CLIMATE

CHANGE

INDEX

Introduction.................................................................................................3Climate change and its consequences......................................................3Natural disasters and renewable energy..................................................4Effects, consequences and solutions of air pollution................................5Actions that can change the world...........................................................7

References:..................................................................................................8Image References:.......................................................................................9

Introduction

This essay is related with the board game of Team Disaster. There is general information about climate change and a catastrophe section because Earth Strike Back's game has information cards about climate change and there are catastrophe tiles where is possible to lose and to be out of the game.Climate change and its consequences

Nowadays climate change is described as the set of changes that are taking place in our planet. Shrinking mountain glaciers, shifts in flower/plant blooming times, rising sea levels and accelerating ice melt in Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic are some of them. These changes are all consequences of the global warming which is caused – according with Amanda MacMillan in NRDC in 2016 – “when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in the

atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface. Normally, this radiation would escape into space, but these pollutants, which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter. That's what's known as the greenhouse effect.”

Temperature on Earth has increased 0.8° Celsius in the last 140 years as a consequence of the greenhouse effect. The higher temperatures are causing several damages and in the future it will be worse. Some of these damages are as follows:

Melting of glaciers and poles: the Arctic, the Antarctic, Muir glacier (Alaska)…

Migration of some species to cooler areas, for example butterflies, birds and foxes.

Increasing of precipitations all over the world, on average. Invasive species are thriving, for example, Zebra mussels in the

Great Lakes of North America are threatening native species as they were introduced accidentally.

Rising sea levels as a consequence of the melting glaciers, poles and the expansion of the water as it warms. This will affect islands and coastal areas.

Hurricanes and other storms are becoming stronger.

Droughts and floods will become more severe. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years.

Less fresh water will be available and will be mixed with sea water, which is salty.

Some diseases will spread, such as mosquito-borne malaria (Zika virus resurfaced in 2016).

Natural disasters and renewable energy

FIGURE 2 -ZEBRA MUSSELS

Natural disasters are becoming more normal and bigger (tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes…). An example of this would be – according with the diary The Economist in 2017 – “The Tropical Storm Harvey that dumped in just four days almost 50 inches (1.27 meters) of rain in some areas”. Although hurricanes have always existed and therefore are not caused just by climate change, it makes them more destructive. So, it is incorrect to think that the Hurricane Irma and other destructive catastrophes were caused by climate change. But the seriousness of its consequences is an effect of this. According to the UN’s disaster-monitoring system “America sits alongside China and India in suffering the greatest number of natural disasters globally between 1995 and 2015.” However, we are improving buildings to reduce floods and damages. For example, many skyscrapers in japan are built to resist earthquakes, Yokohama Landmark Tower is one of them and in Netherlands are houses that are protected against the floods.

In the fight against climate change we have the renewable energy. It is energy collected

FIGURE 4 - A RISING TIDE

from renewable resources such as solar and wind energy. These ones are constantly replenished and never will run out; in contrast, there exist the non-renewable resources like coal, oil and natural gas, which are finite resources. Wind, solar or hydro power, geothermal and bio sources are all the forms in which you can obtain energy without contaminating the environment. Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, Spain, Norway, United Kingdom, Finland, Austria and Poland are the top 10 European countries that produce renewable energy. However, not everything is positive: renewable energy entails high development costs, is vulnerable, is not available in all areas and large places are required to produce it.Effects, consequences and solutions of air pollution

Air pollution, referred as the contamination of the air, is a physical, chemical or biological alteration on the air in the atmosphere. According to Conserve energy future “It occurs when any dust, harmful gases, smoke enters into the atmosphere and makes it difficult for plants, animals and humans to survive as the air becomes dirty”. Air pollution can be classified into two sections, visible air pollution and invisible air pollution. The causes of air pollutants are:

Burning of Fossil Fuels Agricultural activities Exhaust from factories and

industries Mining operations

Indoor air pollution

In addition to affecting global warming, pollution also produce respiratory and heart problems, acid rain, and eutrophication (when the environment becomes enriched with nutrients. This can be a problem in marine habitats such as lakes as it can cause algal blooms), effect on wildlife (animals move to new places and change their habitat) and depletion of Ozone layer (Ozone is becoming thin and the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can pass easily). In order to solve these problems lots of cities have chosen to have green areas. Studies have shown that some trees can absorb as much as 50% of the particulate matter generated by automobiles. In a 2014 report, it was calculated that London's trees provided "at least £133 millions of

FIGURE 5 - WESTERMOST ROUGH OFFSHORE WIND FARM FIGURE 6 - WIND ENERGY IN EUROPE

benefits every year in terms of air pollution removal, carbon sequestration and reducing the amount of water going into drains".

Also there are green buildings that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. Green buildings are designed in such a way to reduce overall impact on environment and human health by:

Reducing trash, pollution and degradation of environment.

Efficiently using energy, water and other resources.

Protecting occupant health and improving productivity

For example, in Beijing, The Bird’s Nest Stadium incorporates solar power and rainwater collection.

FIGURE 7- THE BIRD'S NEST STADIUM

Or The German Reichstag building, where the energy system is based upon a mix of solar energy, geothermal power, combined heat and power, biofuel generators, and innovative ventilation.

Actions that can change the world

Besides, each person can contribute to reduce the climate change and the greenhouse effect. While it is true that the higher institutions have more power, if everyone put forth a little effort, we can change the future of our world. For example, reducing, reusing and recycling our products, using less heat and air conditioning, setting energy-saving light bulbs, driving less and taking public transport or bikes, planting a tree… These actions are easy and everyone is capable to make them.

FIGURE 8 - REICHSTAG BUILDING

References:

MacMilliam, A. (2016, March 2). Global Warming 101. Retrieved from: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101

Nasa, Global Climate Change. Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from: https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/

National Geographic. Effects of Global Warming. Retrieved from: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-effects/

Wikipedia. Renewable energy. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy

Renewable energy world. Types of Renewable Energy. Retrieved from: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/index/tech.html

The Economist. Wheather-related disasters are increasing. Retrieved from: https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2017/08/daily-chart-19

Green Match. (October 2, 2017). EU Countries by Production of Clean Energy. [Blog post]. Retrieved from:https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2017/07/top-eu-countries-in-clean-energy

Nasa, Global Climate Change. Graphic: Dramatic glacier melt. Retrieved from: https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/4/

Griffin A. (September 7, 2017). What caused Hurricane Irma? Did climate change cause this Category 5 tropical storm? Retrieved from: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/irma-climate-change-what-cause-hurricane-global-warming-caribbean-florida-a7933721.html

Ten ways to Reduces Gases. Retrieved from: http://www.eastgwillimbury.ca/Services/Environment/Ten_Ways_to_Reduce_Greenhouse_Gases.htm?PageMode=Print

CFE, Conserve Energy Future. Retrieved from: https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-air-pollution.php

Kinver M. (October 31, 2016) Growth of city trees can cut air pollution, says report. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-37813709

SAMTRAC. (June 6, 2016). 10 great examples of ‘green’ buildings and concepts worldwide. [Blog post]. Retrieved from:http://blog.samtrac.com/10-great-examples-of-green-buildings-worldwide

Image References:

Figure 1. The greenhouse effect. [Online picture]. Image based on a figure from US EPA at:https://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/more-resources-on-climate-change/climate-change-evidence-and-causes/climate-change-evidence-and-causes-figure-gallery/#jp-carousel-1314

Figure 2. Zebra mussels. U.S Fish & Wild life Service. Photo. [Online picture] at: http://www.100thmeridian.org/photobank/

Figure 3. By Rs1421. (2011). Yokohama Landmark Tower. Photo. [Online picture] at:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Yokohama-Landmark-Tower-02.jpg

Figure 4. Source: Munich Re. A rising tide. [Online picture] at:https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2017/08/daily-chart-19

Figure 5. By DONG Energy. Turbines at another Dong Energy wind farm, Westermost Rough. Photo. [Online picture] at:https://www.evwind.es/2013/01/30/dong-energy-to-build-westermost-rough-offshore-wind-farm/28323

Figure 6. Top 10 European Countries by Produced Wind energy. [Online picture] at:https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2017/07/top-eu-countries-in-clean-energy

Figure 7. By Peter 23. Beijing National Stadium. Photo. [Online picture] at:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_National_Stadium#/media/File:Beijing_national_stadium.jpg

Figure 8. By Matthew Field. New German Parliament, Reichstag. Photo. [Online picture] at:https://www.archdaily.com/775601/ad-classics-new-german-parliament-reichstag-foster-plus-partners