Download Greenhouse Gases

The Mysterious
Disappearance of Tuvalu
----Global Warming
F0316101 李昕 5031619005
毛艳萍 5031619008
曾晖 5031619011
• Tuvalu ,a dreamland of people in
the past.
Tuvalu
• However, Tuvalu is doomed, to be
submerged.
• In February 2004, the nine islands of the
low-lying atoll of Tuvalu were submerged by
"king tides" with peaks approaching three
meters.
• A small island of Funafuti (The Capital of
Tuvalu) has already disappeared beneath
the sea and in some areas.
Tuvalu
• The whole world are sympathizing them,
but who can help them out?
• Let’s take a look at more about the
status quo of the world:
What’s the problem?
——Phenomenon
What’s the problem?
——Phenomenon
Rising
Temperature
Hurricane、Drought
Flood
Tsunami
Melting
Glaciers
Rising
Sea
Levels
Health
Tsunami
• “Suddenly I heard a shout, ‘Big wave!’ The
streetlights around us exploded almost in the
same instant. I looked up and saw a locally well
known fishing boat coming up over the Bridge”
•
-- A survivor of a tsunami
Tsunami
• On 26 December 2004,
a great tsunami occurred.
• In April 2005 the number of people killed
in the December 26 tsunami disaster
which devastated 11 Indian Ocean
countries has been 217,000. Indonesia
remains the worst hit country, with
163,978 people dead or missing. The toll
in Sri Lanka, which was second hardest
hit by the catastrophe, was 30,957.
Rising Temperature
• In the summer heat-wave of 2003,
14,000 people died in France and
over 30,000 died across the whole of
Europe.
• It is projected that a global average
temperature increases of 1.45.8 degrees Celsius.
Hurricane, Flood and Drought
• This worst Caribbean hurricane
season in living memory, along with other
extreme weather events that took place in
2004 in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans,
are seen by many as empirical evidence
of impacts that are harbingers of
the expected effects of climate
change.
Hurricane, Flood and Drought
• Storms and floods can
cause dreadful damage to homes,
transport, communications,
businesses, crops, water supplies
and the general environment, bringing
misery, disruption and health problems such
as epidemics and starvation.
• Long droughts also affect crops and water
supplies, often causing many deaths from
famine, disease and dehydration.
Melting Glaciers
The front of a melting glacier
• Glaciers are retreating in many locations around
the world.
• In the past 50 years, sea ice has retreated by a
fifth since 1970. Snow cover in the Northern
Hemisphere has declined since the late 1960s
by around 10%.
Rising Sea Levels
• The global average sea level has risen by 10 to 20 cm
over the past 100 years. This represents some 10 times
faster than the rate observed for the previous 3,000 years.
• Researchers worry about that sea level rise may affect
fresh water, sanitation, agriculture,
fishing, housing and the rest of the economy
Health
• Very hot weather is particularly
unpleasant for people who are
old, very young or ill, and the
number of people who die
increases noticeably during
these periods.
• As the climate is becoming less
stable and more extreme. For
humans, this can have a big
effect on our daily life,
health and well-being.
What is it?
——Causes
What is it?
• Global Warming
• The Greenhouse Effect
• Greenhouse Gases
——Causes
Global Warming
• Global Warming is the name given to the
rise in average temperature of the Earth.
• Although the actual temperature rise
might seem small, the Earth’s natural
balance is very sensitive, so even this
small increase in average temperature
can cause major changes to weather
patterns.
Global Warming
• When weather patterns change, the
kinds of plants and animals which
are able to survive also change, and
some species may even die out
altogether.
• As plants, in particular, have their own
influence on local weather patterns,
this may cause yet more weather
changes, and so the effects become
greater and greater.
Greenhouse Effect
• The Greenhouse Effect is the name
given to the way gases in the atmosphere trap in
sunlight and warm the Earth.
• Many of these gases occur naturally, so the
warming effect has been happening for
much of the Earth’s lifetime, and is partly
responsible for the way the planet and its life has
evolved.
Greenhouse Effect
• When sunlight reaches the earth, it is reflected back from the earth’s surface, but
the reflection causes a change in the light’s wavelength. Some of the gases in the
atmosphere (Greenhouse Gases) can then prevent much of this new wavelength
from escaping back into space, so the light’s energy is trapped, releasing heat. In
effect, the gases form a blanket around the earth, trapping in the heat.
Greenhouse Gases
• These gases allow sunlight to enter the
atmosphere freely. When sunlight strikes
the Earth’s surface, some of it is reflected
back towards space as infrared radiation
(heat). Greenhouse gases absorb this
infrared radiation and trap the heat in the
atmosphere.
Greenhouse Gases
• Many gases exhibit these
“greenhouse” properties.
Some of them occur in
nature (water vapor, carbon
dioxide, methane, and
nitrous oxide), while others
are exclusively humanmade (like gases used for
aerosols).
Greenhouse Gases
• Unfortunately, modern ways of living are
producing too many greenhouse gases.
• This excess of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere is producing what is known as
the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect,
increasing the amount of solar heat that is
trapped in the atmosphere, and causing
Global Warming.
Greenhouse Gases
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Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Other direct GHGs
Carbon dioxide
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Sources:
Biomass Respiration
Land-use change
Energy
Transport
Industry
Biomass Burning
Global Carbon Cycle (Billion Metric Tons
Carbon)
Carbon dioxide
• Trends in Atmospheric Concentrations and
Anthropogenic Emissions of Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide
• World Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Region,
2001-2025
(Million Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent)
Methane
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Sources:
Wetlands
Termites
The Oceans
Hydrates
Energy
Landfills
Ruminants
Waste Treatment
Rice agriculture
Biomass burning
Nitrous oxide
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Sources:
The Oceans
The Atmosphere
Tropical soils
Temperate soils
Agricultural soils
Biomass burning
Industry
Livestock and feed
Transports
Tropospheric ozone
Other direct GHGs
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Water vapour
HFCs
PFCs and SF6
Halocarbons
Indirect GHGs
Carbon monoxide
Hydrogen
VOCs
NOx
Greenhouse Gases
• “Greenhouse gases are accumulating in Earth’s
atmosphere as a result of human activities,
causing surface air temperatures and sub-surface
ocean temperatures to rise. Temperatures are, in
fact, rising. The changes observed over the last
several decades are likely mostly due to human
activities, but we cannot rule out that some
significant part of these changes is also a
reflection of natural variability.”
• ——A National Research Council study dated
May 2001 stated
Greenhouse Gases
• Our greenhouse gas emissions come
mostly from energy use.
• These are driven largely by economic
growth, fuel used for electricity
generation, and weather patterns
affecting heating and cooling needs.
What can we do?
——Solution
What can we do?
• Climate change is a very real threat to the whole planet. It
has drawn international attention. Many effects have been
made ,such as the most famous Kyoto Protocol.
• As individuals, we need to become more aware of how the
way we live has created the problem of global warming and
change our lifestyles to halt and if possible, reverse
this process.
• Every one of us must take some responsibility for the
changes in climate we are experiencing and begin to take
practical steps towards reducing Greenhouse emissions and
protecting our environment.
What can we do?
Transport
Active steps
Energy
3R
ENERGY
STAR®
Education
Cool
Stuff
What can we do?
• Use Energy more efficiently
Whenever we use electricity, we help put
greenhouse gases into the air. Saving
energy is one of the easiest steps we can all
take. Make sure buildings are insulated
properly and heating systems turned down
whenever possible. By turning off lights,
the television, and the computer when you
are through with them, you can help a lot.
What can we do?
• Use Public Transport and more
efficient vehicles
Think twice about your mode of
transport- is taking a car absolutely
necessary? For short journeys, it is
healthier and cheaper to walk.
Otherwise use public transport ---buses and trains or more efficient
transport such as bicycles or electric
vehicles.
What can we do?
• Take active steps to protect forests,
wildlife and our environment
The environment, particularly the
forests and ocean life, creates the
natural balance which stabilizes our
climate and provides a habitat for
wildlife and nature. We must protect
these areas from pollution,
destruction and over-use.
What can we do?
• When You Buy, Buy Cool Stuff
• One of the ways to reduce the amount
of greenhouse gases that we put into
the air is to buy products that don't use
as much energy. By conserving energy,
we help reduce global warming and
make the Earth a better place. Some
products – like certain cars and stereos
– are made specially to save energy.
What can we do?
• Reuse Reduce and Recycle
• Renewable energy is energy produced from a source
that, unlike fossil fuel, will not run out and does not
pollute the atmosphere.
• Reduce waste and recycle whenever possible. Try to
buy products with minimal packaging. Disposing of
waste uses up energy and damages the environment,
particularly in landfill sites.
• Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags, and newspapers.
When you recycle, you send less trash to the landfill
and you help save natural resources, like trees, oil,
and elements such as aluminum.
What can we do?
• ENERGY STAR®
Many things, like computers, TVs,
stereos, and VCRs, have special
labels on them. The label says
"Energy" and has a picture of a star.
Products with the ENERGY STAR®
label are made to save energy.
Buying products with ENERGY
STAR® labels will help protect the
environment.
What can we do?
• Improve our education and attitudes by
involving the whole Community
• Get involved with community projects
and take responsibility for your local
and global environment. Businesses,
organizations, schools the media
should be encouraged to take a
leading role in changing attitudes and
helping people to understand the
important issues.
Conclusion
• Global warming may be a big
problem, but as we have
mentioned ,there are many little
things we can do to protect our planet.
If we try, we can make a difference!