Climate change

 

Evidence:

 

 

Cause?

 

 

 

Note the rise in Carbon particles in atmospehere since 1870-why is this?

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Click here for link to BBC website information on climate change

 

 

Climate change-A Myth?

 

Some scientists don't agree with the commonly held opinion that global warming is a major problem. in 2007  Channel 4 broadcast a programme called the Great Global warming Swindle. Whatever your views, it is well worth looking at the link by clicking here to find out more.

 

 

Greenhouse Effect

 

This diagram from The Guardian newspaper helps to explain the greenhouse effect.

 

 

 

 

A detailed animated version of the Greenhouse Effect is found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/sci_tech/2000/climate_change/greenhouse/anim/ghouse_1.stm 

The Polar bear-a case study of a threatened species

 

See http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/

 

You can track the movement of polar bears by logging on to http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/beartracker/ . This gives you the position of individual bears that have been collared with a satellite tracking device.

 

 

(click here to find out why melting ice caps are affecting the future of the Arctic's polar bear. Additional information about the fate of polar bears is found here. 

 

 

 

 

Carbon and Carbon Footprints

 

What is Carbon?

 

 

To understand the concept of the carbon footprint, you need to understand the properties of carbon and the carbon cycle.

 

 

The diagram above shows the carbon cycle; this describes how carbon is moved from one part of the Earth to another.

Refer to your jotter for a detailed description.

 

You were asked to make up a carbon fact file-we shall combine what each person has found out in order to create a whole class version.

 

Here is the first posting (by Calum); edit this by adding your own facts, so that we have created the complete 2A Carbon Fact File.

 

• It is a non-metal

• It can be both one of the hardest naturally occurring and softest naturally occurring substances known to man

• It comes in the form of Graphite and Diamond

• It is known to form nearly ten million compounds

• Carbon is economically used in fossil fuels such as methane gas

• Carbon is added to iron to make steel

• Its an essential part of making nuclear power

• The reason it is causing global warming is as the most common form of carbon is carbon dioxide an essential gas for life but also a greenhouse gas produced in the burning of fossil fuels

• Every gallon of gasoline there is 2 kilos of carbon

• Every gallon of diesel there is 3 kilos of carbon

• Industrial facilities generates 33% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions

• Thirty percent of energy consumed in buildings is used unnecessarily or inefficiently

• Emissions per person have increased about 3.4% between 1990 and 1997.

• Eighty-two percent of greenhouse gas emissions are from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and power our cars.

• The remaining emissions are from methane from wastes in our landfills, raising livestock, natural gas pipelines, and coal, as well as from industrial chemicals and other sources.

 

Here are some facts and figures on carbon ( from Hannah Edmundson)

 

• By taking one less short car journey a week we could reduce the pollution which can aggravate asthma in childre
• By making sure that your car tyres are inflated properly, you can reduce your fuel bill. In fact for every 6psi (pounds per square inch) a tyre is under-inflated, fuel consumption can rise by 1% 
• When you make a cup of tea boil just the amount of water you need and in a day we could save enough energy to light virtually every street lamp in the UK. 
• Through energy use, the average home emits more harmful CO2 gas than the average car.

• In just over a week, the uk can produce enough rubbish to fill Wembley stadium. Over half can be recycled.
• The volume of waste produced in the UK in one hour would fill the Albert Hall.

• In one year there would be enough waste to fill dustbins stretching from the Earth to the Moon
• In one day there would be enough waste to fill Trafalgar Square up to the top of Nelson's Column.

 

 

For lots of useful information on carbon footprints, visit this website: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbon_offset.html 

 

 

Air Miles

 

 

We have looked at how air travel produces a lot of carbon, but just how much? A good way of quantifying this is to look at carbonresponsible.com, which allowed us to work out how much carbon we use up on particular routes-AND-how we can OFFSET this by repaying our debt through,eg planting trees or sponsoring an area of Forest.

 

 

iPods and the environment

 

An organisation called Greenmyapple has criticised Apple for not looking after the environment:

 

• The production of iPods uses such harmful chemicals as Bromine, Hydrogen and Oxygen.
• Many products have removed PVC from their products, because it does not biodegrade easily. Apple still plans to use it for their iPods.
• Many apple products break or malfunction just after their warranty runs out and cost more to repair than to buy a new one.
• A basic enviromental pricipal is that companies suld still be responsable for a product once it is nolonger wanted but apple