Donut Delight: Linking Energy Production to Wetland Area Needs
Welcome to Donut Delight!
An engaging, interactive platform designed to bridge the gap between CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel energy production and the wetland areas needed to offset these emissions. This vibrant tool helps users—whether they are policymakers, educators, or environmentally conscious citizens—better understand how energy production choices affect wetland conservation and carbon sequestration.
The platform features a dynamic donut chart that provides real-time estimations of how much wetland area is required to balance CO₂ emissions from different energy sources. The goal is to offer an intuitive and fun way to explore the link between CO₂ emissions and wetland preservation, empowering decision-makers with data-driven insights.
What is this interactive tool about?
The Donut Delight tool simplifies the complex decision-making process around energy production by visualizing the environmental cost of CO₂ emissions. It takes data on energy production from various sources (renewables, oil, gas, coal) and translates it into CO₂ emissions, which are then shown in terms of wetland areas required to sequester the equivalent carbon emissions. This helps users grasp the real-world impact of their energy choices.
How does it works?
Energy can be produced from various sources, each with different carbon footprint. For instance, coal is estimated to emit 1000gCO2/kWh while natural gas at 450gCO2/kWh. We estimate the overall CO2 emissions from energy production of various country, by using data of the percentage of total energy generated by each source. We then calculate the weighted CO2 emissions by multiplying the percentage of energy produced from each source by its respective gCO2/kWh value. Finally, we sum these weighted emissions to obtain the total CO2 emissions associated with energy production.
In this analysis, we assume that wetlands sequester 1 ton of CO2 per hectare per year, this allows us to convert CO2 emission to equivalent wetland area required to obtain carbon neutral. Although it is never a full picture, this gives decision makers perspective, how changing the way we produce energy had an effect on CO2 emissions. Lastly, we divided the wetland area by the population of that country, to obtain wetland area needed per capita for carbon neutral. A small number shows how well our country is doing on fighting climate change.
This method provides a comprehensive perspective of the carbon impact from energy generation.
How to use it?
Interactive Sliders:
Users can adjust sliders representing energy production from different sources (renewables, oil, gas, coal). As renewable energy production increases, the tool shows a reduction in the wetland area needed to absorb CO₂, making it easier to understand the benefits of renewable energy for carbon neutrality.
There are more instructions in Donut Delight. Feel free to play around!
- Dropdown Box:
Users can choose a specific country or utilize the interactive Earth globe to visualize data regionally.
- Energy Production Profile:
The platform displays the current energy production profile based on 2022 data.
- Wetland Area Exploration:
Explore how much wetland area is needed to absorb CO₂ emissions from the energy profile.
- Play with the Energy Mix:
Users can adjust the energy production profile while keeping total energy output fixed. Watch how the wetland area required for sequestration changes as the energy mix shifts toward renewables.
Why is it important?
This tool is essential for helping governments, policymakers, and the public understand the long-term environmental consequences of energy production decisions. It offers a clear, visual way to demonstrate how shifting toward renewable energy sources can reduce CO₂ emissions and the need for wetland areas to absorb those emissions. This knowledge fosters better decision-making, particularly for climate action strategies aimed at achieving carbon neutrality.
Why It Matters?
Donut Delight is more than just a data visualization tool—it’s a powerful educational resource designed to inform and inspire better decision-making for climate action. By linking energy production to wetland conservation, the platform emphasizes the vital role wetlands play in carbon sequestration and global climate mitigation efforts.
Through its interactive features, Donut Delight helps users visualize the real-world environmental consequences of their energy choices. By highlighting the importance of reducing fossil fuel use and preserving wetlands, it promotes a more sustainable future.
Join us on Donut Delight and discover how your energy choices impact the planet.
Let’s balance energy production with the preservation of essential wetland ecosystems, and create a path toward a more sustainable, carbon-neutral world.