End-of-Year Project Work 2011Geography

Done by: The Dynamos Natalya, Hisham, Vivian, Aruun

Global Warming

Solutions

ConsequencesCauses

Project Task Assignment

What is Global Warming?

What is Global Warming?

Global warming is the observed and projected increases in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans. The Earth's average temperature rose about 0.6° Celsius (1.1° Fahrenheit) in the 20th century, proven by the graph beside.

Adapted from: www.globalwarmingart.com

Causes and Effects of Global WarmingAlmost 100% of the temperature

increased due to the increase in the atmosphere of greenhouse gas concentrations like water vapors, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and ozone.

Yes, one of the main causes of global warming is the greenhouse effects.

Greenhouse gases are those gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect .The largest contributing source of greenhouse gas is the burning of fossil fuels leading to the emission of carbon dioxide.

 

Adapted from: www.globalwarmingart.com

The Greenhouse effect

What causes the emission of these greenhouse gases that leads to Global Warming?

From which sectors do the major greenhouse gas emissions come from?

The lower part of the chart shows the sources individually for the gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, respectively. 

Explanation of the greenhouse gasesCarbon Dioxide

According to the chart in the previous slide, carbon dioxide is mostly emitted by the power stations and followed by the industrial processes.

Carbon dioxide is probably the most important of the greenhouse gases as it accounts for the largest proportion of the 'trace gases' and is currently responsible for 60% of the 'enhanced greenhouse effect' .

Atmospheric carbon dioxide comes from a number of natural sources, mainly the decay of plants, volcanic eruptions and as a waste product of animal respiration.

Explanation of the greenhouse gasesCarbon Dioxide

• The amount of carbon dioxide taken out of the atmosphere by plants is almost perfectly balanced with the amount put back into the atmosphere by respiration and decay. Small changes as a result of human activities can have a large impact on this delicate balance.

• Burning fossil fuels releases the carbon dioxide stored millions of years ago. Fossil fuels are used to run vehicles (petrol, diesel and kerosene), heat homes, businesses and power factories. Deforestation releases the carbon stored in trees and also results in less carbon dioxide being removed from the atmosphere.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased more in the northern hemisphere where more fossil fuel burning occurs. Since the Industrial Revolution the concentration globally has increased by about 40%.

Explanation of the greenhouse gasesMethane Gas

• The importance of methane in the greenhouse effect is its warming effect. Even though it occurs in lower concentrations than carbon dioxide, it produces 21 times as much warming as CO2. Methane accounts for 20% of the 'enhanced greenhouse effect'.

• Methane is generated naturally by bacteria that breaks down organic matter. It is found in the guts of animals and in natural gas deposits.

• Presently, about two thirds of global methane comes from man-made sources, such as the burning of fossil fuel, the accidental release during drilling for natural gas or from cattle ranching.

• Since the Industrial Revolution, the level of Methane in the atmosphere has increased by about two and a half times.

• The rise in methane started more recently than the rise in carbon dioxide, and the process of removal from the atmosphere is difficult to predict. However, without technological change further increases in concentrations are inevitable

Explanation of the greenhouse gasesNitrous Oxide

• Nitrous oxide makes up an extremely small amount of the atmosphere - it is less than one-thousandth as abundant as carbon dioxide. However, it is 200 to 300 times more effective in trapping heat than carbon dioxide.

• Nitrous oxide has one of the longest atmosphere lifetimes of the greenhouse gases, lasting for up to 150 years.

• Burning fossil fuels and wood is one source of the increase in atmospheric nitrous oxide, however the main contributor is believed to be the widespread use of nitrogen-base fertilizers. Sewage treatment plants may also be a major source of this gas.

• Since the Industrial Revolution, the level of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has increased by 16%.

Due to the long time it spends in the atmosphere, the nitrous oxide that we release today will still be trapping heat well into the next century.

Consequences of Global Warming

• Dangerous Weather Patterns• Effects on Animals•  Full Effects on Humans

Consequences of Global Warming(Dangerous Weather Patterns) • Severe drought and flooding will

occur as weather patterns become more extreme. Unfortunately, the world’s economic and agricultural systems rely on existing patterns of weather, and as global warming changes these patterns, our ability to produce food is declining.

• The overall trend is clear, regardless of knowing if any particular weather change was “caused” by global warming. Increased overall average temperatures cause more extreme weather, more devastating storms, and more severe and prolonged droughts and floods. These changes impact ecosystems and the human economy.

Consequences of Global Warming(Effects on Animals) • The danger to animals is severe as well. As sea levels rise and

lowland coastal areas are flooded, many animal species will be harmed. Coastal areas serve as natural hatcheries for fish and are home to a greater diversity of land and sea creatures than any other ecosystem. The flooding of coastal estuaries by rising sea levels would have dramatic effects on animals across the world.

• Countless species will be wiped out if global warming continues unchecked. It could play a major role in the extinction of many species that are crucial to stabilizing the food chain that you and I (and countless other animals) depend on for our food. It will surely mean an end to the polar bear, which depends on sea ice for hunting

Consequences of Global Warming(Effects on Humans)

• If the current trend continues and warming at the poles triggers a positive feedback loop whereby more carbon and methane are released into the atmosphere, then the 20-foot sea level rise could come much sooner than was previously predicted.

• Such a change would inundate many of the world’s largest cities and much of the world’s most productive farmland.

• The consequences could be devastating. In addition, more dramatic sea level rises in the future are possible. If global warming catalyzes further warming and melts all of the ice in the arctic regions and at high altitudes, sea levels will rise by 230-260 feet.

• Earth could be drastically altered. The Earth might even come to resemble the steamy planet that was ruled by the dinosaurs! The harm to human populations and civilization would be incalculable.

Possible Solutions for Global WarmingWhat can we do?

• Set limits on Global Warming Pollution• Invest in green jobs and clean energy• Drive Smarter Cars• Build better communities and transportations

Possible Solutions for Global Warming(Set limits on Global Warming Pollution)

• Building walk-able communities near transportation hubs instead of far-flung, car-dependent suburbs. We also need to invest in and expand public transit -- such as commuter rail -- to give people real transportation choices.

Possible Solutions for Global Warming(Invest in green jobs and clean energy)• Smart investments in green, job-creating industries. Investing in

clean energy industries, such as wind and solar, as well as energy efficiency programs and retooling manufacturing plants can lead us out of crisis and into a new clean energy economy.

• Jobs. Millions of jobs. Manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines and retrofitting homes will get American workers back on their feet and get our economy rolling again.

• Studies show that investing in clean energy technologies would produce more jobs than similar investments in oil and gas – and these jobs can be created without increasing the federal debt. Investments in clean energy will also help end America's oil addiction and usher in a new, secure energy future.

Possible Solutions for Global Warming(Drive smarter cars)

• Breaking our oil addiction and retooling plants to manufacture the fuel-efficient cars that consumers are demanding, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids.

• Save on gas. High-mileage cars use less gas, helping keep American dollars at home and in our pockets. Retooling auto plants will help U.S. carmakers meet the demand for fuel-efficient cars, find profitability at home and compete once again in the global market. If we make our cars more efficient over the next ten years, we'll cut global warming pollution by more than 350 million metric tons and save 2 million barrels of oil a day.

Possible Solutions for Global Warming(Build better communities and transportations)

• Building walk-able communities near transportation hubs instead of far-flung, car-dependent suburbs. We also need to invest in and expand public transit -- such as commuter rail -- to give people real transportation choices.

• Shorter drive times, less pollution. Less time behind the wheel means less money spent on gas -- and more time for you. Plus, studies show that a neighborhood where people walk more is healthier, safer and friendlier. And when people can walk to the store, the office, or the movie theater instead of driving, we slow down global warming. Each "smart growth" community reduces global warming pollution by 20 to 40 percent compared to the norm.

Together, we can make a difference

Credits

• www.globalwarmingart.com• http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/• www.google.com• www.wikipedia.com

Members: Aruun(Researcher and doing of slides) Natalya(Researcher) Vivian(Editing of slides) Hisham(Editing of slides)