Nitrous Oxide Emissions by Sector
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Provided by: Our World in Data|Published on: July 20, 2021
Data, Graphs, and MapsScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This interactive resource allows students to explore annual nitrous oxide emissions by sector since 1990 for any country or globally.
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
Authors: Hannah Ritchie, Max Roser
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This resource clearly shows where most nitrous oxide emissions come from and how those emissions changed over time.
- The data can be viewed as an animated chart, static chart, or table.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should know how to read a line graph.
- Teachers may need to introduce students to the term fugitive emissions.
- Students may need some background information about nitrous oxide as a greenhouse gas and an unregulated ozone-depleting substance.
Differentiation
- Cross-curricular connections could be made with chemistry classes by exploring the chemical properties of nitrous oxide that make it a potent greenhouse gas and an ozone-depleting substance.
- Students can further research nitrous oxide using these questions as a guide:
- How potent is nitrous oxide as a greenhouse gas?
- How is nitrous oxide released from fertilizer and waste lagoons?
- How does fertilizer use contribute to eutrophication and affect water ecosystems?
- How important is nitrous oxide as an ozone-damaging gas?
- How potent is nitrous oxide as a greenhouse gas?
The resource choose a 100-year time scale for the GWP to calculate and normalize these F gases units into a single unit expressed in CO2e This method is appropriate as it considered the residence time of N2O - CO2 emissions. In the chart, agriculture appears to emit the highest concentration of N2O globally. The resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
