• The gases in the atmosphere behave like glass panels in a greenhouse: they trap some of the heat energy of the Sun.

• The greenhouse effect is natural –-without it, the Earth's surface would be 33°C cooler.

• Water vapour is the most significant natural greenhouse gas.

The greenhouse effect makes life on Earth possible

1

2

• The most important human-produced greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrogen dioxide (N2O).

• Gases are produced by the use fossil fuels – coal, oil, natural gas and peat– and by forest fires, industrial processes, landfills, and agriculture.

• The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now greater than in the past 20 million years.

In the case of climate change, emissions reinforce the greenhouse effect

• During the 20th century, the average temperature of the Earth rose by 0.6°C.

• The warming is mostly caused by human action.

• During the next 100 years, the temperature is estimated to rise by 1.4–5.8°C.

• The sea level is estimated to rise by 10–90 cm during the next 100 years.

The temperature has already risen – and it's getting even hotter

3

4

Variation in temperature in the Northern Hemisphere over the last 1,000 years

Lähd

e: IP

CC

Inte

rgov

ernm

enta

l Pan

el o

n C

limat

e C

hang

e

Lämpötila suhteessa vuoden 1990 arvoon

• It is estimated that the climate change will: • Melt glaciers and cause water shortage • Rise the sea level > island states and low-lying coastal

regions will be covered with water• Increase the number and potency of extreme weather

events like floods,draughts and storms • promote the spread of tropical diseases, like malaria,

into new regions• Lead to crop failures and famine• Wipe out species • Increase the number of environmental refugees

The climate change causes hurricanes, diseases, and famine

5

A temperature rise of 1,5 degrees may put 50 million people in risk of famine, 200 million in risk of malaria, and 2 billion in risk of water

shortage.

Temperature will also rise in Finland – especially in winter

6

Lähde: SWECLIM. Swedish Regional Climate Modelling Program

• It is estimated that in 2100, the temperature in Finland will be circa 1.1–6.6°C higher than today. The rainfall will increase by 3–16 %.

• It is estimated thatArctic areas will warm twice as fast as the rest of the planet.

• Temperature will rise especially in winter and in spring. In 2100, winter sports and white Christmas may be just a dream in Southern Finland.

• Because of the impact of the Golf Stream the average

temperature in Finland is 20-30°C higher than in Siberia and Greenland, for example. The climate change may also have an impact on sea currents, and in that case, the climate might even get colder in Finland.

Species will die out – even in Finland

7

The snow nest has collapsed and a wet seal pup is lying on the ice, waiting for its mother.

• The climate change will cause the vegetation zones to shift northwards, and some of the Finnish biotopes may disappear.

• The Saimaa ringed seal, for example, may die out because the ice season shortens and makes its nesting difficult.

• Butterflies will spread northwards. In 2001, more butterfly species than ever before were found in Finland.

• Feedback effects: warming may launch reactions that speeds it up • Warming melts the permafrost, and the methane trapped under it is released into

the atmosphere. • The warming seas release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere • The climate change increases the number of forest fires which release even more

carbon dioxide.

• In the worst scenario, the climate change feeds on itself uncontrollably. In that case, the temperature might rise by 10ºC, and the consequences would be catastrophic.

The climate change may get out of hands

8

A rise of 2 degrees in the Earth's average temperature

Permafrost melts

Methane is released

A rise of 10 degrees in the Earth's average

temperature

Do people have equal rights to produce emissions?

10

Tons

of c

arbo

n di

oxid

e /

pers

on

World average

Lähde: Tilastokeskus 2006

• Who causes the climate change? So far, industrial countries have caused over 80 % of the global warming.

• Who suffers? In the hot regions of the developing countries, even a mild warming has damaging

effects.

• Who decides? Not everyone can join the political decision-making process concerning the climate.

Climate is also a matter of justness

11

• Worldwide, emissions must be cut by 2/3 to prevent the climate change.

• Finland produces a lot of emissions. Thus, we must cut our emissions even more: 75–95 %.

• It would be fair to distribute the rights to produce emissions equally among all people.

Emissions must be cut drastically

In Finland, emissions must be cut drastically to slow down the climate change.

Lähde: Lammi & Tynkkynen 2001

12

• International climate treaties: • 1992 UN Climate Treaty was signed in Rio de Janeiro; all countries, including the

USA, have signed it.• 1997 Kioto Protocol, by which industrial countries agreed to cut down their emissions

by 5 % by 2008-2012.

• The Kioto Protocol should be strengthened so that it would require industrial countries to reduce their emissions more drastically, and developing countries to act actively in the issue.

• The rights to produce emissions must be distributed equally among all people.• Emissions in the industrialising third world countries can be limited by renewable

energy and by a mutually agreed coal tax, for example

• International treaties can be successful The Montreal Protocol signed in 1987 to prevent ozone depletion has stopped the use of

ozone depleting substances in almost all the industrialised countries.

International co-operation is needed

13

Energy production causes the greatest carbon dioxide emissions in Finland

14

Energy production 65 %• for industry• for the electricity consumption in households and heating in the service sectortraffic 18 %• private cars • transport within industry and trade•public transportation

Lähde: Ilmastotavoite 2050

Energy sector total 83 %

15

Energy sources

Unrenewable:- coal- oil- natural gas- peat- nuclear power

Renewable:- wood- field biomass (e.g. reed canary-grass)- biogas-wind power- terrestrial heat- solar power- hydropower

16

Unrenewable:Renewable:

Less than ¼ of Finland's total energy demand is produced by renewable forms of energy

17

Maakaasu 11 %

Ydinvoima 16 %

Öljy 25 %

Muut 1 %

Sähkön nettotuonti 1 %

Turve 7 %

Uusiutuvat 22 % Puupolttoaineet

19 %

Vesivoima 2 %

Hiili 17 %

Lähde: Tilastokeskus 2004

• In other countries, the development is rapid:- Denmark:produces over 1/5 of the electricity by wind power and is committed to raise the share to 50 % by the year 2030

- Compared to Finland, Germany's wind power capacity is 300-fold, Spain's capacity is 120-fold and Denmark's capacity is 60-fold. The increase in the wind power capacity of Austria in 2004 was 5 times as big as Finland's total capacity.

• In Finland, only 0.1% of the electricity is produced by wind power.

• The wind conditions in Finland are better than those in Germany, a leading country in the wind power production.

• Wind power provides 2–5 times more jobs per produced energy unit than fossil or nuclear energy.

Wind power

18

• The market for wind power is growing at the rate of 20 % a year.

Lumituuli Oy:n voima-laitos Lumijoella tuottaa tuulisähköä verkkoon

• Today, 20 % of Finland's energy is produced by bioenergy.

• There are good opportunities for making bioenergy use even more common.

• Examples of bioenergy:- wood- wood chips- wood pellets- biogas- reed canary-grass - energy willow- rape-seed oil

We need more emission-free bioenergy

In the Kalmari farm in Laukaa the farm's own biogas generator generates the heat and electricity needed on the farm In addition, the car runs by biogas produced on the farm.

19

• If all the people in the world consumed as much natural resources as we do, we would need four globes.

• We have plenty of room for improvement in Finland. For example: with low-energy technology, the energy consumption of new apartment buildings could be reduced by 70%

Finland must do its share

20

• Means of economic steering• taxation (e.g. energy tax)• subsidies (e.g. investment subsidies for

wind power)• Emission trade (e.g. EU carbon dioxide

trade)

• Legislation• laws,regulations, and recommendations

(esim. building regulations)

• Information and education

Domestic policies have impact on climate change

21

Choose energy efficient alternatives

22

• Buy energy-efficient appliances. Energy saving light bulbs use 80% less energy than normal light bulbs.

• Keeping home appliances, like TV and videos, in standby-state consumes as much energy as a coal-fueled power plant produces. So, turn off the devices completely!

• About 1/5 of the energy consumed in Finland is used for heating. By reducing room temperature by one degree you reduce the energy consumption of heating by 5 %.

• Turn lights and appliances off when you do not need them.

• Don't waste warm water.

Energy saving bulb

• You can choose which supplier you buy your electricity from.

• At the cheapest, green energy costs the same as ordinary energy on average.

• Changing your energy supplier is easy. You can choose the energy supplier you like and fill in a contract form on the “Vaihda virtaa” campaign site.

• Energy produced by domestic renewable energy sources is environmental friendly.

Buy green energy

www.vaihdavirtaa.net

23

• More• buses• biking• train trips• transportation on rails

• Less• cars • fllying

Walking, biking, and public transportation: environmental friendly choices

24

Nearly half of all car rides are shorter than 5 km, and one of four rides is shorter than three km.

Carbon dioxide emissions / 10 km

Bike or motorcycle?

25

Lähde: Liikennevälineiden yksikköpäästöt http://lipasto.vtt.fi

• Fix broken clothes and items

• Recycle

• Don't buy unnecessary things

• Reduce the amount of waste; avoid heavily packaged products, for example

• Sort out and compost

• Buy organic and locally grown food, eat less meat

• Don't smoke

Think before you buy – reduce, re-use, recycle

26

27

28

29

Manufacturing five low-quality t-shirts takes fives times as much energy as manufacturing one high-quality t-shirt.

The cost of shopping

Summary

• Climate change is the most serious environmental problem in the world.

• If we can't slow down the climate change, the consequences may be dramatic to both humans and environment.

• Fortunately, reducing emissions is possible. Steps to prevent the climate change have been taken all over the world.

• We can slow down the climate change through our own choices!

30

31

-Cliate change, because it can change everything. No terrorist can beat us, but we cannot know when we exceed the ecosystem's capacity for good. This is a great threat, but also a great opportunity to create a better world, including more jobs for people. Therefore, I amserious about this.

Bill Clinton, 9.5.2006, Tampere

What is the greatest challenge to the world economy?

Sources for climate information

www.ilmasto.org/peli

32

Polttopallo – Luonto-Liiton ilmasto-opas

www.ilmasto.org

33

Spider-Man volunteered to bring some cement to the Olkiluoto nuclear plant construction

site in May 2006.

Nuclear power is the wrong choice• Nuclear power cannot be a long-term solution to climate problems.• Uranium is unrenewable • Only 3 % of the world's energy is produced by nuclear power • There are still no solutions to the problems concerning uranium mines and radioactive waste• Nuclear power is expensive and takes resources from the development of renewable energy sources.• It is safe to build small-scale power plants based on renewable energy sources anywhere in the world.