Environmental Concerns

1. EnvironmentalConcerns

2. Human Impact on Greenhouse Gases

3. Global Warming - Reasons • Carbon dioxide gases released into environment • Due to massive amounts of non-renewable fossil fuels being burned by humans, including: • Coal • Oil • Natural gas Non-renewable resources - cannot be created over again and our supply of them is limited; once they run out, the resource is gone forever.

4. Global Warming • Some naturally occurring contributors to global warming: volcanic eruptions & meteor impacts

5. Most Global Warming Impacts caused by Climate Change

6. Climate • Climate is commonly defined as the weather (temperature and rainfall) averaged over a long period of time • The climate of a location is affected by its latitude, terrain, altitude, ice or snow cover, as well as nearby water bodies and their currents.

7. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Rising incidence of violent storms • North American Hurricane Season 2005

8. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Rising incidence of heat waves (Europe 2003)

9. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Above average temperatures melting glaciers and sea levels are rising as a result

10. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Rising Sea Levels

11. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Diseases are spreading more quickly and easily • extending their ranges because of warmer temperatures • Many diseases, especially those in water, reproduce more rapidly in warmer weather

12. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Earlier arrival of spring in some parts of the world – impacting global agricultural patterns

13. Effects / Results of Global Warming • As permafrost melts, Arctic communities lose valuable shoreline

14. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Causes polar bears to starve because they cannot use the ice to hunt seals • Now on endangered species list

15. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Canada’s Arctic regions – sea ice shrinking • Causes sinking shorelines and death of some Arctic animals

16. Global Warming in Canada

17. Effects / Results of Global Warming • In BC – increasing water temperatures have contributed to salmon spawning numbers being 1/3 of what they were in 1990s

18. Effects / Results of Global Warming • While warmer temperatures could lengthen Canada’s short growing season – also higher risk of drought and forest fires

19. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Warmer weather causes increasing numbers of forest fires and more droughts in Canada’s prairie areas

20. Effects / Results of Global Warming • Canada’s oceans • Increasing surface water temperatures, fewer nutrients are brought to the surface by the movement of colder water from deep in the ocean • Nutrients support and maintain zooplankton – beginning of the food chain of sea life

21. Kyoto Protocol - 1997 • Agreement among 180 industrialized nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions • Canada promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6% of the 1990 level by 2012 • Countries not meeting their reduction targets could buy credits from other countries • USA withdrew in 2001

22. Arguments against Kyoto • Concerned that meeting goals will involve high costs to businesses and government and possible loss of jobs • Provincial governments must regulate polluting industries despite the fact that the federal government signed the agreement without consulting the provinces • Some argue not enough evidence that global warming to blame for climate change

24. Kyoto & Canada • 2006 - Canada's greenhouse gas emissions were up by 24% • far from the government's commitment to meet a target 6% below the 1990 levels

25. Kyoto & Canada • Election of a Conservative government in 2006 brought about a reversal in Canada's climate change policy • 2007 – Government announced plans to introduce legislation that would regulate industrial pollutants as part of the Conservatives' proposed Clean Air Act, to take effect in January 2010. • said Canada will not attempt to meet Kyoto's greenhouse gas targets

26. Possible Solutions – Renewable Energy Resources • Sustainable sources of energy could lessen dependence on fossil fuels, such as: • Wind Turbines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg9fiDUroo4

27. Wind Power

28. Solutions - Solar Power Panels http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG7FNcw7a5c&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hCggdtEU-M&feature=related

29. Solutions – Tidal Power http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSBACzRE3Gw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRUl1mJQHmc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0mzrbfzUpM&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VamSAbwgJKk&feature=related

30. Solutions – Ground Source Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUvdNrOD4PY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD82e5RYfW8&feature=related

31. Solutions – Biofuels • Ethanol – some made from Corn

32. Ethanol – Concerns • Ethanol – while reduces levels of carbon monoxide and other toxic air pollutants, corn-based ethanol production is energy intensive, and in some instances uses nearly as much energy to produce (including the energy needed for farming and making fertilizers) than it supplies, although new technologies are improving the efficiency of production. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9QQcP_Y1II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R012X3tU6Y&feature=related

33. Biofuels – instead of gasoline http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRB5VQMb5RI

34. Geothermal Energy • Heat from the ground harvested

35. Alternatives to Reduce Fossil Fuel Use • Hydrogen or methanol fuelled power cells for automobiles

36. Alternatives to Reduce Fossil Fuel Use • Reduce, re-use, recycle

37. Alternatives to Reduce Fossil Fuel Use • Carpool, use public transportation, ride bicycle or walk

39. Ozone Depletion • Ozone layer – region of the atmosphere containing relatively high concentrations of ozone – approx 19-48km above the Earth’s surface http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSycyCuQmUA&feature=related

40. Ozone Depletion • Ozone is formed by the action of solar ultraviolet light on oxygen • It’s the only gas able to block out the ultraviolet rays from the sun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9fqpnkiUi0&feature=related

41. Ozone - Damage • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) • Have done 80% of the damage to the Ozone Layer (creating “holes”) • Widely used in coolants for refrigerators and air conditioners, solvents, and aerosol cans

42. Results of Ozone Depletion

43. Results of Ozone Depletion • Higher incidences of skin cancer

44. Results of Ozone Depletion • Reduction of microscopic marine life like phytoplankton which will impact the food chain

45. Results of Ozone Depletion • Mutations of genetic structure of plants and animals

46. Results of Ozone Depletion • Reduces rate of photosynthesis in plants (lowers energy output of producers)

47. Possible Responses to Ozone Depletion • Montreal Protocol – 1987 • Agreement between all industrial nations to cut use of CFCs in an effort to eliminate these chemicals by 2000 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn3KvZ_Xyqs&feature=related

48. Possible Responses to Ozone Depletion • Avoid using plastic foam packaging and goods that use CFCs (some aerosol cans)

49. Possible Responses to Ozone Depletion • Dispose of old refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners safely

50. Fresh Water Supplies • 70% of Earth’s Surface – covered by water • However- most not readily accessible for human use