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Global

warming

Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate.

http://www.livescience.com/topics/global-warming

  • The average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years

 

  • The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years
     

  • Scientists have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100
     

  • Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe weather events

http://www.livescience.com/topics/global-warming

  • The average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years

 

  • The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years
     

  • Scientists have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100
     

  • Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe weather events

http://www.livescience.com/topics/global-warming

CO

2

Carbon Dioxide

  • ... is an important heat-trapping (greenhouse) gas, which is released through human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels, as well as natural processes such as respiration and volcanic eruptions

http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/

 

Carbon is an element that's found all over the world and in every living thing. Oxygen is another element that's in the air we breathe. When carbon and oxygen bond together, they form a colorless, odorless gas called carbon dioxide, which is a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. Whenever we burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas—whether it's to drive our cars, use electricity, or make products—we are producing carbon dioxide.​

https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/greenhouse-effect.html

 

Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of certain chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement)

 

 

 

Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or "sequestered") when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle:

Without human influence, transfers between these stores roughly balance each other – for example, plants absorb carbon as they grow, but release it as they decay.

But when humans cut down trees or burn fossil fuels, they release extra carbon into the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect.

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

​​The greenhouse effect is the natural process by which the atmosphere traps some of the Sun's energy, warming the Earth enough to support life

     http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/04/climate_change/html/greenhouse.stm

​​The greenhouse effect is the natural process by which the atmosphere traps some of the Sun's energy, warming the Earth enough to support life

     http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/04/climate_change/html/greenhouse.stm

UV radiation has a shorter wavelength and a higher energy level than visible light, while IR radiation has a longer wavelength and a weaker energy level. About 30 percent of the radiation striking Earth's atmosphere is immediately reflected back out to space by clouds, ice, snow, sand and other reflective surfaces.

The remaining 70 percent of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by the oceans, the land and the atmosphere.

 

 

As they heat up, the oceans, land and atmosphere release heat in the form of IR thermal radiation, which passes out of the atmosphere and into space.

It's this equilibrium of incoming and outgoing radiation that makes the Earth habitable, with an average temperature of about 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. Without this atmospheric equilibrium, Earth would be as cold and lifeless as its moon, or as blazing hot as Venus. 

 

(The moon, which has almost no atmosphere, is about minus 243 F (minus 153 C) on its dark side. Venus, on the other hand, has a very dense atmosphere that traps solar radiation; the average temperature on Venus is about 864 F (462 C))

http://www.livescience.com/37743-greenhouse-effect.html

The increased carbon dioxide in the ocean changes the water, making it more acidic. Ocean creatures don't like acidic water.

Ocean Acidification

Scientists now know that about half of this man-made, CO2 has been absorbed over time by the oceans. When carbon dioxide dissolves in this ocean, carbonic acid is formed. This leads to higher acidity, mainly near the surface. Over the past 300 million years, ocean pH has been slightly basic, averaging about 8.2. Today, it is around 8.1. The oceans currently absorb 22 million tons CO2 a day. Projections based on these numbers show that by the end of this century, continued emissions could reduce ocean pH by another 0.5 units.

The pteropod, or “sea butterfly”, is a tiny sea creature about the size of a small pea. Pteropods are eaten by organisms ranging in size from tiny krill to whales and are a major food source for North Pacific juvenile salmon. The photos below show what happens to a pteropod’s shell when placed in sea water with pH and carbonate levels projected for the year 2100. The shell slowly dissolves after 45 days.  

 

Photo credit: David Liittschwager/National Geographic Stock.

Used with permission. All rights reserved. National Geographic Images.

Molluscs and Oyster larvae are among the species that have been extensively studied under ocean acidification. It is estimated that by 2100, losses due to declines in mollusk production from ocean acidification may be around $130 billion USD. Note that the cultural, spiritual and educational value of the awesome coral reef systems may all be affected, including the shifts that will occur if the acidification continues.
 

 

Ocean Acidification. Summary for Policymakers. Third Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World, Page 10 http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002247/224724E.pdf 

“What goes around comes around, ocean acidification is definitely an anthropogenic problem [resulting from human activities] but it will come back and influence human communities.”

Cooley, a postdoctoral researcher at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)

Many scientists agree that the damage to the Earth's atmosphere and climate is past the point of no return or that the damage is near the point of no return. "I agree that we have passed the point of avoiding climate change," Josef Werne, an associate professor at the department of geology & planetary science at the University of Pittsburgh told Live Science. In Werne's opinion, there are three options from this point forward: 

  1. Do nothing and live with the consequences.

  2. Adapt to the changing climate (which includes things like rising sea level and related flooding).

  3. Mitigate the impact of climate change by aggressively enacting policies that actually reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Global warming on paper

Designs that can influence global warming situation

I have found Gensler, is widely recognized as the world’s leading collaborative design firm. ( 2nd place in Top 100 2015 Green Building Design Firms) In one of their report, they are questining design impact on climate change- especially global warming. Eventhough they are architecture orientaded group, they are sustanable oriented grou. On the left you can read their report and idea how archtecture can help the climate.

(picture is linked to the report's page, just click)

"Design is being redefined by sustainability. We are continually evolving our organization and design processes to deliver innovation aimed at helping clients and communities become more resourceful, resilient and regenerative. "

From my research what I have done so far, I believe that especially architecture is the one of the most important area, where we can help to change our climate change crisis. By using renewable sources of energy, we can cut the carbon-based fuel burning and therefore not to released too much carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. 6 year ago, I was a part of international project supported by the Europan Union called H20me and our goal was to design a  fully equipped house, power by and only renewable energy (sun, wind, water0. tThis project opened my eyes for the very first time about this problematic. Of course, it won't solve this problem overnight, but even a little step can mean a lot in future. Just imagine if everyone would do the same.  But what I have also learned as a part of this project is that sometimes it is easy to say and hard to do so. We came across various problem like using solar panels is not always the best decision (economic point of view) as it really depends on your location and how much sun energy you can generate - for example, Finland is not the best choice if you want to use solar panels as your main income of energy. 

 

But what I do believe is, that if people takes small steps, such as walking short distance instead of driving, using LED lights instead of 'normal ones' and supporting sustainable design and idea is really step forward.  I said it even during the lesson, that everything is about people's priorities.  and I still do stand behing this opinion. Of course, people have daily problems with raising their kids, paying bill, working and the last think is to care about the climate change. But on the other hand, we as a people, we need to start somewhere and the sooner the better. I do not  anyone to save the world, nobody expecting that one person would be able to do that, but if we educate ourselves and people around us, sooner we will unconciously change our way of living and hopefully we will improve this situation. What I do also believe is the fact, that people needs to realise that this situation might not directly effect them, but in a long run it will get to you and you could feel the concequences. For example the situation with the ocean. People who are depending on sea food ( especially developing countries) might be affected by the acidification of ocean. As fish have a problem to find their food to grow they are being fishing while they are still small, so that the end of this chain of event, men instead of fishing for big fish, catching only small one - therefore less meat for them.

We caused this problem and even though many scientist says that this situation is not rewersable, that it's to late for us, I do believe that eventhough this might be true, we can at least try not to make it worse.

 

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