Going Green and Save Earth

Human Activity Burning wood and fossil fuels such as oil and coal releases carbon dioxide into the air Which increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere Natural Factors Rises in ocean temperatures increase the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere Solar Activity A study by two Danish scientists support the theory of solar activity causing global warming This study found that global temperature changes coincide directly with sunspots cycles What Causes Global Warming?

What is the Effect of Global Warming?

Over the past 100 years the worlds sea level has risen by nearly eight inches The world’s oceans are getting warmer. The upper layers of the waters in the tropics have warmed by 0.5 degree Celsius in the past 50 years Increase in tropical diseases Destruction of some communities due to rising seas

Glaciers are disappearing all over the world

Extreme weather and more intense tropical storms

El Nino has occurred for the last 4 years in a row along Peru’s coast. El Nino has led to crop failures in Australia and floods in California and has affected the monsoons of Southeast Asia

Animals and other wildlife are not able to adapt to the changes in the climate and are dying off Plants and animals in the mid and upper latitudes are being affected the most Climate Change and Wildlife

Climate Change Most of the plants that we live with and depend on evolved in an atmosphere with a considerably higher CO2 concentration than exists today, and scientists have long known that raising that concentration stimulates plants’ growth as long as they have other adequate nutrients Some experts argue that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide will cause forests and plants to grow more robustly because carbon is the basis for organic material and warmth induces more growth

The North Pole Hundred of miles away from any factories or highways Has been affected by the Arctic Haze, which is a level of pollution in the area that is comparable to the pollution levels of most major U.S. cities.

Chemical Waste Nightmare Chemical Waste management was found guilty of putting waste into incinerators at excessive rates as well as mixing “incompatible wastes together, causing chemical reactions that sent plumes of waste wafting off-site.” The workers were forced to wear protective respirator masks so they would be protected from the toxins that the incinerators were producing. Citizens of Jacksonville, Arkansas tried to get the incinerators shut down for years but were unsuccessful.

Energy Demand The combination of population, economic growth and technology has greatly contributed to the increased use and abuse of global energy. Gas and coal responsible for ¼ of total energy used Oil largest source of energy Contributes to 1/3 of total energy used

Primary energy the total amount of energy produced and used Increased in North America by 50% since 1970 In 2004 in the U.S., the average American used 7.9 metric tons of oil equivalents. In the UK, the average citizen used 3.8 metric tons of oil equivalents. In China, the average citizens used 1.0 metric tons of oil equivalents. Primary energy expenditures have stayed relatively the same since 1970, but final energy usage has increased.

Primary energy Final energy Energy that the consumer actually uses. Transportation energy has increased by 2/3 Commercial energy has increased by 50 percent Residential energy usage has increased by 1/6 from 1970 to 2000.

Developments in Technology Excess energy usage cause depletion in energy sources at a more rapid rate Increased technology development causes more energy to be needed on a more frequent basis. With each new video game or MP3 playing device that comes out, our energy supply gets smaller and smaller. Examples of expending energy Browsing the Internet Using the microwave Watching a DVD

2 cars/household 4 trips/day Most Short trips

Car Pollution Cars are responsible for around ¼ of U.S. Greenhouse gas Transportation consumes 70% of U.S. oil Transportation CO2 emissions Account for 1/3 of all Co2 emissions More than from factories, homes, and all other individual sources

signed in 1997 went into effect Feb. 2006 164 countries signed it, US was not one of them It is a commitment to reduce their countries emissions of CO2 along with 5 other greenhouse gases, or to engage in “emissions training” if they maintain or increase their countries emissions. With the 164 countries this accounts for 61.6% of all worldwide emissions Example: The UK has pledged to attain a greenhouse emission reduction of 12.5% between 2008 and 2012, compared to the emission levels in 1990. The Kyoto Protocol

On a small scale Choose to walk or ride the bus to work Open a window, instead of running the air conditioner On a larger scale Government education and lobbying for environmental change A better future environmental situation for future generations.

Become a more aware and proactive individual concerning your energy expenditures and everyday effects your lifestyle has on the future of our world’s environment Our lifestyle can affect many aspects of the planet on a daily basis the planet living conditions conditions of forests and natural wonders as well as wildlife future generations

How to cut down on energy consumption? As simple as turning lights off when you are not in a room and turning the T.V. off when you aren’t using it. Education for school-age children is key to solving the long-term effects of excess energy use Understanding the difference between the nonrenewable sources and renewable sources of energy that we use on a day-to-day basis

Recycling in America Integrated Solid Waste Management: 1. Source Reduction Waste should be reduced at their sources Example: The use of cloth napkins instead of paper ones would eliminate the need for either disposal or recycling Packaging industry has increasingly addressed public concerns about solid waste by creating packaging with less volume and the same strength Example: Most grocery stores now boast a wide variety of refills for numerous liquid detergents and other cleaning products, which in turn, eliminates a considerable amount of packaging

Recycling in America Integrated Solid Waste Management: Source Reduction 2. Recycling optimally remove and recover reusable resources from the waste team; also include natural recycling process of composting organic wastes( food scraps, yard trash) If properly promoted, recycling and source reduction were expected to remove a large percentage of the materials that were being landfilled at that time Example: In 1994, the amount of solid waste disposed in these categories, after recycling, changed only slightly by percentage: yard waste declined to 14.8 percent, paper and paperboard to 32.9%, glass to 6.4 % and metals to 6.3%.

Recycling in America Integrated Solid Waste Management: Source Reduction 2. Recycling 3. Waste Combustion Inceneration (waste combustion) with energy recovery Waste-to-energy facilities could take refuse, burn it at extremely high temperatures to eliminate toxic emissions and use the heat thus produced to generate steam to run turbines, helping to meet a city’s electrical needs.

Recycling in America Integrated Solid Waste Management: Source Reduction 2. Recycling 3. Waste Combustion 4. Landfilling 6,000 landfills operating in the U.S. closure of Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 was published by the EPA in the Federal Register in 1991. To ensure the public’s health by closing unsafe landfills but also to encourage the public to utilize methods other than landfilling for the disposal of solid wastes

Recycling & Incineration Life-Cycle Costs of Recycling A residential curbside recycling program has a number of elements, such as containers used by households for storing and setting out recyclables, collection and processing of recyclable materials, sale of recovered materials and promotion and administration of the recycling program.

Recycling Solid Waste Monetary Benefits from Recycling 1. Every time a ton of material is removed from the waste stream the fee for disposing of that ton as trash is saved. (Aka Costs Avoided) 2. This is the benefit that makes the program cost-effective Revenue from Sale: 1. Different Recycled materials are sold. 2.Although prices will vary according to market conditions, location, volume to be sold, purity, degree of processing and other factors, it is helpful to have an idea of the ways in which such prices are quoted.

Calculating Gain/Loss from Recycling Recycling Gain= SR –CR+CA (in dollars per ton) sale revenue cost of recycling cost avoided

Costly, but worth it in the long run Time-consuming It just takes a small effort to do most things that could in turn help the environment decrease emissions Objections to Going Green

If we don’t go green now… Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense. Droughts and wildfires will occur more often. Ice-free Arctic Ocean by 2050. million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050

If half of ice in Antarctica Melt…

9/11 is History! America is Safe Now 

“ Hybrid Technology might be a bridge technology, but it’s the immediate future” -Stennman

25MPG 55MPG by 2020 Cut projected oil demand in half Reduce CO2 emission by 140 million tons per year Save consume $30 billion per year Save $5000 at the gas pump over the life of their car Our health would improve too

According to the National Recycling Coalition One person can recycle 25,000 cans in a lifetime Making paper from recycled paper reduces contributions to air pollution by 95% Recycling a stack of newspapers 3 feet tall saves one tree Making glass from recycled materials cuts related water pollution by 50% If We All Recycle…

There is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together to solve this problem is now Take Action Now!

Walk, bike or take public transportation Buy used appliances, furniture, clothing etc. Make homemade gifts, donate to charities Buy from local organic farmers Setting thermostat lower in the winter and higher in the summers Energy-efficient showerheads and light bulbs Wash clothes in cold water Drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water Use baking soda, soap or vinegar as cleaning supplies Use the library

Going Green and Save Earth

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Going Green and Save Earth