Global Point of ViewAP Environmental ScienceHeathwood Hall Episcopal SchoolColumbia, South Carolina

Definition of Problem

• Population increases have contributed excessive greenhouse gas emission, waste, and degradation of natural capital• Current climate trend has resulted in warmer and drier conditions• Increase in extreme weather events such as droughts and heat waves• A decrease in precipitation affects natural resources, human health, and water resources

Global Status Quo

Definition of Problem

• Shorter duration of snowfall each year• Water levels are rising, particularly in more isolated bodies of water, like the Baltic Sea• Plants have moved northwards due to the warmer climate• The economy has suffered serious losses in the past twenty years because of extreme weather events• “Climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earth's surface could increase from 3.2 to 7.2ºF above 1990 levels by the end of this century” (http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html)

Global Status Quo

• ”By decreasing use of other fossil fuels, and improving agricultural and forestry practices around the world, scientists believe we could get back below 350 by mid-century. But the longer we remain in the danger zone—above 350—the more likely that we will see disastrous and irreversible climate impacts.” – James Hansen, NASA

Definition of ProblemGlobal Target Situation

350.org

Reasons and Causes of the Problem

• Government laws are in place to reduce CO2 emissions, but

they are avoidable to a point because of weak enforcement• Factories, large cities, cars, landfills, waste treatment methods, the importation of many goods, farmyard animals cause the burning of harmful fossil fuels

Global

Consequences of the Problem

• Rising sea levels• Hotter summers• Serious health hazards for humans caused by increase in SO2

• Changes in precipitation• Possible natural disasters • Wind currents could change• Delicate ecosystems could be irreversibly damaged• Decrease in biodiversity

Global

Possible Countermeasures

• Switch to renewable forms of energy such as hydroelectricity, wind, and solar• Government laws that would enforce stricter regulations on greenhouse gas emissions• Greener and smarter transport systems• Creation of cap-and-trade programs for greenhouse gas emissions

Global

DEFINITION OF PROBLEM• 2nd Highest fossil fuel and CO2 emitting continent in the world behind Asia•Air pollution from the United States is carried in wind patterns across borders and damages the entire continent•Emission levels peaked in 2005, and have decreased slightly since then

• Cities like Mexico City and New York City contribute to high greenhouse gas emissions• Highly developed and rapidly developing economies with large industrial sectors

REASONS AND CAUSES

North America

CONSEQUENCES• Winds blow pollution from Mexico and United States to Canada, destroying ecosystems and biodiversity

• Promote and provide tax incentives when trading with North American countries in NAFTA agreement

POSSIBLE COUNTERMEASURES

North America

DEFINITION OF PROBLEM• Large population of 1.3 billion which contributes to excessive greenhouse gas emission, waste, and degradation of natural capital• Agriculture, area’s largest economic activity, is also threatened by the issue of water scarcity

• Growing industrial sector• Large agriculture sector• Enormous population that continues to grow• Lack of environmental protection legislation and industrial pollution regulations

REASONS AND CAUSES

South Asia

CONSEQUENCES• Rising water levels have the demonstrated potential to completely submerge islands off the Indian coast, and continue to threaten coastal regions• Natural disasters (floods, droughts, typhoons) will continue to increase in intensity each year• Industry/Agriculture contribute to climate change

• Governmental regulation of greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions• Building support for environmental initiatives at a local level, with regards to conserving resources and reducing water pollution

POSSIBLE COUNTERMEASURES

South Asia

DEFINITION OF PROBLEM• Southern Europe and the Arctic have been particularly affected by rising temperatures• The carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased to 375 ppm from the pre-industrial level of 280 ppm

• Germany and the United Kingdom are the largest contributors to European pollution• Milan, Amsterdam, Frankfurt are the most polluted areas of Europe, mainly due to Europe’s steel and coal industries

REASONS AND CAUSES

Europe

CONSEQUENCES• Wildfires, reduced forest area, reduced water availability and reduced crop yield •In central and eastern areas consequences are heat waves, reduced summer rainfall and decreased forest productivity•In the north there will be benefits such as reduced heating demand, milder winters and increased crop yields

• Countermeasures such as green transport and cap-and-trade programs would implemented by national governments but enforced by local governments

POSSIBLE COUNTERMEASURES

Europe

DEFINITION OF PROBLEM• US supports 300 million people• To keep the economy up requires large amounts of energy, and most of these sources are non-renewable

• Industrialized cities such as New York and Los Angeles which have a lot of pavement, buildings, and cars, absorbing heat and inhibiting wind flow• US is biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in world

REASONS AND CAUSES

United States of America

CONSEQUENCES• Rising sea level - The Atlantic Ocean• Delicate ecosystems all over country could be irreversibly damaged

• “President Barack Obama will attend the U.N. climate summit next month in Denmark, taking with him a target to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas "• “We need to reduce our emissions and implement more green technology.  We  should take advantage of the use of solar panels and other renewable energy sources, such as wind and hydroelectric power” (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34147586/)

POSSIBLE COUNTERMEASURES

United States of America

DEFINITION OF PROBLEM

•CO2 emissions for 2007:• Virginia- 127.95 ppm • Alabama- 145.24 ppm • Mississippi- 67.81 ppm • Georgia- 184.04 ppm • Louisiana- 194.93 ppm • Florida- 256.27 ppm • North Carolina- 153.56 ppm • Arkansas- 63.70 ppm • Kentucky-156.80 ppm

•Overall average is 150.033 ppm

• The addition of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere from

• Large cities such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas

• Factories • Automobiles

REASONS AND CAUSES

Southeast United States

CONSEQUENCES• Shoreline retreat and inundation of inland areas• Rising sea temperatures are expected to increase the frequency and strength of hurricanes• Stronger storms with higher wind speeds, more intense rainfall and more powerful surges are expected to cause a lot more damage

• Improving transportation • Conversion to cleaner air• Promotion of energy conservation• Find and utilize alternative energy source

• hydroelectric• wind power• solar power• biomass• geothermal

POSSIBLE COUNTERMEASURES

Southeast United States

DEFINITION OF PROBLEM• After 1957,  the annual average temperature increased by nearly 1°F when compared to the average• Precipitation decreased 6% primarily due to lower than average springtime rainfall (http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Publications/climate_change_impacts.php)

• Each South Carolina resident, per population average, produces approximately 20 Tons of Carbon Dioxide each year• #27th highest Carbon Dioxide polluting state in the United States (http://www.eredux.com/states/state_detail.php?id=1136)

REASONS AND CAUSES

South Carolina

CONSEQUENCES• With warmer temperatures, crops like corn would cease to be profitable in the Southeast, while heat-tolerant crops like cotton could make a come back.• The forestry industry will have a dieback of the forests in the next 30 to 80 years, a loss of biodiversity, conversion of forests to grasslands, and increased vulnerability to disease and pests

• Gov. Sanford formed the Climate, Energy and Commerce Advisory Committee (CECAC) in 2007, which recommended

• A voluntary reduction in state carbon emissions to five percent below the 1990 level by 2020.

• Focus on bringing renewable nuclear fuel generators to the state

• Expand bike and pedestrian opportunities, alternative fuel infrastructure, mass transit and carpooling options

• Begin forestland conservation and methane reclamation projects 

(http://governor.sc.gov/news/releases/8-22-08.htm)

POSSIBLE COUNTERMEASURES

South Carolina

Questions

•Can you currently see the effects of climate change in your country? •What policies would you want the government to enforce to cut greenhouse gas emissions?•How often do you use public transportation as opposed to automobiles? How far do you drive each week? •How many km does your car get per liter? How much does gas cost per liter?•What percentage of your domestic waste is recycled?•Which renewable energy source has the most potential in your region?

Germany

Questions

• Can you currently see the effects of climate change in your country?

• What policies would you want the government to enforce to cut greenhouse gas emissions?

• What forms of renewable energy do you view to be the most viable for building a "greener" economy in your country?

• Do you think that historical Western usage of nonrenewable resources justifies India’s current usage as the economy develops, given the current knowledge of the environmental impacts?

India