Research on Climate Change

Introduction

I am a student of Maris Stellla high school doing a research on Climate Changes. We were supposed to choose a topic and find out more about it. After researching, we were supposed to choose a product that we want to make and present about our finding.

My group name is V Formation and my group members are (Dominic SS), (Jun Rong), (Jun Xiang), (Brendan Tan) and (Gregory Tay). We have chosen Global warming for the main topic, and how greenhouse gases contribute to it for the sub topic. As for our product, we have decided to do a comic strip to educate the public more about global warming and research paper to educate the public about what we have found out during the project.

100 opportunities of green businesses clean energy, green energy, and green buildings, to combat climate change.

1.Energy Meter

If you put an energy meter inside a home and show people total usage in real time, a miraculous thing happens, they use about 10% less energy.

By Andrew S. Winston

2.Strategic Approach to Climate

Companies that persist in treating climate change solely as a corporate social responsibility issue, rather than a business problem, will risk the greatest consequences.

By Michael E. Porter and Forest L. Reinhardt

3.Investing in Global Security

Companies can help vulnerable regions plan for climate change combat, reducing their own risks of making proactive investment and supporting policy initiatives that might have resisted in the past, such as tougher local air and water quality standards.

By Peter Schwartz

4.Natural Capitalism

Business strategies built around the radically more productive use of natural resources can solve many environmental problems at a profit

By Paul Hawken, Amony B. Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins

5.Companies will increasingly feel the effects of climate change

Companies that manage and mitigate their exposure to climate change risks while seeking new opportunities for profits will generate a competitive advantage over rivals in a carbon-constrained future.

By Jonathan Lash and Fred Wellington

 

6.Systemic Model

Shai Agassai’s start-up electric-vehicle services company in Israel, aims to make electric transport as easy, reliable and affordable as patrol-powered cars

7. Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution

Researches shows that enterprise fails at execution because they go straight to structural reorganisation and neglect the most powerful drivers of effectiveness-decision rights and information flow.

By Garry L. Neilson, Karia L. Marin, and Elizabeth Powers.

 

8.Environmental Friendly Fuels: Biofuels and hydrogen Technology

The strong dependence on oil resources and the need to comply with the European directives on greenhouse gas emissions, has lead Spain to invest strongly in renewable energies.

9.Water Treatment and Desalination

Obtain drinking water from the seas and rivers, as well as to improve the re-use of treated wastewater.

10.Renewable Energy

Using windmills as well as Solar energy

11.Mainstreaming Clean Energy

Mainstreaming Clean Energy in developing decisions can reduce adverse local environment impacts, enhance energy security and contribute to climate change mitigations

12. Using the Carbon Market wisely

Promote the use of methane utilization projects. Methane is over 20 times more potent than CO2 on a same weight basic.

13.LEED Platinum

It is the first museum that is an Environmental Friendly Building.

14. Increase Official Development Assistance

To made available bilaterally to address climate change.

15.Enchancing the Global Environment Facility

Build capacity, removing barriers to cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, and financing higher-risk, longer-term projects such as concentrating solar power plants.

16.Increasing Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation Investments

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) help in the transfer of sustainable energy technologies to developing countries and to economies in transition, respectively.

17.MicroProject in Vietnam

A programme to provide quick grassroots assistance to the poorest village of Vietnam-drinking water, irrigation, roads2 health clinics, bridge and schools

18.Genetically Modified Foods gain ground

Countries embrace GMO technology as a critical force for development.

19. Solar Architecture

We will look into issues such as the challenges facing designers when trying to integrate solar panels into buildings, the feasibility of having panels on buildings and HDB flats, the market opportunities present and the economic viability of integrating solar panels onto buildings.

20. Entrepreneurship Opportunities of Our Time

With today’s world issues being highly dictated by climate change, energy poverty and energy security, take the first step in learning how opportunities are being born and how challenges are being dealt with.

21. Absolute Oil Independence: Sustainable Materials 

Even if we manage to replace our entire gas guzzling fleet with electric cars and renewable energy, we would still need petroleum plastics to make the world go round. Look around us and the merits and problems of plastics are abundant. Issues range from the extraction process from crude oil, the additives and stabilizers that are toxic, the incineration of plastics which releases more green house gases, the non-biodegradability and harm to wildlife and pollution.

But there exist plastics which do not come from oil!

They can be produced from corn, sugarcane and many other renewable materials! Such materials are called bioplastics and they are naturally biodegradable and sustainable.

22. Singapore’s first Zero Energy Building

As the Zero Energy Building claim shouts, the 4,500sqm structure is expected to produce as much electricity as it uses, besides consuming half less energy than a non-eco building.

24. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

LEED AP is an accredidation of professionals. Buildings are "designated" green, people are accredited LEED AP. The LEED AP is a US Green Building Council accreditation registration. In addition the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides a set of standards for the environmentally sustainable design, construction and operation of buildings and neighborhoods.

25. Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

You can take individual action on climate change and the best way to start is to understand the size of your carbon footprint, which is the amount of carbon emissions that result directly and indirectly from your daily activities and lifestyle.

By calculating your carbon footprint, you can find out which activity generates more carbon emissions and take steps to change your lifestyle accordingly and reduce your emissions.

26. Monitor Your Electricity Consumption at Home

Energy Monitor

If you want an accurate monitoring of your appliance’s energy consumption and to track your consumption over time, you can use an energy monitor such as ETrack or Wattson. These energy monitors can track the real time and monthly energy consumption of appliances in the home and display energy consumption in kWh and cost.

27. Use Your Air-Conditioner Wisely

A typical Singapore household spends about 50% of its electricity bills on the air-conditioner and refrigerator. If you want to reduce energy at home and save money, the best way is to use your air-conditioner and refrigerator wisely. You can choose to do one or more of the following:

Air-Conditioner

• If you need to buy an air-conditioner, choose one that is energy-efficient and suitably sized for your home. Check out the models with the Energy Label from this NEA database.
• Set your air-conditioner’s thermostat to a higher comfortable temperature (about 25 degree Celsius).
• Clean the air filters regularly and service your air-conditioners annually. For general servicing, approach Coolserve or other contractors.
• Set the timer to switch off your air-conditioner before dawn or after some hours of usage.
• Stop using your air-conditioner and switch to a fan (standing, box or ceiling type) that can keep you comfortable while using much less energy than your air-conditioner.
• Use your air-conditioner and fan on alternate days. For example, use the air-conditioner on even days and the fan on odd days.
• Switch on your air-conditioner one hour before going to bed. When it’s time to sleep, switch off the air-conditioner and use the fan instead. The fan is able to circulate the cool air and keep you comfortable.

28. Use Refrigerator Wisely

• Adjust the thermostat in the refrigerator to a higher temperature or setting.
• Close the refrigerator door immediately after taking out the food.
• Ensure that the refrigerator is not placed near heat sources (eg. heating appliances or sunlight).
• Ensure that there is space for airflow near the compressor and condenser coils.
• Check that the door is air tight by closing the door on a piece of paper, which should stay in place.
• Allow hot food to cool before placing the food in the refrigerator.
• Allow sufficient space in the refrigerator for air circulation and do not stuff too much food inside.
• Buy a refrigerator with the smallest model to suit your needs and choose one with the energy efficient Energy Label.

29. Choose Energy Efficient Appliances and Lighting

If you’re planning to buy a new air-conditioner, refrigerator or clothes dryer, remember to choose an energy efficient appliance with the Energy Label.

If you’re buying lightbulbs, choose energy efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). CFLs last up to 10 times longer and use up to 80% less energy than incandescent lightbulbs. You should also choose the lowest wattage lightbulb needed for your specific lighting purpose.

Besides CFLs, you can choose LED lighting that are more efficient and last longer than CFLs.

30. Find Ways to Reduce Unnecessary Energy Usage

1. Switch off your electronic appliances such as the television and DVD player at the power socket, and don’t leave them on standby mode. The standby mode still consumes energy (also known as vampire energy) and can add to your electricity bill.2. Unplug your charger after charging your mobile phone as the charger left in the power socket still consumes energy.

3. Remember to switch off all the lights and appliances when leaving the house or when they are not in use. Do a quick check before leaving the house. You can connect different appliances to a power strip so that you only need to turn off one switch.

4. If you’re buying a new computer, choose a laptop instead of a desktop as laptops use less energy. Also remember to use the power management mode on your computer to save energy. Here’s a guide to enable the energy saving features on your computer.

5. Reduce the brightness of your computer and television to cut energy consumption. The factory default setting may be brighter than necessary.

6. Remove unnecessary outdoor lighting such as spotlights. If you need them on at night, put them on a timer or use motion sensors.

7. Avoid using the clothes dryer when the weather is sunny, instead hang your clothes out to dry naturally.

 

31. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Your Waste

You can practise the 3 Rs in your daily lives – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (in order of sequence). The sequence is important, as source reduction is usually the best way to minimise waste while recycling still has some impact on the environment and should be done last. Waste minimisation helps to conserve resources and reduce energy usage in the production and transportation process.

32. Reduce Your Water Consumption

Use Water Saving Products with the Water Efficiency Label

Using water efficient low-flow taps and showerheads will help you to save water. You can also install thimbles in existing taps or adjust the valves to reduce water flow.

You can use a low-capacity or dual-flush toilet that allows you to choose a low flush that uses less water. In addition, flushing the toilet uses up about four litres of water per flush, so flush one less time per day and help save water.

Buy a washing machine that is water efficient. A front loader is more efficient that a top loader. To save water, try to use the washing machine only with a full load. You can also collect the greywater (water that has been used for washing and drained from the washing machine; try using the water from the last rinse) from the washing machine for flushing toilets or watering plants.

Check the Water Pipes for Leaks

Turn the Tap Off While Brushing Your Teeth

Take a Shorter Shower

Collect Rainwater

 

33. Be Conscious of the Food You Eat

http://www.lowcarbonsg.com/category/individuals-and-homes/

The food we eat could have traveled long distances and be produced in an unsustainable way. We need to be conscious of what we eat – how our food is grown and produced.

Choose Locally Produced Food

In Singapore, we import most of our food from all over the world, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, China, New Zealand, Australia, US, and Brazil. According to a recent Straits Times article, only about 3% of the land area in Singapore is used for farming and local produce makes up 7% of leafy vegetables and 4% of fish consumed here (there’s no local production of meat). This means that we are contributing to more carbon emissions and fuel usage for shipping and transporting food from overseas.

Grow Your Own Vegetables

Choose Healthier Food

 

34. Green Your Transport

Public Transportation

In Singapore, we enjoy a wide range of public transportation such as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), buses and taxis, which provide services covering the entire Singapore at reasonable fares. You can choose to take public transport and do away with cars.

Walk and Cycle

You can choose to walk for short journeys or cycle to your destination and workplace. It’s a good way to exercise too.

Green Vehicles

When buying a new vehicle, choose a green vehicle such as hybrid cars, CNG cars or electric scooters. Owners of new hybrid, electric and CNG cars will enjoy the Green Vehicle Rebate. The rebate is equivalent to 40% of the car’s Open Market Value (OMV) that can be used to offset the Additional Registration Fee (ARF) payable at registration.

Good Driving Habits

Practise these good driving habits to reduce fuel consumption:

• Plan your car trip early
• Maintain your car regularly
• Keep the tyres properly inflated
• Avoid excess weight in the boot
• Avoid sudden braking and acceleration

35.Institude and centres

36. Home Energy Audit

Homeowners obviously want to avoid paying high utility bills. However, most households are unaware about which are the major electricity consuming appliances in the home. A home energy audit is one good way of assessing how energy efficient a household is, identify areas of energy wastage and identify steps to save more energy at home.

37.Value our City of Gardens and Water

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprint, kill nothing but time. Protect our living environment and ecosystems. Don’t take it for granted

38.Plant a Garden and Conserve our greenery

Choose plant that are hardy and requires less maintenance. Cut down on chemical fertilisers, go organic. Keep your garden mozzie-free. Let’s make Singapore our Garden!

39.Long lasting product

Designers and manufacturers can design and make sustainable products and packaging that are durable and non-toxic, use less materials and resources during its entire life cycle, and can be reused, repaired or recycled.

40. Buy and Use Only What You Need

In modern society, overconsumption and wastage of resources seem to be a norm. We buy more than what is necessary, use and waste more material, water and electricity than needed, and throw away more waste.

We tend to change our material belongings constantly to suit the current fashion and trend, leaving behind a trail of “old-fashioned” waste. These “old” waste are thrown away although some could still be in good condition.

41. Eliminate the Excessive Use of Paper

There are many ways to reduce the use of paper in the office and at home. Here are a few examples:

1. Avoid Printing Emails and Web Pages

2. Use Email Instead of Fax

3. Print and Photocopy on Both Sides of the Paper

4. Switch to Electronic Invoicing

5. Reuse Old Envelopes for Internal Mail

6. Go Paperless with Electronic Bills and Statements

7. Avoid Printing ATM Receipts

8. Reduce Junk Mail

9. Submit Your Annual Income Tax Return Online

10.   Use Cloth for Cleaning Instead of Paper Towels

11.   Read Newspapers and Magazines Online

42. Avoid Disposable Items

Disposable items such as plastic bags, plastic cutlery and batteries are thrown away after a single use. This is a waste of resources and creates unnecessary wastage. We should try to avoid buying and using disposable items if possible.

Here’s what you can do:

1.  Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) to Reduce the Use of Plastic Bags

2.  Avoid Disposable Plastic Containers and Cutlery

3.  Avoid Using Individually Packaged Disposable Items

4.  Use Rechargeable Batteries Instead of Normal Single-Use Batteries

5.  Skip Gift Wrapping

43. Choose Products with Less Packaging

Some products come with unnecessary plastic or paper packaging for aesthetic and advertising purposes, and these packaging usually end up as waste. You can choose products with less or no packaging, thus reducing the packaging wastage and cost.

44. Conduct a Waste Audit

If your company or organisation wishes to reduce the waste generated from your premises, you can first conduct a waste audit.

A waste audit involves finding out the type and quantity of waste generated, and how the waste are generated and disposed. This audit would help you to identify the problems and opportunities for waste reduction.

How to Conduct a Waste Audit

You can conduct a simple waste audit by:

1.  Sorting the waste in the waste bins to find out the waste type and quantity

2.  Checking the material purchasing records and waste disposal records to learn where the waste comes from and where it ends up

3.  Walking around the site and checking with the staff to identify where and how the waste are generated

45. Don’t Waste Food

Singaporeans waste a lot of food each year. In 2008, we threw away about 0.6 million tonnes of food waste and only 12% was recycled. We should not waste food and let’s try to find ways to reduce food wastage in our homes, for our events and for companies that produce food products.

46. DIY and Turn Waste Into Useful Items and Art

Instead of throwing away old and unwanted materials and items, why not use your creativity to turn these wastes into useful items and stylish decorations or art. Start a DIY (do-it-yourself) project to reuse your waste material and items. Here’s some local inspiration:

47. Where Can I Find Recycling Bins?

Do you know that there are more than 1,500 recycling bins all over Singapore? Do you know where they are located?

We understand that you might wish to use the recycling bins near your house but can’t find them. To make it easier to find recycling bins, we developed a Google Map using CommunityWalk to show the locations of the recycling bins at housing estates in Singapore.

48. Welcome to TEDxGreen: Ideas for a Green Future

TEDxGreen is an independent TEDx event operated under license from TED, and is curated by Green Future Solutions with the theme: Ideas for a Green Future. TEDxGreen events are non-profit and organised by a volunteer team. Through the annual TEDxGreen events in Singapore, we connect thought leaders and changemakers to share, discuss and spread ideas for a sustainable future. At our TEDxGreen events, TED Talks videos and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.

Green Future Solutions is a Singapore-based business that promotes environmental awareness and action for a green future, through our network of green websites, events, presentations, publications and consultancy. We are the publisher of Singapore’s leading websites on the environment, including AsiaIsGreen, Green Business Times and Zero Waste Singapore.

About TEDx

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

At a TEDx event, TED Talks videos and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x=independently organized TED event.

The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

49. Give It Away

If you have old or unwanted items that are still in good condition, consider giving them to someone or donating them to charity.

50. Sell for Cash

If you have old or unwanted items that are still in good condition, consider selling them away for cash.

 

51. Share, Borrow or Rent Tools and Items

Some tools in the house such as the hammer, screwdriver, electric drill, handsaw, ladder and toolbox are not used frequently. If you have these tools, share them with your relatives and friends. If you don’t have the tools, you can ask around and borrow them. By sharing and borrowing, you reduce the need to buy new tools and free up storage space.

You can also borrow or share other items like newspapers, magazines, party decorations, cutlery, kitchen appliances, audiovisual equipment, CDs, DVDs, etc.

52. Start Composting at Home

Composting is the natural decomposition of organic material (from plants and animals) by microorganisms, into a dark brown crumbly organic substance called compost.

Compost mixed with soil is beneficial for growing plants as the compost retains soil moisture, improves soil structure and provides nutrients.

There are different types of composting methods such as using a typical compost heap (outdoor or in a compost bin), using earthworms in vermicomposting, or using effective microorganisms in Bokashi composting.

Instead of throwing away your food and garden waste, which ends up being incinerated, why not try composting them at home? The compost can be used for gardening and helps you save money by reducing the use of fertilisers.

53. Start Recycling at Home

It is easy to recycle at home. First, learn about the existing recycling programme at your area. Second, find out the type of items that are acceptable and unacceptable for recycling. Third, remember the collection date and place your recyclables outside for collection.

 

 

54. Start Recycling at Work

If your company or organisation already has a recycling programme, that’s good and you can recycle at work. Otherwise, it’s time to start one now. Just follow our 6 steps to minimise waste and start recycling at work.

First, you would need to form a team and get commitment from your management and colleagues. Conduct a waste audit and find ways to minimise waste through reduce and reuse. Next, start a recycling programme and educate your staff on how to recycle. Finally, remember to gather feedback, review and improve your recycling programme.

55. Start Recycling at School

Recycling programmes are common in our schools (preschools, primary, secondary and tertiary levels), and they are usually initiated by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or by the school administration. Recycling bins and recyclables collection are usually provided by the public waste collectors who are in charge of collecting waste from the schools, or by recycling contractors. You can recycle at school using the recycling bins available.

56. Paper Recycling

Paper is the most common type of waste in Singapore and about 1.26 million tonnes of paper waste was generated in 2008. The recycling rate of paper is 48% in 2008, and most of this paper waste is sorted, baled and exported overseas for recycling as there are no papers recycling mills in Singapore.

57. Plastics Recycling

In Singapore, 684,400 tonnes of plastic waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 9%. Plastic waste, especially plastic bottles and containers, are usually sorted, baled and exported overseas for recycling. There are also plastic recycling companies in Singapore that sort and process plastic waste into small pellets to be used as feedstock for making plastics products.

58. Metal Recycling

Metal scrap is the 3rd largest type of waste in Singapore. In 2008, 784,800 tonnes of ferrous metal scrap and 85,000 tonnes of non-ferrous metal scrap were generated. The recycling rate is 94% for ferrous metal and 85% for non-ferrous metal in 2008.

Ferrous metal scrap is usually sent to a local steel mill for recycling or exported. Non-ferrous metal scrap is usually sorted and exported overseas for recycling.

59. Glass Recycling

In Singapore, 57,100 tonnes of glass waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 18%. Glass waste is usually sorted and exported overseas for recycling, as there are no glasses recycling plants in Singapore.

60.Food Waste Recycling

I n Singapore, 568,000 tonnes of food waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 12%. Food waste is usually processed as animal feed, and undergoes aerobic or anaerobic digestion to produce compost or energy.

61.Wood and Horticultural Waste Recycling

In Singapore, 269,600 tonnes of wood waste and 229,300 tonnes of horticultural waste were generated in 2008. The recycling rate is 71% for wood waste and 42% for horticultural waste.

Wood and horticultural waste are usually processed into wood chips for composting, cogeneration or used to make new wood products. Used wood pallets and crates can also be reconditioned.

62.Electrical and Electronic Waste Recycling

Electrical and electronic items such as televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, hand phones, computers, printers, and batteries are increasingly being disposed as waste after use. These waste are also known as e-waste and they are posing an environmental problem as most of these waste products contain toxic chemicals and can affect the environment and our health if they are incinerated or land filled.

In addition, there is also the problem of e-waste being dumped in developing countries and recycled in an unhealthy and collusive manner

63. Tires Recycling

I n Singapore, 25,100 tonnes of scrap tires was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 88%. Scrap tires are usually rethreaded, exported overseas for reuse, or processed into crumbs for making surfaces and into chips for use as a solid fuel.

64. Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling

In Singapore, 922,000 tonnes of construction debris was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 98%. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is usually sorted for the recovery of materials such as wood, metal, paper and plastics, and processed into aggregates for use in construction activities.

65. Carbon Market Design and Oversight

Oversight is critical because a carbon market will be intimately connected to other energy markets,
including natural gas, coal, petroleum, and electricity. Because of these links, the potential exists for
manipulation of one or more of these markets to result in pricing issues in the others. Furthermore,
while a carbon market has many characteristics of a traditional commodity market, it also differs in two
important aspects:

1.First, the carbon market exists specifically to address an environmental goal—to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—and regulated entities will have no choice but to participate.

2.Second, there is a limited supply of emissions allowances, determined by the government, which
will decrease over time.

So in essence, the government creates both demand and supply. To address these realities,
lawmakers should build upon best practices and lessons from a number of existing markets to create the
optimal design and oversight mechanisms to ensure a viable, transparent, and robust carbon market.

66. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

67. Wrap your water heater in insulation blanket
you will save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.

68. Move your fridge and freezer

To place them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing alone. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.

69. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.

70. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
To do this requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

71.  Get a home energy audit
many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.

72. Cover your pots while cooking
doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

73. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
Even if you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.

74. Take a shower instead of a bath
A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

75. Use less hot water.
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

76. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible.
You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

77. Recycle your organic waste.
Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane are released by decomposing biodegradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.

78.  Buy intelligently.
One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

79. Switch to green power.
In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you can also earn money by selling the energy you produce and don't use for yourself.

80. Buy organic foods as much as possible.
Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

81. Keep your car tuned up.
Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

82. Try telecommuting from home
Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week.

83. Fly less
Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel carbon emissions by investing in renewable energy projects.

84. Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions.
You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.

85. Join the virtual march.
The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.

86. Encourage the switch to renewable energy
Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. U.S. citizens, take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.

87. Protect and conserve forest worldwide
Forests play a critical role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on saving forests from global warming.

88. Consider the impact of your investments
If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.

89. Tell Congress to act
The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.

90. Make your city cool
Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation.

91. Make sure your voice is heard!
Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth.

92. Don't leave an empty roof rack on your car
This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.

93. Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
Proper tire inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!

94. Check Your Waterheater

Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.

95. The Zero-Emissions Electric Vehicle of the Future.

• Zero emissions
• Domestic fuel
• Helps slow increase in greenhouse gases
• The fuel cell produces electricity that can be used as a clean alternative to gasoline. The fuel cell stack in the FCX Clarity FCEV converts hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) from the air into electricity.

96. Green building

co buildings and sustainable urbanism, one of the legends of green building spoke, the Malaysian architect and ecologist who studied in the UK: Ken Yeang.

97.Greener environment

ECO CORRIDOR ISTANBUL

The ideas of buildings and their surrounding urban areas being a connected space which works on many levels including food production for healthy eco cities has been explored for Dublin and Barcelona. It is now recognised that we have entered climate as well as financial crisis, hopefully we might see a massive shift toward more sustainable cities. It will definately happen, the question is when.

This incredible green roof is at the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technical University in Singapore. The 5-story facility blends in effortlessly with the wooded campus around it, blurring the line between nature and architecture

(image via: Metaefficient)

The ACROS Fukuoka building in Fukuoka, Japan looks like a conventional office building on one side, but features a dramatic terraced green roof on the other. The garden terraces contain around 35,000 plants representing 76 species.

Green community

Nature will be integrated into the communities. Eco-Valley, Eco-Corridors and an abundant supply of parks are vital components of the Eco-City. Clean lakes and waterways will run through the communities and the river edges will be populated with flora and fauna with bio-rehabilitation functions. Natural habitats will be restored to preserve biodiversity.

98. Solar Energy

Singapore is already experimenting with solar panels on HDB, flats, produced by A-star program, if successful in the field, and would be launch nationwide on a popular scale.

As part of the Energy SAVE Programm, HDB test-bedded solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at two existing public housing precincts at Serangoon and Wellington.

The PV panels, which were installed on the roof of the residential blocks and multi-storey carparks, can generate electricity of 220kWh per day for each precinct – enough to meet the electricity requirements for the common services (inclusive of lifts, water pump etc.) for one residential block for one day.

To find out more about the other strategies that make up Singapore's Sustainable Development Blueprint, please visit www.sustainablesingapore.gov.sg 

99,Green buildings, Termite Mounds green building, taller per floor, very spacious and comfortable, like ancient European palaces, and 10% energy saving. Almost make air conditioning unnecessary-redundant.

100,Wind Farms

Wind Farms on the ocean, already built in phases, in Sweden, England etc. Singapore could invest in Wind Farms on the oceans for domestic electricity, cell car, and export the generated excess electricity.

Findings

General Relationship of Temperature and Photosynthesis

C Field & D Lobell. Environmental Research Letters, 2007: 

A 1^oC increase reduces global cereal grain crop yields by 6-10%.  So, a rise of 2^oC could mean 12-20% fall in global production.

What is green house effect?

Energy from the sun drives the earth's weather and climate, and heats the earth's surface; in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.
 

What caused Global warming?

Natural changes in climate take place over many years; this allows animals and plants to adapt to new environments. Scientists have discovered that the earth’s temperature is increasing too rapidly and that’s due to the amount of Carbon Dioxide that is released in to the atmosphere.

The primary factors underlying environmental degradation include: economic growth, broad technological changes, demographic shifts and governance structures.  These can give rise to:

Increased demand for natural resources and energy

Market imperfections, e.g., subsidies that lead to the inefficient use of resources and act as a barrier to the market penetration of climate sound technologies; the lack of recognition of the true value of natural resources; failure to appropriate the global values of natural resources to the local level; and the failure to internalize the social costs of environmental degradation into the market price of a resource

Limited availability and transfer of technology, inefficient use of technologies, and inadequate investment in research and development for the technologies of the future

–Failure to manage adequately the use of natural resources and energy

The sun’s rays penetrate our atmosphere and keep the planet warm. Unfortunately because the Earth’s big gassy blanket is so thick, no heat can escape. The Earth retains the suns heat causing the planet to warm up more quickly than it should.

What is Global Warming?

We have most likely all heard that the climate is getting warmer and areas of the globe are having more “intense” weather systems, e.g. drought in Australia, fires in California, Hurricane in New Orleans, Earthquake and Tsunami in Indonesia etc. Has Britain’s weather changed? Has anyone noticed any local effects? E.g. Spring coming early, unusually wet Summer/dry Winter, flowers blooming early, etc.

  

•The Earth receives energy from the Sun in the form of radiation.

•The Earth reflects about 30% of the incoming solar radiation. The remaining 70% is absorbed, warming the land, atmosphere and oceans.

•For the Earth's temperature to be in equilibrium so that the Earth does not rapidly heat or cool, this absorbed solar radiation must be very nearly balanced by energy radiated back to space in the infrared wavelengths.

•The figure on the left shows the absorption bands in the Earth's atmosphere (middle panel), I.e. the wavelength spectrum (UV, IR, visible light) that is absorbed by the atmosphere, and the effect that this has on both solar radiation (energy from the sun) and upgoing thermal radiation (energy reflected from the Earth) (top panel).

•Individual absorption spectrum for major greenhouse gases are also shown.

•You can see that high amounts of UV and IR wavelengths from the sun are absorbed by the atmosphere, whereas much of the visible light spectrum passes through (allowing us to see!). Of the up-going thermal radiation (blue) a budget of IR wavelengths pass through the atmosphere to be lost to space.

•The figure on the right is a simplified, schematic representation of the flows of energy between space, the atmosphere, and the Earth's surface, showing how these flows combine to trap heat near the surface and create the greenhouse effect.

•Energy exchanges are expressed in watts per square meter (W/m²); values from Kiehl  and Trenberth (1997).

•The sun provides an annual average of ~235 W/m² of energy to the Earth’s surface. If this were the total heat received at the surface, then we would be expect to have an average global temperature of -18°C. Instead, the Earth's atmosphere recycles heat coming from the surface and delivers an additional 324 W/m², which results in an average surface temperature of roughly +14 ° C.

•Of the surface heat captured by the atmosphere, more than 75% can be attributed to the action of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc.) that absorb thermal radiation (the up-going energy emitted by the Earth's surface).

•The atmosphere in turn transfers the energy it receives both into space (38%) and back to the Earth's surface (62%), where the amount transferred in each direction depends on the thermal and density structure of the atmosphere.

•This process by which energy is recycled in the atmosphere to warm the Earth's surface is known as the greenhouse effect and is an essential piece of Earth's climate.

•Under stable conditions, the total amount of energy entering the system from solar radiation will be exactly the same as the amount being radiated into space, thus allowing the Earth maintain a constant average temperature over time. However, recent measurements indicate that the Earth is presently absorbing 0.85 - 0.15 W/m² more than it emits into space (Hansen et al. 2005). This increase, associated with global warming, is believed to have been caused by the recent increase in greenhouse gas concentrations.

References:

•Kiehl, J. T. and Trenberth, K. E. (1997). "Earth's Annual Global Mean Energy Budget". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Association 78: 197-208.

•Hansen, J., et al. (2005). "Earth's Energy Imbalance: Confirmation and Implications". Science 308 (5727): 1431-1435.

•Climate is defined as the weather averaged over a long period of time.

•The standard averaging period is 30 years but other periods may be used depending on the purpose. Climate also includes statistics other than the average, such as the magnitudes of day-to-day or year-to-year variations.

•Therefore, climate is “the average and variations of weather over long periods of time”.

•Different “Climate Zones” such as tropical, temperate or polar can be defined using parameters such as temperature and rainfall.

The Earths surface temperature has been slowly increasing for the last 15,000 years, since the last Ice age.

Global warming simply refers to an increase in temperature of the Earths surface.

What are some solutions for reducing the impact of transportation on climate change?

Climate Change and Geopolitical Security

 “Climate change of the order and time frames predicted by climate scientists poses fundamental questions of human security, survival and the stability of nation states which necessitate judgments about political and strategic risks as well as economic cost.”

  Heating Up the Planet: Climate Change and Security.

Dupont A, Pearman G, Lowy Institute Paper 12, 2006

How do we know about climate systems in the past?

•A record of past local environmental conditions may be preserved in early rock art and sculpture.

•For example, rock paintings from Tassili N´Ajjer in Algeria show that the region in Neolithic times was moist and fertile, with abundant water and wildlife. The art depicts herds of cattle, large wild animals including crocodiles, and human activities such as hunting and dancing.

•This area now hosts a sandstone mountain range located in a desert.

•More than 15,000 drawings and engravings record the climatic changes, the animal migrations and the evolution of human life on the edge of the Sahara from 6000 B.C. to the first centuries of the present era.

•Geomorphology is the study of landforms, including their origin and evolution, and the processes that shape them.

•Studying of surface features such as valleys, mountains, river beds, ancient dune and lake deposits can tell you what the environment was like in the past.

•For example, the Lake District in North West England has many valleys shaped like a “U”. They have flat bottoms and steep sides. (As opposed to River Valleys that are typically “V” shaped).

•These were formed by the passage of glaciers that carved their way through the landscape. There are no glaciers there today but from the physical features they left behind we can tell that the area was once covered in ice.

•The Geological record can tell us a lot about past climates.

•Fossils of plants and animals can provide evidence of what the past ecosystem was like.

•For example, fossils of plants and animals in Antarctica show that during the Cambrian period Antarctica had a mild climate. West Antarctica was partially in the northern hemisphere,  and East Antarctica was at the equator, where sea-floor invertebrates and trilobites flourished in the tropical seas

•Fossils also show that during the Mesozoic era (250-65 Mya), as a result of continued warming, the polar ice caps melted and the Antarctic Peninsula began to form. Ginkgo trees and cycads were plentiful during this period, as were large reptiles and dinosaurs, though only two Antarctic dinosaur species have been described to date.

•Sediments are a good record of past environments. They can tell a geologist what type of environment deposited them, e.g. a beach, river, desert, ocean etc. And fossils preserved in the sediments will provide information about the biota.

•To sample sedimentary layers deep in the Earth scientists often have to drill for them. The right hand photos show an example of drill core recovered from the ocean floor in the Caribbean. Each dark and light layers represents progressively older sedimentary layers.

 

Negative Impact of Global Warming

Effects of Temperature Rise on Dengue Transmission

-Shorten viral incubation period in mosquito

-Shorten breeding cycle of mosquito

-Increase frequency of mosquito feeding

-More efficient transmission of dengue virus from mosquito to human

•Other effects of global warming include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors (carriers).

•Remaining scientific uncertainties include the amount of warming expected in the future, and how warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe. There is ongoing political and public debate worldwide regarding what, if any, action should be taken to reduce or reverse future warming or to adapt to its expected consequences. Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Direct health impacts (heat, extreme events, etc.)

Human Health:

•Injuries/deaths

•Thermal stress

•Infectious diseases

•Malnutrition

•Mental stresses

•Conflict, drugs, etc.

They are indirectly caused by

-Food yields

-Biological & seasonal cycles

-Physical systems

(ice, rivers, etc.)

These affects

Economy: infrastructure, output, growth

Scientists believe that the increased levels of carbon dioxide could cause increased temperatures, changed weather patterns, and rising sea levels.

Other Greenhouse gases include: methane, nitrous oxides, water vapor, and chlorofluorocarbons.

The amount of carbon in the atmosphere has increased by 31% since the start of the industrial revolution in 1750.  Levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere are at record highs (higher than any level over the past 420,000 years).  Furthermore, the 1990s was the warmest decade since the start of reliable temperature data, possibly the warmest decade in the last 1,000 years.

Most scientists have looked at the increase in greenhouse gas levels, coupled with rising average surface temperatures and decreasing snow and ice coverage, as evidence of the effects of “anthropogenic greenhouse gases” (Source: Third IPCC Report).

The impacts of global warming could have severe consequences for human activities.  Many of the consequences have environmental, economic, and health impacts.  The changed temperatures and weather patterns can disrupt farming practices across nations, making areas that were once fertile no longer suitable for crop production.  Changing temperatures might allow for the spread of tropical diseases, such as malaria, into areas that were at one time too cold to provide a suitable environment in which the disease could thrive.  The increased temperatures could lead to heat waves that could threaten at-risk populations (especially the elderly, children, and the sick.  As an example, consider the heat waves that hit France in the summer of 2003 and the heat waves in India).  Rising sea levels could flood coastal cities.  Changed weather patterns and increased temperatures might make natural catastrophes, such as hurricanes, more frequent and more severe.  These last two impacts have the potential to cause a great deal of economic damage to the world’s economies.  From an environmental standpoint, the changed climate patterns could disrupt the natural habitats of various species that may lead to certain extinctions. 

     The effect of a change in the weather on plant growth may lead to some countries not having enough food. Brazil, parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and China will be affected the most and many people could suffer from hunger.

Higher sea levels will threaten the low-lying coastal areas of the world, such as the Netherlands and Bangladesh. Throughout the world, millions of people and areas of land will be at danger from flooding. Many people will have to leave their homes and large areas of farmland will be ruined because of floods. In Britain, East Anglia and the Thames estuary will be at risk from the rising sea.

Global average temperatures are expected to increase by about 2-13°F (1-7°C) by the end of the century. That may not sound like a lot, so what’s the big deal? The problem is that small changes in global average temperature can lead to really large changes in the environment. Let’s look at some of the expected changes.

The main tools for both past and present climate analyses are computer climate models. Much like the models used to forecast weather, climate models simulate the climate system with a 3-dimensional grid that extends through the land, ocean, and atmosphere. The grid may have 10 to 60 different levels in the atmosphere and surface grid spacing of about 60 by 90 miles (100 by 150 km)—the size of Connecticut. The models perform trillions of calculations that describe changes in many climate factors in the grid

Sea-level rise projections: a few inches to a few feet

•2 ft: U.S. would lose 10,000 square miles

•3 ft: Would inundate Miami

•Affects erosion, loss of wetlands, freshwater supplies

•Half of the world’s population lives along coasts

Big question:  Ice sheets

How to prevent global warming?

Health Co-Benefits from GHG Emissions Mitigation Actions:  Revitalised Health Promotion

Reduce fossil fuel combustion:

Reduce cardio-respiratory deaths/hospitalisations from local air pollution (esp. fine particulates).

Low-emission urban (public) transport system:

Increase physical activity (walking, cycling) à reduce over-weight, improve lipid/endocrine profiles, increase social contact and wellbeing.

Road trauma should decline.

Reduce red (ruminant) meat consumption (livestock sector is major source of GHG emissions, esp. methane)

Reduce risks of some disease: large bowel cancer, breast cancer; also heart disease (meat fat content).

More energy-efficient housing

Reduce family costs, and (especially for lower-income households) reduce thermal stress – and debt-related mental stress.

How to Combat Climate Change

There are lots of things each one of us can do to help combat Global Warming. You can start by always switching lights off when you leave a room.

•Currently, the production of hydrogen fuel uses fossil fuels.  Fossil fuels are used to separate hydrogen from the other atoms that it is bonded with—a process called electrolysis. When scientists discover a way to power electrolysis with alternative forms of energy -- such as hydro, wind, solar, or biomass sources -- hydrogen has the potential to be renewable and free of emissions at both the consumption and production ends.

•Hydrogen is the ideal fuel for fuel cells.  These cells convert chemicals directly into electricity with a high level of efficiency.  Fuel cells are already being used for military purposes and space flights; further research is needed before they are economically competitive with the existing technology.

•Hydrogen fuel cells produce water vapor as their byproduct—they are a very clean source of fuel. Disadvantages:  Hydrogen fuel cells are currently handicapped by a high cost, the need for large storage containers to hold the hydrogen on the vehicle, the difficulty of obtaining pure hydrogen, and the challenge of undergoing electrolysis (splitting the hydrogen atoms) by efficiently using alternative fuel sources. 

Ethanol is produced from fermented corn.  Most cars with little engine modification to reduce ghg emissions can use ethanol blends—gasoline plus 5-20% ethanol—.  However, the procedure to produce ethanol is very energy intensive and requires the use of fossil fuels.  Several transit agencies have experimented with ethanol buses.  Their results prove that the buses consume more fuel and end up costing too much.  The buses consume more fuel because the energy content of ethanol is lower than regular fuels.  The high cost makes it unlikely that ethanol will ever become a widely used alternative for conventional fuel.

Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and our use of fossil fuels will not be easy, but it is doable. Here’s how some researchers at Princeton view it.

Our current path is toward doubling CO₂ emissions in the next 50 years, with even greater increases beyond that. In order to get off this path, we need to find ways to keep emissions constant for the next 50 years and then reduce them during the second half of the century. This would [9] limit atmospheric CO₂ to about 570 ppm—still greater than the roughly 380 ppm in the atmosphere today, but enough to avoid the worst predicted consequences.

A majority (60%) of carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector come from personal vehicle use. Encouraging the use and development of public transportation reduces the number of cars on the road and reduces total greenhouse gas emissions.

Many communities do not carefully plan for growth.  Carefully planned growth should take into account transportation options so that public transit and alternative forms of transportation can access the neighborhoods easily.  Also, neighborhoods should heed the need to use transportation.  Businesses, stores, and homes can all be located in the same area, often connected by bike paths and walkways. These planned neighborhoods use land efficiently; because of this, it is possible to drive direct routes (this reduces the amount of fuel wasted and thus reduces the amount of overall GHGs released).

If you are going to drive, don’t drive alone.  By sharing a ride, you get to have company and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by limiting the number of cars on the road.

By making sure your car is in tip-top shape, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Cars that are well kept increase fuel efficiency.

New technologies provide another way to reduce emissions.  Currently, research is focused on replacing petroleum-based fuels and increasing fuel efficiencies.

Once individuals are aware of how their transportation choices contribute to global climate change, hopefully they will change their habits to reduce emissions.

Most of the rubbish we throw away can be recycled, such as glass bottles and jars, steel and aluminium cans, plastic bottles and waste paper.

Recycling used materials uses less energy than making new ones.

Ask your parents if you have Energy Saving Bulbs in your house, they last much longer than ordinary household bulbs and use much less energy so they are better for the environment.

•Switch lights off when you leave the room.

•Don’t leave anything on standby.

•Walk rather than use the car when possible.

•Cycle more, use you body’s own energy.

•Recycle as much as possible.

To switch equipment off properly it needs to be turned off at the plug.

When you switch off the television with the remote control your TV

Automatically goes into standby or ‘sleep mode’. In ‘sleep mode’ the

TV is still using electricity even though you aren’t watching it.

Of course, you don’t have to take transit or drive to travel from one place to another.  Sometimes, the old fashioned methods work out the best in the end anyway.  Walking, biking, rollerblading, skateboarding, and other similar activities have almost no impact on the environment.  They also have substantial health benefits.  Just make sure that you do it safely!  For people who live in areas that lack public transportation, walking or biking is a great alternative for individuals who do not want to rely on a personal car.  These old fashioned gentlemen were eco-friendly before it was hip to be “green.”

Unplug appliances or plug into a power strip and switch it off

Buy water-saving appliances and toilets; installing low-flow shower heads.

Alcohols can be blended with petroleum fuels as “replacement” fuels this is sometimes called gasohol.  No infrastructure change is thus necessary for alcohol.  It is compatible with the ubiquitous existing fuel distribution and retailing systems and thus does not have to overcome the transitional barriers faced by alternative fuels.

Public transportation releases fewer greenhouse gas emissions into the air per person than driving does.

§Taking a train or bus is much cheaper than owning a car, and you don’t have to find a parking space once you get to your destination!

Compressed natural gas has been successfully used by transit agencies in New York and Los Angeles.  It is gaining popularity across the country because it reduces the emissions of particulate matter and nitrous oxides—two air pollutants that cause much of the urban air pollution.  However, CNG may not be effective at reducing GHGs.  First of all, CNG’s buses tend to be less efficient than diesel, requiring them to consume more fuel.  They are also heavier (CNG requires a heavier fuel tank to keep natural gas pressurized), which again means that they consume more fuel.  And most importantly, there is an increase in methane emissions.  Methane, a GHG, is much more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.  Therefore, a decrease in CO₂ emissions can be offset by a very small increase in methane emissions.  Transit agencies view CNG as a transitional fuel choice; the most promising replacements for CNG buses are hybrid-electric buses.

Recognition of health risks will potentate true primary prevention – i.e. the reduction of GHG emissions.

  Health risks already exist and more are unavoidable. So, we must develop and evaluate adaptive strategies.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, WkGp2 Report (2007): Some Key Findings

Water: 75-250m Africans may face water-shortage by 2020.

Crops:

  Rain-fed agriculture could decline by 50% in some African countries by 2020.

     Crop yields could: increase by 20% in some parts of Southeast Asia … but decrease by up to 30% in Central/South Asia.

Glaciers and snow cover: Expected to decline, reducing supply of melt water to major regions, cities.

Species:   20-30% of all plant and animal species face increased risk of extinction if 1.5-2.5 ^oC rise.*

     Scientific literature review of >29,000 studies of physical and biological changes in natural world:  89% consistent with accompanying warming.

Together, the reported GCM model runs for the 6 IPCC emissions scenarios forecast, for 2100, increases in temperature (central estimate per scenario) of 1.4-5.8 ^oC.

Most of the uncertainty reflects unknowable human futures (the scenarios); the rest is due to model uncertainties.

A further ~0.7 ^oC is ‘committed’ (on top of the 0.6^oC already realised)

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (2007) already looks conservative. Recent studies indicate accelerating change.

Political discourse in high-income countries is now starting to acknowledge need for 80+% reduction in emissions relative 2000.

The IPCC Sequence of Key Findings

IPCC (1990) Broad overview of climate change science, discussion of uncertainties and evidence for warming.

IPCC (1995)   “The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate.”

IPCC (2001)  “Most of the warming of the past 50 years is likely (>66%) to be attributable to human activities.”

IPCC (2007)  “Warming is unequivocal, and most of the warming of the past 50 years is very likely (90%) due to increases in greenhouse gases.”

Governments require information on climate change for negotiations

The IPCC formed in 1988 under auspices of the United Nations

Function is to provide assessments of the science of climate change

Scientific community contributes widely and on a voluntary basis

75% of the authors in WG1 IPCC (2007) did not work on WG1 IPCC (2001)

Substance of IPCC WG1 report in the hands of scientists

•Each report is an assessment of the state of understanding based upon peer-reviewed published work.  IPCC assesses published research but does not do research.  Each assessment goes through multiple reviews and revision and re-reviews over a period of years.

•Informal draft prepared, comments sought from 6-12 outside experts for each chapter (Oct 2004 - Mar 2005).

•Formal first order draft (FOD) reviewed by about 600 reviewers worldwide (Sept -Nov 2005).

•Formal second order draft (SOD) re-reviewed by about 600 experts worldwide and by dozens of governments (April-May 2006).

•Government comments on revised Summary for Policy Makers (Oct-Nov 2006).

•WG1 received and considered over 30000 comments in total. 

•The assessment conclusions are not the views of any single scientist, but reflect a much broader process. 

The Working Group I Report

•Started 2004

•Completed February 2007

•152 Authors

•~450 contributors

•~600 expert reviewers

•30,000+ review comments

Contents

•Summary for Policymakers

•Technical Summary

•11 Chapters

•Frequently Asked Questions

•~5000 literature references

~1000 pages

http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu

 

Opinion Leaders

1. Dr. Stephen H. Schneider

Dr. Stephen H. Schneider is the Melvin and Joan Lane Professor for Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies, Professor of Biological Sciences, Professor (by courtesy) of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and a Senior Fellow in the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. Dr. Schneider received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Plasma Physics from Columbia University in 1971. He studied the role of greenhouse gases and suspended particulate material on climate as a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. He was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in 1972 and was a member of the scientific staff of NCAR from 1973-1996, where he co-founded the Climate Project.

Internationally recognized for research, policy analysis and outreach in climate change, Dr. Schneider focuses on climate change science, integrated assessment of ecological and economic impacts of human-induced climate change, and identifying viable climate policies and technological solutions. He has consulted with federal agencies and/or White House staff in the Nixon, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton and G.W. Bush administrations.

2. The IPCC Assessment Reports

Oslo, 10 December 2007
 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr.
were awarded of the Nobel Peace Prize
"for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater
knowledge about man-made climate change, and to
lay the foundations for the measures that are
needed to counteract such change".

3. Steven Chu The Nobel Prize in Physics 1997

Chu has been a vocal advocate for more research into alternative energy and nuclear power, arguing that a shift away from fossil fuels is essential to combat global warming. He also spoke at the 2009 National Science Bowl about the importance of America's science students, emphasizing their future role in environmental planning and global initiative. Chu said that a typical coal power plant emits 100 times more radiation than a nuclear power plant.

4.Al Gore

OSLO, Norway - Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Friday, and the former vice president used the attention to warn that global warming is "the greatest challenge we've ever faced."

Former Vice President Al Gore is cofounder and Chairman of Generation Investment Management, a firm that is focused on a new approach to Sustainable Investing.

Gore is also cofounder and Chairman of Current TV, an independently owned cable and satellite television network for young people based on viewer-created content and citizen journalism. A member of the Board of Directors of Apple Computer, Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Google, Inc. Gore is also Visiting Professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Mr. Gore is the author of An Inconvenient Truth, a best-selling book on the threat of and solutions to global warming, and the subject of the movie of the same title, which has already become one of the top documentary films in history. In 2007, An Inconvenient Truth was awarded two Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Song.

5.BillGate    

Gates spoke about his commitment to using his massive philanthropic resources (the Gates Foundation is the world's largest) to make life better for people through public health and poverty alleviation ("vaccines and seeds" as he put it). Then he said something he's never said before: that is it because he's committed to improving life for the world's vulnerable people that he now believes that climate change is the most important challenge on the planet.

Even more importantly, he acknowledged the only sensible goal, when it comes to climate emissions, is to eliminate them: we should be aiming for a civilization that produces no net emissions, and we should be aiming to live in that civilization here in the developed world by 2050.

Obviously, that's a big goal. Because he is the world's biggest geek, to explain how he plans to achieve that goal, Gates put up a slide with a formula (which we can call the Gates Climate Equation):

CO2 = P x S x E x C

Meaning this: the climate emissions of human civilization are the result of four driving forces:

* Population: the total number of people on the planet (which is still increasing because we are not yet at peak population).

* Services: the things that provide prosperity (and because billions of people are still rising out of poverty and because no global system will work unless it's fair, we can expect a massively increased demand for the services that provide prosperity).

* Energy: the amount of energy it takes to produce and provide the goods and services that our peaking population uses as it grows more prosperous (what some might call the energy intensity of goods and services). Gates believes it's likely cutting two-thirds of our energy waste is about as good as we can do.

* Carbon: the amount of climate emissions generated in order to produce the energy it takes to fuel prosperity.

6. Abhisit Vejjajiva

Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, shares his hopes for the conference with Climate-Change.tv. He stresses that there are a lot of differences to resolve and time is running out to establish a clear roadmap leading to a legal agreement.

 Thailand believes that moderation is the key to sustainability. We want to see moderation instead of excessive greed, which is the cause of the economic crisis. We want to see moderation instead of over consumption which is the cause of environmental degradation. And we want to see moderation instead of extremism and selfishness which is the cause of conflicts around the world. We must therefore curb our excesses, live within our means, and use our resources wisely. This idea of moderation is an important pillar of the 'sufficiency economy' philosophy of His Majesty the King. This philosophy should not be understood, or misunderstood, as advocating an 'inward looking' approach. Rather, it teaches us that economic development and modernisation must be better balanced and take into account the well-being of the people, their

economic, social, political, and environmental needs, so that the country is resilient and protected from both external and internal shocks.

7. Dr Rajendra K. Pachauri
The name of Dr Rajendra K. Pachauri, Director General of TERI and Chairman of the IPCC has become synonymous with climate change and the environment. Internationally recognised as a leading global thinker and leader of research, the more so since sharing the podium with Al Gore to receive the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the IPCC, he has effortlessly worn these two hats. Now, however, he finds himself catapulted into a third unnamed role as international statesman promoting climate change awareness. As the world wakes up to the reality of imminent climate change, environmental issues have suddenly taken on an extra urgency and Dr Pachauri's work schedule has expanded enormously. These days he is constantly on the move, criss -crossing the globe to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counter such change.

8.Lee hsien leoong Singapore Prime Minister

… climate change calls for an urgent global response…

… developed countries must take the lead…

… without growth they (developing countries) will not have resources necessary to combat climate change…

… the dangerous effects of Climate Change will affect us all severely…

… what we have in common is the goal…

… the ability of countries to reduce their emissions will differ…

… others have already taken early actions to promote alternative energies...

… singapore has always taken the environment seriously…

9. Paul krugman Nobel Prize for Economics

Climate change fantasies

A while back I wrote about anti-green economics — the insistence, by opponents of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, that the economic cost of cap-and-trade would be immense and unsupportable. I cited Robert Samuelson, who ridiculed the Environmental Defense Fund for suggesting that major action on greenhouse gases would only cost a dime a day per person.

Now comes the Congressional Budget Office, which estimates the cost to households of Waxman-Markey in 2020 at $22 billion — which, given a projected population of 335 million, comes to 18 cents a day. Hah! EDH was being over-optimistic. Seriously, EDF was essentially right: the costs of cap-and-trade are very, very low.

The point is that we need to be clear about who are the realists and who are the fantasists here. The realists are actually the climate activists, who understand that if you give people in a market economy the right incentives they will make big changes in their energy use and environmental impact. The fantasists are the burn-baby-burn crowd who hate the idea of using government for good, and therefore insist that doing the right thing is economically impossible.

10. Professor Muhammad Yunus

Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus spoke at St. James's Church in ... the use of public or 'green' credit to address issues of climate change.