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Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Task 7 -Climate change review :-Problem & solution
Global warming is: the phenomenon of increasing earth temperature due to an increase in gases resulting from unregulated industrial activity.
The effects of global warming:
* Melting of ice in the northern and southern poles, which could lead to flooding and sinking of many coastal cities, and rising seas and oceans.
* Climate change in the natural world, areas characterized by a moderate climate, or hot, or cold, or rainy, in any season of the year .
* Desertification of large areas of land; the fact that the planting would not tolerate extreme heat, especially crops that rely on groundwater that will be hot.
* Forest fires, which in turn hurt the animals that inhabit them.
* The spread of epidemics and infectious diseases carried by insect pests, which breed in warm humid air.
* Famine.
The causes of global warming:
* Human activities, such as: oil refining, and vehicle exhausts, fumes and factories.
* Excessive burning of coal, straw, and oil, increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
* The increasing reach of the industries in which methane gas, nitrous oxide, and halocarbons, and SF oxide fluoride, which accumulate in the atmosphere of the Earth; increasing of temperature.
* The lack of forests and trees that absorb carbon dioxide.What preserves the natural temperature of the Earth?
* The existence of ice at the poles, or over the tops of the mountains.
* The existence of soil moisture.
* The water in the oceans and rivers, which absorbs most of the heat of the sun falling on the ground.
* Winds and storms, nurturing and distribution of heat from one place to another.
The phenomenon of global warming is still continuing to this moment, as well as the melting of ice at the poles, and over the tops of mountains; this is the result of unregulated industrial activity of humans . Unfortunately, there is no treatment that can address the problem of the effects of global warming and restore the full effects to return to the Earth's temperature as it was, but the maximum we can do is to reduce them and make them within the acceptable limits rather not threaten life on Earth.
How can we do that?
Some believe that the solution is to replace fossil fuels with another type of fuel which does not produce emissions harmful to the environment. But in truth, there is no one source of energy capable of replacing oil, gas and coal alone. Every one of the disadvantages of alternative sources, such as high cost and poor energy yield ,compared to oil, which produces large amounts of energy. Therefore, the optimal solution is to replace the oil and gas strategy for certain sources of energy ;no one particular is to use a variety of alternative energy sources at the same time such as solar and wind power and hydraulic power and others. In the same context, we look at Al Gore's campaign at the global level, in creating a better understanding of the phenomenon of climate change and the need to adopt prompt measures to stop it, through a radical change in methods of energy use and consumption patterns. He was able through a series of lectures entitled ‘An Inconvenient Truth', which turned into a documentary film which won Oscars, to reach the minds of millions of people and raise their feelings. The campaign of Al Gore had the greatest impact in the United States itself.The film , directed by Davis Guggenheim, 2006, presented by Al Gore, highlights the dangers involved. We watched the movie and read reviews of it for Brandon Fibbs , Scott Nash & Eric. The film was very well presented . In addition we measured our carbon footprints & mine was 3.02 . The average figure for CRE was approximately 3.87 .
Bibliography:
Brandon Fibbs, http://brandonfibbs.com/2006/05/24/an-inconvenient-truth/
Scott Nash & Erichttp://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/inconvenient_truth/articles/156,http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
Tony Medley, http://www.tonymedley.com/2006/An_Inconvenient_Truth.htm
An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gore. DVD. Paramount
Classics, 2006.
Global warming is: the phenomenon of increasing earth temperature due to an increase in gases resulting from unregulated industrial activity.
The effects of global warming:
* Melting of ice in the northern and southern poles, which could lead to flooding and sinking of many coastal cities, and rising seas and oceans.
* Climate change in the natural world, areas characterized by a moderate climate, or hot, or cold, or rainy, in any season of the year .
* Desertification of large areas of land; the fact that the planting would not tolerate extreme heat, especially crops that rely on groundwater that will be hot.
* Forest fires, which in turn hurt the animals that inhabit them.
* The spread of epidemics and infectious diseases carried by insect pests, which breed in warm humid air.
* Famine.
The causes of global warming:
* Human activities, such as: oil refining, and vehicle exhausts, fumes and factories.
* Excessive burning of coal, straw, and oil, increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
* The increasing reach of the industries in which methane gas, nitrous oxide, and halocarbons, and SF oxide fluoride, which accumulate in the atmosphere of the Earth; increasing of temperature.
* The lack of forests and trees that absorb carbon dioxide.What preserves the natural temperature of the Earth?
* The existence of ice at the poles, or over the tops of the mountains.
* The existence of soil moisture.
* The water in the oceans and rivers, which absorbs most of the heat of the sun falling on the ground.
* Winds and storms, nurturing and distribution of heat from one place to another.
The phenomenon of global warming is still continuing to this moment, as well as the melting of ice at the poles, and over the tops of mountains; this is the result of unregulated industrial activity of humans . Unfortunately, there is no treatment that can address the problem of the effects of global warming and restore the full effects to return to the Earth's temperature as it was, but the maximum we can do is to reduce them and make them within the acceptable limits rather not threaten life on Earth.
How can we do that?
Some believe that the solution is to replace fossil fuels with another type of fuel which does not produce emissions harmful to the environment. But in truth, there is no one source of energy capable of replacing oil, gas and coal alone. Every one of the disadvantages of alternative sources, such as high cost and poor energy yield ,compared to oil, which produces large amounts of energy. Therefore, the optimal solution is to replace the oil and gas strategy for certain sources of energy ;no one particular is to use a variety of alternative energy sources at the same time such as solar and wind power and hydraulic power and others. In the same context, we look at Al Gore's campaign at the global level, in creating a better understanding of the phenomenon of climate change and the need to adopt prompt measures to stop it, through a radical change in methods of energy use and consumption patterns. He was able through a series of lectures entitled ‘An Inconvenient Truth', which turned into a documentary film which won Oscars, to reach the minds of millions of people and raise their feelings. The campaign of Al Gore had the greatest impact in the United States itself.The film , directed by Davis Guggenheim, 2006, presented by Al Gore, highlights the dangers involved. We watched the movie and read reviews of it for Brandon Fibbs , Scott Nash & Eric. The film was very well presented . In addition we measured our carbon footprints & mine was 3.02 . The average figure for CRE was approximately 3.87 .
Bibliography:
Brandon Fibbs, http://brandonfibbs.com/2006/05/24/an-inconvenient-truth/
Scott Nash & Erichttp://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/inconvenient_truth/articles/156,http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
Tony Medley, http://www.tonymedley.com/2006/An_Inconvenient_Truth.htm
An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gore. DVD. Paramount
Classics, 2006.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Task 6 : Cool city
I have been watched the Cool City video the video says :
Since the start of the industrial revolution there were some problems associated with economic development such as rises in population , traffic congestion and increased carbon dioxide emissions.
We have to act positively and as soon as possible to solve these problems ; otherwise we will find our self searching for another earth which is clearly impossible .
We have to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the air by ½ or 50 % to live within the capacity of a single earth .
In Japan during the last 30 years GDP (Gross Domestic Product ) has gone up 100 % while energy efficiency has increased 37 % and oil consumption has decreased 8 % .
90 % of carbon dioxide emitted into the air comes from buildings and transportation .
Cool City is an environmentally friendly green city . The one who built it is SDCJ and they are from Japan .
There are three types of transportation which will be used in Cool City : light transit rail , solar water ships & hybrid cars .
The various zones in the city are Business , Commercial /Cultural and Residential .
The city will use some techniques to reduce the heat such as planting trees , water ways and rooftop membranes .
There are two types of building in the Cool City .First one is eco towers and the second is eco residences .The first is expected to reduce the CO2 by 50 % and the second by 30 % .
The overall percentage of reduction of CO2 emissions in the video is 60 % .
How realistic is the video ?
The project is still not executed yet . I think there will be a lot of difficulty when they start to execute it .It seems like dream to live in a city like this ,but why not dream and try to make dreams real ; everything started from nothing . Let’s hope they succeed in their plan and that will lead to more such plans which will be good for us and for our environment.
I have been watched the Cool City video the video says :
Since the start of the industrial revolution there were some problems associated with economic development such as rises in population , traffic congestion and increased carbon dioxide emissions.
We have to act positively and as soon as possible to solve these problems ; otherwise we will find our self searching for another earth which is clearly impossible .
We have to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the air by ½ or 50 % to live within the capacity of a single earth .
In Japan during the last 30 years GDP (Gross Domestic Product ) has gone up 100 % while energy efficiency has increased 37 % and oil consumption has decreased 8 % .
90 % of carbon dioxide emitted into the air comes from buildings and transportation .
Cool City is an environmentally friendly green city . The one who built it is SDCJ and they are from Japan .
There are three types of transportation which will be used in Cool City : light transit rail , solar water ships & hybrid cars .
The various zones in the city are Business , Commercial /Cultural and Residential .
The city will use some techniques to reduce the heat such as planting trees , water ways and rooftop membranes .
There are two types of building in the Cool City .First one is eco towers and the second is eco residences .The first is expected to reduce the CO2 by 50 % and the second by 30 % .
The overall percentage of reduction of CO2 emissions in the video is 60 % .
How realistic is the video ?
The project is still not executed yet . I think there will be a lot of difficulty when they start to execute it .It seems like dream to live in a city like this ,but why not dream and try to make dreams real ; everything started from nothing . Let’s hope they succeed in their plan and that will lead to more such plans which will be good for us and for our environment.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
European Initiative
Summary :
Will Hutton, in How Europe can save the world, The Observer 11.03.07 ,says that
The European Union has reach a deal on handling climate change and energy security .
The 27 nation EU has bound itself to lower its carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 from their 1990 level ; that goal can be done by using renewable energy sources like water , air, tidal power and biofuels . France is dependent on clean nuclear power .Nuclear power ,clean coal and renewables are responses to stop the European countries’ dependence on Middle Eastern oil and Russian gas .
New limits for carbon emissions are set in the EU. After 2010, every new power station in Europe will have to have ‘carbon capture and storage technology’ ,and this will stop or at least reduce the carbon emissions .
Main idea :
Will Hutton , a committed pro-European ,says that Europe has taken the lead in the battle to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and he commends European politicians for this . He is hoping that their efforts will prove successful because he believes there is a growing worldwide awareness of the need for government action to prohibit climate change .
Comment :
I do believe that reduction of carbon emissions is very important ,but there are problems .Renewable energy is expensive and itself provides environmental problems . European business will complain being suffering higher energy costs than American ,Chinese and Indian competitors .
No one country could achieve alone .It needs to be stronger on targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and it needs to include the Indians ,Chinese and Americans .
Summary :
Will Hutton, in How Europe can save the world, The Observer 11.03.07 ,says that
The European Union has reach a deal on handling climate change and energy security .
The 27 nation EU has bound itself to lower its carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 from their 1990 level ; that goal can be done by using renewable energy sources like water , air, tidal power and biofuels . France is dependent on clean nuclear power .Nuclear power ,clean coal and renewables are responses to stop the European countries’ dependence on Middle Eastern oil and Russian gas .
New limits for carbon emissions are set in the EU. After 2010, every new power station in Europe will have to have ‘carbon capture and storage technology’ ,and this will stop or at least reduce the carbon emissions .
Main idea :
Will Hutton , a committed pro-European ,says that Europe has taken the lead in the battle to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and he commends European politicians for this . He is hoping that their efforts will prove successful because he believes there is a growing worldwide awareness of the need for government action to prohibit climate change .
Comment :
I do believe that reduction of carbon emissions is very important ,but there are problems .Renewable energy is expensive and itself provides environmental problems . European business will complain being suffering higher energy costs than American ,Chinese and Indian competitors .
No one country could achieve alone .It needs to be stronger on targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and it needs to include the Indians ,Chinese and Americans .
Monday, April 27, 2009
Task 5 - My carbon footprint
I measured my carbon footprint at http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ & it was 3.02
Most of the students had similar figures. The average figure for CRE was approximately 3.87. The main factors which contributed to my figure were classified as:
a) travel
b) stuff
c) home
Dubai is famous for industrial production and construction and air-conditioned shopping malls .Carbon footprint in the United Arab Emirates is one of the highest per head in the world .The region is a major contributor to emissions of greenhouse gases through its oil and gas industry, which pumps more than 30 per cent of the world's oil supplies and ten percent of the gas supply .
The per capita emission of greenhouse gases in the UAE is the highest in the world in 2009, according to a report of the Development Program of the United Nations . Per capita emissions 6.33 tons to come in second place behind Qatar and over nine times the global average. Taking into account its reputation as a main source of emissions the UAE launched a series of initiatives aimed at reducing emissions by around 40 per cent
The main source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels for energy production and transportation, followed by the importance of changes in land use and deforestation. If we want to avoid dangerous climate change, most of what we can do is to burn less than a quarter of the inventory of known oil and coal and gas burning, because the amount of more than a quarter will almost certainly lead to the emission of enough carbon dioxide to change the climate dramatically.
Develop plans aimed at putting an end to the problem of climate change or at least slow down the pace.
Quick tips
Don’t use the washing machine until it is filled completely, and use the least possible amount of water
Do not wash the clothes like trousers until they really need to be washed .
Use cloth napkins instead of tissue. This way you protect the trees .
Do not let the water run while brushing your teeth or shaving.
You also have to :
verify the proportion of energy consumption, compared before purchase of any large group of household appliances, this allowing you to know how many kilowatts - hour of energy consumed per month.
Eat food that comes in the lowest rank in the food chain. The production of fruits and vegetables consumes less energy than that consumed by the production of meat.
Plant your fruit & vegetables without the use of pesticides .
Get rid of excess fat in meat and poultry because it is consumption of fatty products. Many of the chemicals emitted into the atmosphere are stored in fatty tissues .
Repair leaky pipes or a leak in the water supply.
Try not to wash your car too much; do not use excessive amounts of water in the cleaning of your home .
Do not leave the oven on during sleep. Heating consumes huge quantities of electricity .
Use the economic lamps / bulbs in the consumption of electricity .
Try to avoid the use of your own car as much as you can: Use the cycling, your feet or public transport .
Use non-toxic cleaning materials in your home .
Finally the magic words for the management of household waste are : reduction, re-use and recycling .
I measured my carbon footprint at http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ & it was 3.02
Most of the students had similar figures. The average figure for CRE was approximately 3.87. The main factors which contributed to my figure were classified as:
a) travel
b) stuff
c) home
Dubai is famous for industrial production and construction and air-conditioned shopping malls .Carbon footprint in the United Arab Emirates is one of the highest per head in the world .The region is a major contributor to emissions of greenhouse gases through its oil and gas industry, which pumps more than 30 per cent of the world's oil supplies and ten percent of the gas supply .
The per capita emission of greenhouse gases in the UAE is the highest in the world in 2009, according to a report of the Development Program of the United Nations . Per capita emissions 6.33 tons to come in second place behind Qatar and over nine times the global average. Taking into account its reputation as a main source of emissions the UAE launched a series of initiatives aimed at reducing emissions by around 40 per cent
The main source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels for energy production and transportation, followed by the importance of changes in land use and deforestation. If we want to avoid dangerous climate change, most of what we can do is to burn less than a quarter of the inventory of known oil and coal and gas burning, because the amount of more than a quarter will almost certainly lead to the emission of enough carbon dioxide to change the climate dramatically.
Develop plans aimed at putting an end to the problem of climate change or at least slow down the pace.
Quick tips
Don’t use the washing machine until it is filled completely, and use the least possible amount of water
Do not wash the clothes like trousers until they really need to be washed .
Use cloth napkins instead of tissue. This way you protect the trees .
Do not let the water run while brushing your teeth or shaving.
You also have to :
verify the proportion of energy consumption, compared before purchase of any large group of household appliances, this allowing you to know how many kilowatts - hour of energy consumed per month.
Eat food that comes in the lowest rank in the food chain. The production of fruits and vegetables consumes less energy than that consumed by the production of meat.
Plant your fruit & vegetables without the use of pesticides .
Get rid of excess fat in meat and poultry because it is consumption of fatty products. Many of the chemicals emitted into the atmosphere are stored in fatty tissues .
Repair leaky pipes or a leak in the water supply.
Try not to wash your car too much; do not use excessive amounts of water in the cleaning of your home .
Do not leave the oven on during sleep. Heating consumes huge quantities of electricity .
Use the economic lamps / bulbs in the consumption of electricity .
Try to avoid the use of your own car as much as you can: Use the cycling, your feet or public transport .
Use non-toxic cleaning materials in your home .
Finally the magic words for the management of household waste are : reduction, re-use and recycling .
Task 4 - Reviews of ‘ An Inconvenient Truth ‘
Brandon Fibbs, http://brandonfibbs.com/2006/05/24/an-inconvenient-truth/ , in a favorable review, points out that Al Gore is correct , the scientific community agrees that global warming is happening and we must act immediately . Al Gore has enough charts ,photos and data to convince people having doubt . The photographic evidence is shocking .The movie is not pessimistic but ends with positive advice which could save the planet .
Scott Nash, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/inconvenient_truth/articles/156, in a more negative review, says that the film is more about Al Gore than global warming ; he mentioned his son’s car accident & his sister’s death . The movie makes political points ; Gore tried to dig points against Bush and Republicans .Eric questions the validity of the photos ; pointing out that old photos were taken in winter & new ones in summer .
What is my opinion ? I too agree with Mr Brandon Fibbs ,because global warming is one of the major threats to our planet . I appreciate Mr Gore and the way he presented . In spite of any individual or country the whole world should be in one team and take steps against the threat . He presented various photos from Patagonia ,Kilimanjaro etc . From these examples from the past we can say really there is some changes in our climate and from his film we all got some awareness about our future . At least we need to take quick action and save our earth from the global warming rather than calling this film controversial .
Brandon Fibbs, http://brandonfibbs.com/2006/05/24/an-inconvenient-truth/ , in a favorable review, points out that Al Gore is correct , the scientific community agrees that global warming is happening and we must act immediately . Al Gore has enough charts ,photos and data to convince people having doubt . The photographic evidence is shocking .The movie is not pessimistic but ends with positive advice which could save the planet .
Scott Nash, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/inconvenient_truth/articles/156, in a more negative review, says that the film is more about Al Gore than global warming ; he mentioned his son’s car accident & his sister’s death . The movie makes political points ; Gore tried to dig points against Bush and Republicans .Eric questions the validity of the photos ; pointing out that old photos were taken in winter & new ones in summer .
What is my opinion ? I too agree with Mr Brandon Fibbs ,because global warming is one of the major threats to our planet . I appreciate Mr Gore and the way he presented . In spite of any individual or country the whole world should be in one team and take steps against the threat . He presented various photos from Patagonia ,Kilimanjaro etc . From these examples from the past we can say really there is some changes in our climate and from his film we all got some awareness about our future . At least we need to take quick action and save our earth from the global warming rather than calling this film controversial .
Monday, April 13, 2009
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