UPC Cambridge

ISO 13485 | Medical Devices Quality Management | MD 69713

Technology Insights

Climate Change

2019 UPC generated a simple predictive model for global warming based on CO2 atmospheric levels. The answer was in conflict with the IPCC data predicting a 1.5°C rise by 2100.
2023 The IPPC AR6 consensus (see table below) is that the rise is going to be above 2°C, even 3°C depending on how much we all actually slow down global CO2 emissions.

Emitters

Transport

Home Heating &Cooling

Burning coal = high CO2

Sinks

Maturing Forests

Restored Peat Bogs

Ocean Acidification



UK invested, over the last decades, in mostly off-shore wind farms that have enabled the UK electricity CO2 emissions to fall to circa 300gm/kWh at current consumption rates. Clearly substantially more electricity consumption (such as 32 million all-electric vehicles) will require more gas to be burnt at the UK power stations. Gas alone emits 600gm/kWh, Coal 1,100 gm/kWh. Optimising the balance of power station versus tail pipe emission is difficult. Personal life-style change is actually quicker and more effective than trying to force the greening of the economy.

Higher carbon living

Daily Commuting to work, lack of home insulation, over-housed.  Single occupant car use, imported food.

Ultra-low carbon living

Work from home, highly insulated small homes?

Cycle/Walk, Eat local produce.

Small molecules, combination treatments, triples, 4 drug systems, soft mist nebuliser, low-gap propellants