , as well as large parts of Mexico .   The worst effects have been in Texas , where near-record drought has parched the state since January 2011 . Texas suffered an estimated $ 7.62 billion in crop and livestock losses , surpassing its record loss of $ 4.1 billion in 2006 . In Texas , combined with the rest of the South , at least $ 10 billion in agricultural losses were recorded in 2011 . In 2010 -- 11 , Texas experienced its driest August -- July ( 12-month ) period on record . The drought began due to a strong La Niña developing by the summer of 2010 which brings below average rainfall to the southern United States , the effects of the La Niña could be noticed immediately as much of the south receives important rainfall during the summer , and this was the driest summer for Texas and Georgia in the 21st century thus far , and much of the south received record low rainfall .   Throughout 2011 , the drought was confined to the Deep South as the mid-south received flooding due to severe weather and tornadoes . However , the drought continued and intensified in the Deep South as Texas saw 2011 be its second-driest year on record , Oklahoma saw its fourth-driest , and Georgia saw its seventh-driest year on record . The winter of 2011 -- 12 was one of the driest winters on record for the eastern and central United States . In the spring of 2012 , the drought made a massive expansion from the Deep South to the Midwest , Mid south , Great Plains , and Ohio valley . At its peak in August 2012 the drought covered approximately 81 % of the United States . Throughout the winter of 2012 -- 13 , heavy rain and snow brought relief to the drought in the southern and eastern United States , even causing severe flooding . By March 2013 , the eastern United States was drought-free , effectively ending the 2010 -- 13 southern U.S. drought . Drought continued on the Great Plains until 2014 . However , drought developed in the western United States in 2013 and still exists today .   The 2011 drought was the worst one-year drought in Texas since 1895 . The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that Lubbock , Texas has experienced the nation 's worst average level of drought since the beginning of 2011 . McAllen , Harlingen , Brownsville and Corpus Christi also ranked among the nine U.S. cities most affected by extreme drought .

negative: Chico Martinez Creek Chico Martinez Creek , formerly Arroyo Chico Martinez is a stream with its source located in the Temblor Range in Kern County , California near to the San Luis Obispo County boundary . Its source is located 10.7 miles north of Soda Lake , California in the middle of the Carrizo Plain . The creek runs generally east and northeast to terminate just east of the South Belridge Oil Field . In years of heavy rainfall it may have been a tributary to the Kern River between Buena Vista Lake and Tulare Lake .

negative: Geography of Texas The geography of Texas is diverse and far reaching in scope . Occupying about 7 % of the total water and land area of the U.S. , it is the second largest state after Alaska , and is the southernmost part of the Great Plains , which end in the south against the folded Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico . Texas is in the south-central part of the United States of America , and is considered to form part of the U.S. South and also part of the U.S. Southwest .   By residents , the state is generally divided into North Texas , East Texas , Central Texas , South Texas , West Texas ( and sometimes the Panhandle ) , but according to the Texas Almanac , Texas has four major physical regions : Gulf Coastal Plains , Interior Lowlands , Great Plains , and Basin and Range Province . This has been cited as the difference between human geography and physical geography , although the fact that Texas was granted the prerogative to divide into as many as five U.S. states may be a historical motive for Texans defining their state as containing exactly five regions .   Some regions in Texas are more associated with the Northeast than the Southwest ( primarily East Texas , Central Texas , and North Texas ) , while other regions share more similarities with the Eastwest ( primarily far West Texas and South Texas ) . The upper Panhandle is considered by many to have more in common with parts of the plains Midwest than either the South or Southwest . The size of Texas prohibits easy categorization of the entire state wholly in any recognized region of the United States , and even cultural diversity among regions of the state make it difficult to treat Texas as a region in its own right .

negative: Historic desertification Historic desertification is the study of the desert-forming process from a historic perspective . It was presumed in the past that the main causes of desertification lay in overuse of the land resulting in impoverishment of the soil , reduced vegetation cover , increased risk of drought and the resulting wind erosion . However recent projects to regreen deserts have not met with the success envisaged , and cast doubts on this theory . Research suggests that it is extreme events rather than drought caused by low annual prcipitation , that do the most damage . Heavy downpours resulting in flash floods wash away sediment and there seems to have been an increased number of extreme events in the Levant at the end of the Byzantine period . The decline of settlements in the desert belt at this time may have been caused by these extreme events rather than a reduction in annual precipitation .

negative: Drought in Canada Prolonged , large-area droughts are among Canada 's costliest natural disasters having major impacts on a wide range of sectors including agriculture , forestry , industry , municipalities , recreation , human health , society and ecosystems . They frequently stress water availability by depleting soil moisture , reducing stream flows , lowering lake and reservoir levels , and diminishing groundwater supplies . This ultimately affects several economic activities including for example , decreased agricultural production , less hydro-electric power generation , and increased freshwater transportation costs . Droughts also create major environmental hazards such as reduced water quality , wetland loss , soil erosion and degradation , and ecological habitat destruction .   Although most regions of Canada have experienced drought , many of the southern regions of the Canadian Prairies and interior British Columbia are most susceptible . During the past two centuries , at least 40 droughts have occurred in western Canada with multi-year episodes being observed in the 1890s , 1910s , 1930s , 1960s , 1980s , and the early 2000s . Droughts in southern Ontario/Quebec are usually shorter , smaller in area , less frequent , and less intense . Nonetheless , there have been some major drought occurrences there as well during the 20th century . Droughts in the Atlantic Provinces occur even less frequently . Droughts are less of a concern for northern Canada mainly due to their lower population densities . However , increased frequencies of forest fires during drought years can have serious economic impacts .   Rarely has drought been as serious or extensive as the recent 1999-2004 episode . This was the worst drought for at least a hundred years in parts of the Canadian Prairies . Well below normal precipitation was reported in areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan for more than four consecutive years extending from autumn 1999 to spring 2004 . No single year on record between Medicine Hat , Kindersley , and Saskatoon was drier than in 2001 . The years 2001 and 2002 may have also brought the first coast-to-coast droughts on record , and were rare as they struck areas less accustomed to dealing with droughts including parts of Atlantic Canada and the northern agricultural prairies ( see Figure 1 ) . Canada 's Gross Domestic Product fell $ 5.8 billion for 2001 and 2002 . In addition , previously reliable water supplies such as streams , wetlands , reservoirs , and groundwater were placed under stress and often failed . For example , the number of natural Prairie ponds in May 2002 was the lowest on record while in 2001 , Great Lakes-St . Lawrence water levels plunged to their lowest point in more than 30 years , thereby significantly increasing marine transportation costs . In British Columbia and Manitoba , hydro-electric generation was curtailed , necessitating additional purchases of power from neighboring jurisdictions . In 2002 , the incidence of forest fires in Alberta increased to five times the ten-year average while in summer 2003 , populated regions of interior British Columbia were stricken by drought-enhanced fires . Long-lasting impacts include soil degradation by wind erosion and deterioration of grasslands that could take decades and longer to recover .   High surface temperatures intensify droughts by enhancing evapotranspiration in summer , and increasing sublimation and melting of the snowpack during winter . During the 20th century , mean annual air temperature has increased by around 1 ° C over southern Canada with the greatest warming in the west and the largest rates during winter and spring . Over the same period , annual precipitation has significantly increased over most of southern Canada with the exception of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan . Coincident with the large increases in spring temperature , the 1980s to the present have been associated with rapid reductions in snow cover during the second half of the snow season . Over the last 30 to 50 years , average stream flow has decreased in many parts of Canada with significant reductions in the south . Great Lakes ' water levels have shown substantial variability during the 20th century with no evidence of a long-term trend . Lower levels coincided with the droughts of the 1930s , early 1960s , and the recent 1999-2001 dry period . Over the Prairies , the numbers and water levels of wetlands have shown no clear trend over the last 40 to 50 years .   Indices used to measure drought show considerable decadal-scale variability with no long-term trends discernible in any portion of the country . Most southern regions of Canada , however , experienced drought conditions during the late 1990s to early 2000s . The worst and most prolonged Canadian Prairie-wide droughts during the instrumental period occurred in the early part of the 20th century ( 1920s and 1930s ) . Paleo studies over the southwestern Canadian Prairies using tree ring chronologies dating back to 1597 indicate that the 20th century lacked the prolonged droughts of the 18th and 19th Centuries when droughts were evident for decades at a time .

negative: 2017 South Sudan famine Since the early months of 2017 , parts of South Sudan have been experiencing a famine following several years of instability in the country 's food supply caused by war and drought . The famine , largely focused in the northern part of the country , has been estimated to affect almost five million people ( about 50 % of the South Sudanese population ) , with food shortages expected to spread by the middle of the year .

negative: Morney Plains Station Morney Plains Station most commonly referred to as Morney Plains is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in south west Queensland .   It is situated about 104 km west of Windorah and 232 km east of Birdsville in the channel country close to the border with South Australia .   The property is currently owned by S. Kidman & Co. and occupies an area of 6240 km2 with a carrying capacity of 14,000 head .   The traditional owners of the area the Karuwali have lived in for tens of thousands of years .   The lease was first taken up by pioneer and pastoralist John Costello in the late 1860s or early 1870s . William Barker bought Morney Plains in 1876 along with the 1,000 head of cattle it was stocked with from the Collins brothers .   The property was owned by Weir and Scott in 1881 when it was visited by a journalist who described it as splendid country with hardly any grass on it simply to want for sufficient rainfall . The writer had been riding in a southerly direction along the Diamantina River and had described the area near the station as being lightly timbered stony country with large areas of saltbush and cotton bush . In 1887 the homestead was washed away following exceptionally heavy rains in the area and the heaviest flooding known at the time .   In 1927 the property was acquired by Ernest Castine for # 27,500 . Castine bought the property at auction from Coles Brothers Limited following the death of Thomas Kidman . The property occupied an area of 908 sqmi and was stocked with 7,500 head of cattle and 200 horses and well watered by over four artesian bores .   Airmail delivery to remote properties in outback South Australia , New South Wales and Queensland commenced in 1949 . Morney Plains along with other remote properties including Mungerannie , Clifton Hills , Glengyle , Davenport Downs , Mulka , Mount Leonard , Durrie , Cordillo Downs , Tanbar Station , Durham Downs , Nappa Merrie , Lake Pure and Naryilco were also on the route .   Craig Lasker and Nikki Smith have managed the property since 2000 after short stints at Ruby Plains Station and then Mooraberree Station , an outstation at Morney Plains . Drought struck in 2001 and continued through 2002 with the herd being reduced from 13,000 to 3,000 head of cattle . In 2003 a heavy downpour caused more damage than relief and later the same year the homestead burnt down killing the couples two children . Despite the tragedy the couple stayed at Morney Plains and were still managing it in 2012 .   In 2013 , the station was struck by drought again requiring water to be piped from a bore to the homestead once the water in the dams had run dry .

negative: Colorado low A Colorado low is a low pressure that forms in southeastern Colorado or northeastern New Mexico , typically in the winter . After forming , the system moves across the Great Plains . Colorado lows produce heavy wintry precipitation , and have a general east to northeast movement , impacting regions as far north as Winnipeg and as far east as the Atlantic coast . If upper level conditions are right , the jet stream can push the low farther south , bringing wintry precipitation as far as Texas . When pushed this far south , the system is often referred to as a `` blue norther '' . On the more typical track , a Colorado low can be similar to an Alberta clipper . Winter Colorado lows are responsible for a majority of the snow that the Midwest receives ; however , summer systems can trigger vast , long-lasting thunderstorms . Spring and early summer Colorado low cyclogenesis can precipitate significant `` syoptically evident '' tornado outbreaks over the Great Plains and Midwest .

negative: Tasmanian ferns Tasmania is home to ` Australia 's largest cool temperate rainforests ... Most of Tasmania 's rainforests occur in the North-West and throughout the North East highlands . Cool temperate rainforests typically have a heavy rainfall , cool climate , favor high altitudes and have a limited availability of light .

negative: Bouteloua gracilis Bouteloua gracilis ( blue grama ) is a long-lived , warm-season ( C4 ) perennial grass , native to North America .   It is most commonly found from Alberta , Canada , east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains , Great Plains , and U.S. Midwest states , onto the northern Mexican Plateau in Mexico .   Blue grama accounts for most of the net primary productivity in the shortgrass prairie of the central and southern Great Plains . It is a green or greyish , low-growing , drought-tolerant grass with limited maintenance .

negative: Climate of Sydney The climate of Sydney is humid subtropical ( Köppen Cfa ) , shifting from mild and cool in winter to warm and hot in the summer , with no extreme seasonal differences as the weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean . More contrasting temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs . Rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year , though it is generally highest between February and June . Precipitation varies across the region , with areas adjacent to the coast being the wettest .   Sydney has 103.9 clear days annually , with the monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 53 % in January to 72 % in August . The city receives around 20 thunderstorms per year . Sydney 's heat is usually dry when temperatures soar over 35 C . In some hot days , low pressure troughs would increase humidity and southerly busters would decrease temperatures . In late autumn and winter , east coast lows can bring large amounts of rainfall .   Sydney experiences an urban heat island effect , making certain parts of the city more vulnerable to extreme heat , particularly the west . Efforts have been introduced to investigate and mitigate this heat effect , including increasing shade from tree canopies , adding rooftop gardens to high rise structures and changing pavement colour . The El Niño Southern Oscillation plays an important role in determining Sydney 's weather patterns : drought and bushfire on the one hand , and storms and flooding on the other . Sydney is prone to heat waves and drought , which have become more common in recent years .

negative: Climate of Australia Australia 's climate is governed largely by its size and by the hot , sinking air of the subtropical high pressure belt . This moves north and south with the seasons , so that the rainfall pattern over Australia is highly seasonal . Australia 's rainfall is the lowest of all continents except Antarctica . But it is variable , with frequent droughts lasting several seasons -- thought to be caused in part by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation . The climate varies widely due to its large geographical size , but by far the largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid . Only the south-east and south-west corners have a temperate climate and moderately fertile soil . The northern part of the country has a tropical climate , varied between tropical rainforests , grasslands and part dessert .   Because Australia is a small continent , separated from polar regions by the Southern Ocean , it is not subject to the movements of frigid polar air that sweep over Northern Hemisphere continents during winter . Consequently , its winter is relatively mild , so that there is n't the great contrast between summer and winter temperatures there is in the northern continents . Yet in many parts of the country , seasonal highs and lows can be considerable : temperatures have ranged from above 50 C to well below zero . Nonetheless , minimum temperatures are moderated .   The El Niño-Southern Oscillation is associated with seasonal abnormality in many areas in the world . Australia is one of the continents most affected and experiences extensive droughts alongside considerable wet periods . Occasionally a dust storm will blanket a region and there are reports of the occasional tornado . Tropical cyclones , heat waves , bushfires and frosts in the country are also associated with the Southern Oscillation . Rising levels of salinity and desertification in some areas is ravaging the landscape .   Climate change in Australia is a highly contentious issue . Temperatures in the country have risen following an increasing trend of global warming between the years of 1910 to 2004 by approximately 0.7 ° C. Overnight minimum temperatures have warmed more rapidly than daytime maximum temperatures in recent years . The late-20th century warming has been largely attributed to the increased greenhouse effect . According to the Bureau of Meteorology , 80 % of the land has less than 600 mm of rainfall per year and 50 % has even less than 300 mm . As a whole , Australia has a very low annual average rainfall of 419 mm .

negative: Climate of Peshawar The Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass and sits mainly on the Iranian plateau along with the rest of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa . Peshawar is literally a frontier city of South-Central Asia and was historically part of the Silk Road .   The Valley of Peshawar is covered with consolidated deposits of silt , sands and gravel of recent geological times . The flood Plains/Zones are the areas between Kabul River and Budni Nala . The meander flood plain extends from Warsak in the Northwest towards Southeast in the upper Northern half of the district . The Kabul river enters the district in the Northwest . On entering the Peshawar Plain , the Kabul River is divided into several channels . Its two main channels are the Adizai River Eastward flows along the boundary with Charsadda District . Another channel branching from the right bank of the Naguman River is the Shah Alam , which again merges with Naguman River further in the East . In general the sub-soil strata is composed of gravels , boulders , and sands overlain by silts and clays . Sand , gravel and boulders are important aquifer extends to a depth of about 200 ft. As further confined water bearing aquifer occurs at depths greater than 400 ft.   Winter in Peshawar starts from mid November to the end of March . Summer months are May to September . The mean maximum temperature in summer is over 40 C and the mean minimum temperature is 25 C . The mean minimum temperature during winter is 4 C and maximum is 18.35 C.   Peshawar is not situated in the monsoon region , unlike the other northern parts of Pakistan . But occasionally monsoon currents make it as far as Peshawar causing downpours . This can be witnessed in the erratic monsoon of 2015 when the monsoon moisture was going well into eastern Afghanistan . The winter rainfall due to western disturbances shows a higher record during the months of February and April . The highest winter rainfall has been recorded in March , while the highest summer rainfall in the month of August . The average winter rainfall is higher than that of the summer . Based on a 30-year record , the average 30-year annual precipitation has been recorded as 400 mm . The relative humidity varies from 46 % in June to 76 % in August .   Peshawar 's environment has suffered tremendously due to an ever increasing population , unplanned growth and a poor regulatory framework . Air and noise pollution is a significant issue in several parts of the city , and the water quality , once considered to be exceptionally good , is also fast deteriorating .   In addition the city has lost 2700 acre of agriculture land during the two decades ( 1965 -- 85 ) . This in the addition to 400 acre of vacant land that has been also eaten up by expending urban functions . In the same period , the land under parks and green space has shrunk from 163 to .

negative: Garfagnana The Garfagnana is a historical and geographical region of central Italy , today part of the province of Lucca , in Tuscany . It is the upper valley or basin of the river Serchio , and thus lies between the Northern Apennines ' main ridge to the north-east and the Alpi Apuane to the west . It has heavy rainfall and is densely wooded . The principal towns are Castelnuovo di Garfagnana and Barga .

negative: 2016 São Paulo flood and mudslide Intense flooding and mudslides struck São Paulo ( city ) and São Paulo ( state ) , Brazil , following heavy rain and killed at least 21 . The downpour in São Paulo and the surrounding areas set new records for rainfall levels for the month of March and left cities covered in up to a meter of slowly draining mud and flood water . The rain occurred after months of drought .

negative: Africa: The Serengeti Africa : The Serengeti is a 70mm American documentary film released in 1994 to IMAX theaters . It is narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor James Earl Jones , and directed by George Casey . It was shot on location in Tanzania and Kenya .   The film features nature cinematography during a year at East Africa 's Serengeti plain . The Serengeti is a huge area of grassland in Tanzania . Once a year , in time of drought , animals travel north in order to survive . This `` great migration '' , an event in which millions of wildebeests , zebras , and antelope travel several hundred miles across the plain , while lions and other dangers await them along the way , is considered one of the great wonders of the world .   Hans Zimmer , the Academy Award-winning composer of the The Lion King , contributed to the film 's soundtrack . Casey followed up with another nature documentary , this time on the other side of the globe , called Alaska : Spirit of the Wild .

negative: Laramie Plains The Laramie Plains is an arid highland at an elevation of approx . 8000 ft in south central Wyoming in the United States . The plains extend along the upper basin of the Laramie River on the east side of the Medicine Bow Range . The city of Laramie is the largest community in the valley . The plains are separated from the Great Plains to the east by the Laramie Mountains , a spur of the Front Range that extends northward from Larimer County , Colorado west of Cheyenne . The high altitude of the region makes for a cold climate and a relatively short growing season . Unsuitable to most cultivation , the plains have historically been used for livestock raising , primarily of sheep and cattle .

negative: Galatas Palace The Galatas Palace is a Minoan site on Crete found in the early 1990s . The East Wing is the best preserved part of the building , while the West and South wings have been extensively damaged . Excavations have continued the North wing of the building , which is proving to be more promising . The archaeological site is considered by its excavator to be a Minoan palace .

negative: Ovče Pole Ovče Pole ( Овче Поле , meaning : Plain of sheep ) is a plain situated around the flow of Sveti Nikole 's River , which is a tributary to the Bregalnica river , in the east-central part of Republic of Macedonia . The climate of the plain is characterized by hot and dry summers and temperately cold winters , with occasional sharp lows . The highest registered temperature in the plain was 44.0 C and the lowest registered temperature was -23.0 C.   Strong winds from the north-west , north , south-east are specific for this region and are present for most of the year , this being the reason the area to be called `` the windiest place on the Balkans '' . The Ovče Pole plain is one of the driest areas in Europe and is plagued by frequent drought periods . The yearly average of rainfall is in the 400-500 ml/m2 range . The average elevation of the plain is 200 -- 400 m , and the highest place is Gjurište , with an elevation of 856m above sea level . In the region of Alin Dol of the river Mavrovica , in 1981 , an artificial dam was built . Its water is used for the water supply of the city of Sveti Nikole .

negative: Huff 'n' Puff Huff - 'n' Puff is one of the longest continuously held hot air balloon festivals in North America , having been held every year since 1976 . It is held each second weekend of September in Topeka , Kansas by the Great Plains Balloon Club .   The festival is located at Tinman Circle on the east side of Lake Shawnee , and weather permitting there are two flight launches each day : a morning flight at 6:00 am and an evening flight at 6:00 pm followed by a Balloon Glow at 7:30 pm . Approximately 30 balloon crews , mostly from the region around Topeka , participate each year .

negative: Prosopis tamarugo Prosopis tamarugo , commonly known as the tamarugo , is a species of flowering tree in the pea family , Fabaceae , subfamilia Mimosoideae . It is only found in northern Chile , particularly in the Pampa del Tamarugal , some 70 km east of the city of Iquique . This bushy tree apparently grows without the benefit of rainfall , and it is thought obtains some water from dew . Studies indicate it is a Phreatophyte - having deep roots that tap into ground water supplies . It also participates in hydraulic redistribution moving water from deeper levels to the upper and also reversing the process in times of severe drought   Scattered stands of the trees have been cut down for firewood . The trees grow on saline soils that do not allow for other trees . The species is a valuable source of charcoal and lumber and the leaves and fruits are also food for goats . It has been planted in Spain .

negative: Hauraki Plains The Hauraki Plains are a geographical feature and non-administrative area located in the northern North Island of New Zealand , at the lower ( northern ) end of the Thames Valley . They are located 75 kilometres south-east of Auckland , at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula and occupy the southern portion of a rift valley bounded on the north-west by the Hunua Ranges , to the east by the Coromandel and Kaimai Ranges and the west by a series of undulating hills which separate the plains from the much larger plains of the Waikato River . Broadly , the northern and southern parts of the Hauraki Plains are administered by the Hauraki District and the Matamata-Piako District respectively .   The alluvial plains have been built up by sediment deposited by the Piako and Waihou Rivers , which flow north to reach the sea at the Firth of Thames , and earlier by the ancestral Waikato River . The resulting land is flat , peat-heavy , and partly swampy which has been converted into excellent land for dairy farming .   Economically , the dairy farming is the leading primary industry , supported by other grassland farming . More recently , tourism in the Hauraki Plains region has been growing and the Hauraki Rail Trail , part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail , has been constructed in the Hauraki Plains .   The largest town fully within the Plains is Ngatea , with a smaller settlement of Turua . The larger town of Paeroa is located on the eastern edge of the Hauraki Plains . While there is no defined geographical southern boundary to the Hauraki Plains , this is generally taken as been a line between the towns of Te Aroha and Morrinsville , approximately following State Highway 26 .

negative: Messara Plain The Messara Plain or simply Messara is an illuvial plain in southern Crete , stretching about 50 km west-to-east and 7 km north-to-south , making it the largest plain in Crete .   On a hill at its west end are the ruins of Phaestus , near the middle are the ruins of the ancient city of Gortys .   Since 1500 BC the plain has grown up to 6 km due to a buildup of illuvial sediment . Clays from Messara have been found to be the source of significant amounts of Minoan pottery ; soil and rock types from the fringes of Messara , particularly the foothills of the Asterousia Mountains at the south and the foothills to the north within the Psiloritis Mountains .   In the Messara , olive trees , vineyards and horticultural crops are grown here . Part of the products grown here are placed on the domestic market . Α substantial part of the produced olive oil is then exported to European markets . The Messara Plain is also home to the indigenous Messara horse .

negative: Drought in Spain Droughts in Spain mainly happen in the south east . These droughts are usually confined to summer , with hot , dry weather for an extended period . However , droughts can vary in their characteristics . All types of drought cause issues across all sectors , with impacts extending to the ecosystem , agriculture and the economy of the whole country in severe cases of drought . The south east usually suffers most , as it has the lowest average precipitation per year , which is even lower in a drought .   The drought , along with high winds and fallen cables , is being looked at as a prime causal factor in the massive forest fires .   In 2012 Spain experienced the driest period since the 1940s , with rainfall decreased by up to 75 % .

negative: Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States , also referred to as the American Midwest or simply the Midwest , is one of the four geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau , occupying the northern central part of the United States of America . It was officially named the North Central region by the Census Bureau until 1984 .   Although the region is often defined in a number of ways , the Census Bureau 's definition consists of 12 states in the north central United States : Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Michigan , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , North Dakota , Ohio , South Dakota , and Wisconsin . Illinois is the most populous of the states and North Dakota the least . A 2012 report from the United States Census put the population of the Midwest at 65,377,684 . The Midwest is divided by the Census Bureau into two divisions . The East North Central Division includes Illinois , Indiana , Michigan , Ohio and Wisconsin , all of which are also part of the Great Lakes region . The West North Central Division includes Iowa , Kansas , Minnesota , Missouri , North Dakota , Nebraska , and South Dakota , several of which are located at least partly , within the Great Plains region . Major rivers in the region include , from east to west , the Ohio River , the Upper Mississippi River , and the Missouri River . The region generally lies on the broad Interior Plain between the states occupying the Appalachian Mountain range and the states occupying the Rocky Mountain range .   Chicago is the most populated city in the American Midwest and the third most populous in the entire country . Other large Midwest cities include ( in order by population ) : Indianapolis , Columbus , Detroit , Milwaukee , Kansas City , Omaha , Minneapolis , Cleveland , Wichita and St. Louis . Chicago and its suburbs form the largest metropolitan statistical area with 9.8 million people , followed by Metro Detroit , Minneapolis -- St. Paul , Greater St. Louis , Greater Cleveland , Greater Cincinnati ( without the Kentucky portion ) , Kansas City metro area , and the Columbus metro area .

negative: Upper Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia Upper Hammonds Plains ( 2011 population : 1,840 ) is a Canadian suburban community located in Nova Scotia 's Halifax Regional Municipality .   The community is situated along Pockwock Road and is considered one of the most historic communities for Black Nova Scotians . There were 330 residents who identified themselves as having black ancestry in the 2006 census . The community is named after the Governor of Nova Scotia Sir Andrew Hamond , 1st Baronet .   Its border is defined by the Government of Nova Scotia and it is adjacent to Hammonds Plains in the east and south , Upper Tantallon in the south , Head of St. Margarets Bay and Mount Uniacke in the west , and Mount Uniacke and Upper Sackville in the north .

negative: Climate change in Australia Climate change has been a major issue in Australia since the beginning of the 21st century . In 2013 , the CSIRO released a report stating that Australia is becoming hotter , and that it will experience more extreme heat and longer fire seasons because of climate change . In 2014 , the Bureau of Meteorology released a report on the state of Australia 's climate that highlighted several key points , including the significant increase in Australia 's temperatures ( particularly night-time temperatures ) and the increasing frequency of bush fires , droughts and floods , which have all been linked to climate change .   Since the beginning of the 20th century Australia has experienced an increase of nearly 1 ° C in average annual temperatures , with warming occurring at twice the rate over the past 50 years than in the previous 50 years . Recent climate events such as extremely high temperatures and widespread drought have focused government and public attention on the impacts of climate change in Australia . Rainfall in southwestern Australia has decreased by 10 -- 20 % since the 1970s , while southeastern Australia has also experienced a moderate decline since the 1990s . Rainfall patterns are expected to be problematic , as rain has become heavier and infrequent , as well as more common in summer rather than in winter , with little or no uptrend in rainfall in the Western Plateau and the Central Lowlands of Australia . Water sources in the southeastern areas of Australia have depleted due to increasing population in urban areas ( rising demand ) coupled with climate change factors such as persistent prolonged drought ( diminishing supply ) . At the same time , Australia continues to have the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions . Temperatures in Australia have also risen dramatically since 1910 and nights have become warmer .   A carbon tax was introduced in 2011 by the Gillard government in an effort to reduce the impact of climate change and despite some criticism , it successfully reduced Australia 's carbon dioxide emissions , with coal generation down 11 % since 2008 -- 09 . The subsequent Australian Government , elected in 2013 under then Prime Minister Tony Abbott was criticised for being `` in complete denial about climate change '' . Furthermore , the Abbott government repealed the carbon tax on 17 July 2014 in a heavily criticised move . The renewable energy target ( RET ) , launched in 2001 , was heavily modified under Abbott 's government . However , under the government of Malcolm Turnbull , Australia attended the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference and adopted the Paris Agreement . This agreement includes a review of emission reduction targets every 5 years from 2020 .   The federal government and all state governments ( New South Wales , Victoria , Queensland , South Australia , Western Australia , Tasmania , Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ) have explicitly recognised that climate change is being caused by greenhouse gas emissions , in conformity with the scientific opinion on climate change . Sectors of the population have campaigned against new coal mines and coal-fired power stations , reflecting concerns about the effects of global warming on Australia .  The Garnaut Climate Change Review predicted that a net benefit to Australia may be derived by stabilising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at 450ppm CO2 eq .   The per-capita carbon footprint in Australia was rated 12th in the world by PNAS in 2011 , considerably large given the small population of the country .

negative: Dembel (woreda) Dembel is one of the woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia . Part of the Shinile Zone , Dembel is bordered on the west by Shinile , on the north by Ayesha , and on the east and south by the Jijiga Zone . Towns in Dembel include Arebi , Biyo Behay , Dembel , Dure , Harmukale , and Smekeb .   Inhabitants of this woreda have engaged in crop farming since 1965 ; however , there has been a great decline in crop production from 1989 to 2001 . That was primarily caused by clan conflicts and aggravated by severe droughts . Between 35-45 % of the inhabitants are pastoralists , while 55-65 % raise cereals ( mostly sorghum ) as well as raise livestock .

negative: Schinia simplex Schinia simplex is a moth of the Noctuidae family . It is found in the western Great Plains from North Dakota to New Mexico .   The wingspan is about 30 mm .   Larvae have been recorded on Ipomoea leptophylla .

negative: Euxoa comosa Euxoa comosa is a moth of the Noctuidae family . It is found in western North America , except the Pacific coast , ranging east through the northern Great Plains , and in the Hudsonian zone to the Atlantic Ocean . It is found in every province and territory of Canada , except Nunavut .   The wingspan is about 32 mm .   Larvae have been recorded on Secale cereale .

negative: Lake Numalla Lake Numalla is located in the Mulga Lands bioregion of Western Queensland , Australia . The area has a very dry climate , with unpredictable low rainfall ( 450mm-650mm per year ) . Lake Numalla is freshwater while nearby Lake Wyara is saline . These provide significant waterbird habitats at times of drought and for migrating waders which travel across inland Australia .200 bird species have been recorded in the park .   The lake is part of Currawinya National Park and is a site listed under the Ramsar Convention .

negative: Second Great Migration (African American) In the context of the 20th-century history of the United States , the Second Great Migration was the migration of more than five million African Americans from the South to the North , Midwest and West . It took place from 1941 , through World War II , and lasted until 1970 . It was much larger and of a different character than the first Great Migration ( 1910 -- 1940 ) .   In the Second Great Migration , more than five million African Americans moved to cities in states in the North , Midwest and West , including California , where Los Angeles , Oakland , Richmond , and Long Beach offered skilled jobs in the defense industry . Most of these migrants were already urban laborers who came from the cities of the South . In addition , African Americans were still treated with discrimination in parts of the country , and many sought to escape this .