Notre Dame Cathedral Latin School’s Earth Club 2007 Global GlobalWarming Warming By: Jamie, Sara, Chrissy, Doug, Lauren, Rory and Justin What is the Greenhouse Effect? • The greenhouse effect is a process in which the absorption of infrared radiation by the atmosphere warms the planet. • The greenhouse effect was discovered by Joseph Fourier. • In case of Earth without greenhouse gases its surface would be up to 30 degrees celsius cooler. Natural Causes Global Warming is caused by many things. The causes split into two groups, man-made and natural causes. • Release of Methane gas from artic tundra and wetlands • Methane, a greenhouse gas, traps and heats the Earth’s atmosphere • The other natural cause is the earth goes through a cycle of climate change. This takes about 40,000 years. Manmade causes • Manmade causes do the most damage. • Pollution is one of the biggest problems and it comes in many shapes and sizes. • Burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil cause pollution. • Fossil fuels give off the greenhouse gas CO2 • Another cause is population • Population means more methane because more transportation, burning fossil fuels and agricultural. Effects • • • • • • • • • • • The warming is largely the result of emissions of carbon greenhouse gases from human activities including industrial process and fossil fuel combustion Greenhouse gas emissions will result in additional warming over the 21st century There is an expected global increase of 2.5 to 10.4 degrees by 2100 This warming will have a real consequence for the United States and the world Examples: Sea levels will rise Changes in perception patterns Increase of droughts and floods Threats to biodiversity Number of potential challenges for public health By the year 2050 one million additional deaths from malaria may be occur. More Facts • The natural and human systems are vulnerable to the climate change because of their limited adaptive capacity • Yet this vulnerability varies with geographic location, time, economic and environmental conditions • We will all have to adapt to these climate change consequences that aren't prevented by mitigation • Economic losses can be expected more in poorest regions because the higher the warming the greater the loss What can be done • • • • • • • • • • • Buy fresh foods instead of frozen - Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce. Eat less meat - Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) - This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Use less hot water- by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide would be saved per year) and by washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds of carbon dioxide would be saved per year) Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible - You save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year. Turn off electronic devices you're not using- simply turning off your electronic devices would save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide. Plant a tree- a single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by tree can also reduce your air condition bill. Avoid chlorine at all cost. Use of any chlorine compounds is very harmful to the environment. Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in the winter and 2 degrees in the summer- almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. You can save $24 a year by leaving grass clippings on your lawn after you mow. This reduces the need for fertilizing and watering your grass. Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 9 • HOW MANY DEGREES ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO RAISE AND LOWER YOUR THERMOSTAT DURING THE SUMMER AND WINTER? ANSWER 2 DEGREES Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 6 • HOW MANY POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE CAN YOU SAVE WHEN YOU AIR DRY YOUR CLOTHES FOR 6 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR? ANSWER 700 POUNDS Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 5 • WHAT IS AN EASY WAY TO SAVE WATER?(HINT SHOWER) ANSWER USE A LOWER PRESSURE WATER HEAD Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 10 • WHAT CAN SHADE FROM TREES IN YOUR YARD DO? ANSWER •LOWER YOUR AIR CONDITIONING BILL Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 3 • WHAT TYPE OF FOOD USES THE MOST ENERGY TO PRODUCE? ANSWER FROZEN FOOD Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 8 • WHAT IS THE SECOND MOST SIGNIFICANT GREENHOUSE GAS? ANSWER METHANE Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 2 • AVOIDING JUST_______ EVERY WEEK WOULD ELIMINATE ABOUT 500 POUNDS OF ____ EACH YEAR? ANSWER TEN MILES OF DRIVING CARBON DIOXIDE Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 4 • WHO DISCOVERED THE GREENHOUSE GAS EFFECT? ANSWER JOSEPH FOURIER Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 11 • BY 2050 HOW MANY DEATHS MAY OCCUR ANNUALLY FROM MALARIA? ANSWER 1 MILLION Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 12 • WHICH CHEMICAL SHOULD WE AVOID AT ALL COSTS? ANSWER CHLORINE Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 16 • WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO REDUCE YOUR LAWNS NEED FROM FERTILIZER AND WATER? ANSWER LEAVE GRASS CLIPINGS ON YOUR GROSS AFTER MOWING Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 1 • WHAT IS A NATURAL CAUSE FOR GLOBAL WARMING? ASNWER METHANE GAS Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 13 • OUT OF NATURAL CAUSES AND MAN-MADE CAUSES WHICH ONE CAUSES THE MOST DAMAGE? ASNWER •MAN-MADE CAUSES Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 7 • WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MANMADE PROBLEM? ANSWER POLLUTION Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 14 • WHAT IS ONE REAL CONSEQUENCE FROM GLOBAL WARMING? ANSWER • SEA-LEVEL RISE, CHANGES IN PRECIPITATION PATTERNS, INCREASE OF DROUGHTS AND FLOODS, THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY OR THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CHALLENGES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH Now it’s time to play a game • QUESTION 15 • NAME ONE VULNERABLITY VARIATION THAT THE NATURAL AND HUMAN SYSTEMS DEAL WITH ANSWER •GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, TIME, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS BONUS •NAME 3 OUT OF OUR 7 STUDENTS HERE. • WHAT SCHOOL ARE WE FROM? THANK YOU