The Presentaion

Global Warming

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Task 7 – Global Warming: Problems & Solutions

Everywhere people are talking about the global warming, but many others don’t know what it means. “Global warming refers to an increase in the Earth’s average surface air temperature.” (About Global Warming, 2009). The main thing that causes the global warming is the high rate of greenhouse gases, which is concentrated and caused by water vapor (H2O), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3). According to Freedman's examination of Antarctic ice cores, published in 2005, atmospheric carbon dioxide is now 27% higher than any time in the last 650,000 year (Freedman, 2008). In this article, I’m going to write about the problems and solutions of the global warming.

There are several problems I got from "Effects of Global Warming, 2007" that are caused because of global warming. First, the ice melting in the earth, especially at the poles. As we know, when the temperature increases this will make the earth become hotter. However, this will melt the ice. The second problem is the rising of the sea levels in a range of 18 to 59 centimeters by the end of this century. The scientists expect that the rapid melting of Greenland's ice cap and the Western Antarctica glacier will add much more to the sea level. Last, hurricanes and storms are becoming more vehement than before.

Moving to the solutions, in "Global Warming Solutions, 2009" there were several solutions for the problem. The first solution is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. Individually, we must reduce using things which emanate the carbon dioxide; such as using the cars for the important things. Globally, the countries must reduce it from the economics and industries. The second solution is to use the renewable energy in our life such as using wind, biofuels, nuclear power and solar power. And build a new sustainable lifestyle such as Masdar City. Finally, seeding plants and trees, that takes up Co2 and gives oxygen.

Overall, in my opinion, we have the choice to solve this problem. Of course, the final solution is in the government’s hands, so we hope they solve it and help their society to have a sustainable life.

Bibliography:

Freedman, Bill. "Global warming." Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale Group, 2008. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Higher Colleges of Technology. 18 May. 2009

"About Global Warming." World View of Global Warming. 18 May 2009 http://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/pages/aboutwarm.html.

"Effects of Global Warming." National Geographic. 2007. 18 May 2009 http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects.html.

" Global Warming Solutions." National Geographic. 18 May 2009 http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-solutions.html.

Summary 1

Part 1 - Summary:

In this article the author Alok Jha talked about a very big project which is really important. The algal biofuel project will be launched by an agency from the government which improves low-carbon technologies. The carbon trust will make using algal biofuels reality in 2020. They expect that this project will cost 26 million pounds to replace it with the fossil fuels which are used in the UK. But it’s expected that the project will be abroad not only in the UK; because the using carbon-neutral fuels will reduce 80% of the overall emissions by 2050.

There are two problems which are mentioned in the article. The first problem is that there are different species of algae, and each of them has peculiar requirements which make them different from one another. The second problem is that the algae are taking the Co2 but giving it back again, and we have to find a way to make the algae safeyy storable.

The carbon trust project will move into two stages. The first one is to spend about 6 million pounds on a range of some British companies which are involved in the promising algae subject. The second stage is to start working in a year and includes scaling up the algae-growing performance.

The reasons for using algae are the increasing price of the oil and public consciousness of the climate change. There are several companies which want to get involved in making the algal biofuel.

Part 2 – Main Idea:

The author talked about the Carbon trust project which is producing a renewable fuel. This will be first in the UK and it could be worldwide later. There are several things that make them choose the algae such as it's a possible way to produce sustainable biofuels. But there are some problems with it and they will try to solve them.

Part 3 – Comment:

I think the article was interesting, because it talks about a very useful solution for the fossil fuel problem.
The article was easy to read, because the author used simple words.
The article reminded me about what I have heard from my friend that Japan started to make motors work by water. I hoped to know more about it.

Task 6 - Cool City

In this task we have watched the Cool City video. According to the video:

There are some problems that have happened since the industrial revolution started. The video mentioned three of them: 1) The population growth. 2) The traffic congestion. 3) The carbon dioxide emissions.

As the video mentioned, if we don’t solve these problems we will need another earth, and this is really impossible.

To live in the earth, we need to decrease the emissions of carbon dioxide (Co2) by 50%.

During the last 30 years in Japan, the GDP has doubled which means it’s increased 100%, at the same time as the energy efficiency has increased 37% and the oil consumption has decreased 8%.

The buildings and transportation are the reasons for 90% of the Co2 which is emitted into the air.

The Cool City is an environmental green city with zero carbon dioxide emissions. It’s built by the SDCJ which came from Japan.

There are three types of transportation in the Cool City. First, the Monorail/Light rail. Second, the solar ships/taxis. Last, the hybrid cars.

There are three zones in the city: Business, Commercial/Cultural and Residential.

In the Cool City there are some techniques to reduce the heat, such as: Roof membranes, planting trees and waterways.

The expected reductions of the Co2 are 50% for eco-towers and 30% for eco-residences.

The expected overall percentage of the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is 60%.

In my opinion, it’s important to live in a lifestyle the same as what we have watched in the film. As we know before in the Carbon Footprint article that the UAE's carbon footprint per capita is the highest in the world. So the Cool City is the perfect solution for the problem.

Task 5 - Carbon Footprints

My individual carbon footprint is the greenhouse gas emissions that I’m personally responsible for. I had measured mine in the http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ and I felt good that I got the lowest number; it was 2.98. The average figure for CRB was 3.778.

The three main factors of mine which contributed to my figure were classified as:
1) Travel
2) Stuff
3) Food

My personal footprint is 2.98. Of course, companies institutions (e.g. ADMC), and countries all have footprint. According to “Heroes of the UAE”, the UAE has the largest per capita footprint in the whole world.

What can I do to reduce my carbon footprint?

The highest main factor was Travel. I don’t go out, only for some important things (College, Work, familiar things). But sometimes I go with my friends at the weekend to have some good time and forget about study and work. The second thing is the stuff. This thing I couldn’t make it less than what it is now. I don’t buy many things, only some personal little things. Last thing was the food. I can’t make it less! Sometimes you want to comfort yourself.

People can reduce their footprint by reduce using the unimportant things in their lives.

Task 4 - Reviews of 'An Inconvenient Truth'

A favorable review:

Brandon Fibbs, http://brandonfibbs.com/2006/05/24/an-inconvenient-truth , says that the movie is convincing and scary. He says, like Al Gore, that scientists are agreed about global warming and the fact that it’s mainly caused by human activity. As he says, the debate is over. He praises the graphs, photos, charts and the scientific studies which are convincing. Al Gore shows the rising of ocean levels, weather getting worse and ice caps are melting. Brandon depicts the photographic evidence as “the most shocking thing”. Finally, he advises us to not despair and says that this nation, the USA can lead the rest of the world to stop the global warming.

An unfavorable review:

Scott Nash, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/inconvenient_truth/articles/156 , says that Al Gore says that he will talk about the global warming but he talked about himself (like saying that he lost his sister because of lung cancer). Scott says that it’s a political film because of the jokes against Bush and other Republicans. Eric, in a review on Scott’s review at the same address, says that the pictures of some areas taken years ago were in winter, and today he took the pictures in summer!

My opinion on these reviews is that I agree with Brandon with some points. I’m strongly agreed with Al Gore about the causes of global warming. Gore says it's a moral, not a political issue. But he makes it a political issue. Moreover, he makes political points and ends by saying only political will can bring about change. And I agree with Eric, because it makes a difference when you take the pictures from the summer and winter, and that's what happened in the film.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH