Small Changes with Big ImpactsBy: Andrew Chen, Melissa Lai, Kenji Nagasawa, 

Harley Zhou, Sharon Zhu

WE MUST DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE NOW!" We simply cannot afford to gamble... by ignoring it. We cannot risk inaction. Those scienctists who say we are merely entering a period of climatic instability are acting irrespnsobly. The indications that our climate can soon change for the worse are too strong to be reasonably ignored."                   1978, Lowell Ponte, The Cooling, p 237

Driving Smart Counts

Strengths• simple and easy to do• efficient and cheap • reduces carbon emission 

 Weakness• more expensive to buy

hybrid, but more efficient long-term

• does not have a big impact unless everyone contributes

Small Changes around the house • Taking shorter showers• Use compact fluorescent bulbs• Use washing machine/dish washer when it's

full • Installing solar panels in your house• Use more recyclable items

Changes at Work and at School

• Turn off unused electronics• Carpool to work/school• Teach others about conservation of energy• 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Critiques and Comments about small solutions

Comments• These changes make more sense than big solutions• Easier to do than bigger solution• Helps to promote industry as people will need to buy

much of the recyclables and modern appliances they need

Critiques• Requires a lot of people worldwide

  in order to be successful and to   actually have an impact• Requires self sacrificing• Requires commitment

Alternative Energy Sources• Nuclear Power

o Provides 6% of world's energy and 13-14% of world's electricity

o Strength: reduces carbon dioxide emissiono Weakness: tank explosions and radiation

• Biomass Energyo  Strength: renewable sourceo Weakness: expensive, releases gas that may

contribute to global warming• Compressed Natural Gas

oStrength: less air pollution, naturaloWeakness: slow fueling process, expensive,

reduction of engine performance

Alternative Energy Sources• Geothermal Gas

oheat from inside the EarthoStrength: reduces acid rain by 97%, power plants

are smaller than nuclear power plants, can be used immediately for heating (pipes in the ground)

oWeakness: hard to find location to trap the energy, health hazards (mercury), usually near site of dangerous locations (volcanoes and earthquakes)

Alternative Energy Sources

•  Hydroelectricityoelectricity obtained by harnessing power of

water flowing downwardoStrength: causes no pollution because it is

fueled by wateroWeakness: will not function during drought

Alternative Energy Source

• Wind Powero the conversion of wind

energy to a useful form of energy

oStrengths: It can supply electrical power

oWeakness: energy produced is not at a constant rate because it is dependent on the wind.

Alternative Energy Source• Solar Power

oenergy from the sunoStrengths: low maintenance oWeakness: does not work on stormy or cloudy

days or at night. • Wave PoweroThere are 3 types:

Buoys & Floats, Oscilating Water Columns, and Focusing Devices 

oStrengths: renewable energy source

oWeakness: Storm can damage devices

Alternative Energy Source

• Tidal Poweromerge of wind and solar energyoStrengths: more efficient than coal or oiloWeakness: the Turbine Frames will

destroy marine life.

Alternative Energy Sources

• A form of renewable energy taking advantage of renewable resources such as wind of sunlight

• However, this can be costly 6000 to 10000 for per kilowatt for solar energy

 Strengths•     Practically free energy•     They will not emit CO2

 Weaknesses•     Large amount of space needed •     Poor consumer market

Big Solutions to Global warming

• Geo EngineeringoAerosol Cooling oMirrors in spaceoCloud Formationo Iron FertilizationoOcean MixingoGreenhouse gas remediation

Carbon SequestrationoArctic Geo engineering

Permafrost of methane 

 

Problems to Geoengineering• Studies have shown that trying to shade the sun,

aerosol cooling, might not even change the climate at all. It might even mess up Earth's hydrological cycle by slowing it down. 

• Aerosol cooling also doesn't solve the ocean acidification, nor does it help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. 

Is it Possible to just Adapt?

• Adaptation: making adjustments to future changes• Being considered in some places and cities• Cities in danger of extreme consequences are

beginning to adaptMethods to Adapt to Global Warming • Develop more drought tolerant crops• Increase storage of water • Control the weather ( cloud seeding,pouring liquid

nitrogen into sea, soot to absorb sunlight)• Damming glacial lakes• Migration

Comments and Critiques on Adaption

Comments• It is easier than both big and small changes

 • It will create jobs

 Critiques• It is unknown exactly what will happen or how

severe the climate changes will be • It will take a long time to implement the changes

such as building each new street 

Chicago's Big Leap Forward

• Chicago has begun to invest in order to adapt to the changing climates

• In the next century Chicago is expected to have a huge heat wave

• They have created much more modern roads• These roads absorb water• They are using trees that are more resistent to heat

and disease

Other Countries attempts to adapt

India • Using rice varieties that can survive being

submerged for two weeksoThese crops of rice also now resist the

diseases and pests that the original was susceptible to

• However, it is unknown how this inserted gene will affect the crop

Adapting in less developed countries

• Poorer nations such as Africa, Bangladesh and small islands are more seriously affected by global warming

• developed countries have contributed billions of dollars to aid these poorer nations

• Africa has droughts due to less precipitation •  As a result drought resistant crops are used and

desalination plants are planted• medical research for diseases such as malaria

Other Cities' attempts to go Green • More cities are planting trees and converting

vehicles to hybrids (NYC planted over 322,000 trees last year)

• NYC also bought more land to ensure its water supply

• NYC has  three solar empowerment zones to go green and use alternate power sources

 

Solar Empowerment zones• Areas that have multiple solar panels on the

surrounding buildings that create clean energy • Reduces peak electricity demand and pollution• Built in three regions where solar power is the most

beneficial and usable• Uses solar energy and has a "day-peaking" energy

usage profile that changes as the day changes

Political Problems to Solutions• No definite cost for the solutions• Nations do not want to sacrifice• Poorer countries want to industrialize• It is not clear what effect their actions will have• If other nations do not participate, they feel that their

actions will be meaningless• Developing nations do not want to fix what they think

is the industrialized nations' problem

Bibliography• Web. 26 May 2011. http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/take-action/action-items/. •  At the office. Web. 26 May 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/office.html>. • Geoengineering. Web. 26 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoengineering>. • A City Prepares for a Warm Long-Term Forecast. Web. 26 May 2011.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/science/earth/23adaptation.html>. • Climate change mitigation. Web. 26 May 2011.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_mitigation>. • A Modest Proposal to Fix Global Warming. Web. 26 May 2011.

<http://spectator.org/archives/2011/03/08/a-modest-proposal-to-fix-globa#>. • Weather Control. Web. 26 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_control >. • Top 10 Craziest Solutions to Global Warming. Web. 26 May 2011. <http://www.livescience.com/7992-

top-10-craziest-solutions-global-warming.html>. • Adaptation to global warming. Web. 26 May 2011.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptation_to_global_warming >. • Kyoto and Den Haag: what is (not) happening?. Web. 26 May 2011.

<http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/virtualmuseum/climatechange2/09_1.shtml>. • Permafrost. Web. 26 May 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permafrost. • Problems with geoengineering schemes to combat climate change. Web. 30, May 2011. 

http://oceanacidification.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/problems-with-geoengineering-schemes-to-combat-climate-change/

•  Geoengineering could slow down the global water cycle. Web. 30, May 2011. http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/05/27/geoengineering.could.slow.down.global.water.cycle

• http://chimalaya.org/2010/09/28/india-adapting-to-climate-change-with-submarine-rice/ • Hydroelectric Power.  Web. 31, May 2011. http://expert-eyes.org/deepak/hydro.html • What are the advantages and disadvantages of hydro power? Web. 31, May 2011. 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_hydro-electric_power•  Wind Power. Web. 31, May 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power• Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Power. Web. 31, May 2011. 

http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/wind8.htm

Bibliography • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power•  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-can-cities-adapt-to-climate-change• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/alternative-energy-sources-list.html • http://www.greenandsave.com/green_news/green-science-technology/what-biomass-energy-5058• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/biomass-energy-pros-and-cons.html• http://www.brighthub.com/diy/automotive/articles/2126.aspx• http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/geothermal-energy-pros-and-cons-8094.html• What is Solar Power?  Web. 31, May 2011. http://www.solarhome.org/infowhatissolarpower.html• Solar Power - Advantages and Disadvantages. Web. 31, May 2011. 

http://alternate-power.org/solar-power-advantages-and-disadvantages/•  Wave Energy System. Web. 31, May. 

http://www.energybible.com/water_energy/wave_energy_systems.html•  Tidal Power - Pros and Cons. Web. 31, May 2011. 

http://www.solarpowerwindenergy.org/2010/10/27/tidal-power-pros-and-cons/