...Cynthia Martinez Professor Holden English 1A 28 April 2014 Climate Change Over the years, there has been scientific evidence that shows the dangerous effects of climate change. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, they define climate change as the change in global climate patterns that are increasingly apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. The evidence of climate change has become more apparent and has increased its affects throughout the years and cannot go unnoticed any longer. This controversial issue is very important to take a stand on creating a better future for the world and get U.S. leaders to start the change in slowing down climate change while preparing for the worse. Since Earths formation 4.5 billion years ago we have experienced many different climates that range from sudden warming and cooling periods throughout decades. The world is constantly changing various examples are that seas have risen or fallen meters, jungles have spread or shrunk, and ice caps have melted all who have corresponded to the natural climate cycle (“Climate Change”). There have been global climate changes that have broken records from the past 1,000 years. These changes have happened from the use of atmospheric greenhouse gases and fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases are caused from heat being trapped in the atmosphere from the gas which warms the planet...
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...Development Authority and its represent a total 466% year-on-year growth. The increase of the renewable energy represent years of planning and execution by relevant authorities to regulate and draft policies that suits Malaysian environment. As sustainable industry and climate change are interrelated, often the regulation and policies are overlapped. The Malaysian governement acknowledge the importance of government’s role in reducing climate change, therefore the history of Malaysian government in regulating the policies can be traced back as far as 1992. Below are summary of the Malaysian government sustainavle development agenda: In 2009, Malaysian parliament had passed the National Renewable Energy policy and Action Plan (2009) with the vision to enhance the utilization of indigenous renewable energy (RE) resources to contribute towards national electricity supply security and sustainable socioeconomic development. The objectives of the policies are: To increase RE contribution in the national power generation mix; To facilitate the growth of the RE industry; To ensure reasonable RE generation costs; To conserve the environment for future generations; and To enhance awareness on the role and importance of RE. The National Green Technology Policy which was introduced in 2009 has 2 Strategic Thrust as below: Strategic Thrust 2: Provide Conducive Environment for Green Technology Development Strategic Thrust 5: Promotion and Public Awareness The Strategic Thrust...
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...paper focuses on goals and targets in the Swedish national climate policy. Church of Sweden will present a position paper on climate and development in 2008, which will discuss support to climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. Introduction The position of Church of Sweden on climate policy has its starting point in a long-standing commitment to the climate issue within the framework of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The WCC has a consultative status to the United Nations (UN) and has participated as an NGO-representative in the negotiations within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since the Convention was signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Church of Sweden has on several occasions participated in the WCC delegation at these meetings. The position is also based on the Guidelines for the international department’s work on climate issues and on statements delivered by Church of Sweden to the Swedish government. 1 As will be seen from these documents Church of Sweden believes that Sweden should act from a perspective of global justice in decisions and negotiations concerning climate change. Further, Church of Sweden stresses the urgency for Sweden to pursue a forceful climate policy nationally, as well as internationally, and that early action in the climate issues are of decisive importance. Church of Sweden sees climate change as an issue of fundamental global importance for the future, from an environmental perspective as well...
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...Biodiversity is one issue to which I attach the greatest importance and that we have to tackle with urgency. Not only we have a moral obligation but it will be significant for our contribution to the next Copenhagen conference on Climate Change at the end of this year. To protect biodiversity is one of today's great challenges. Over the last four and a half years, the European Commission has been at the forefront of the fight against climate change. This is an area where Europe can be justifiably proud of its role as a world leader. And it is an area where we cannot afford to fail. The success of our climate change policy will also be measured by the success of our efforts in stopping the loss of biodiversity. These issues – like so many of the challenges that we face – are irrevocably interrelated, just as the link with energy and energy security has helped to develop our understanding of the importance of climate change. The loss of biodiversity is a global threat that is just as important as global warming. It threatens our natural environment and thus, the quality of our life. But biodiversity underpins also our economies. It is not therefore only because of the love of nature or a vision for our environment that we should keep biodiversity on the political agenda. Efforts made by this Commission have concentrated on our ambitious target: to put a stop to the loss of biodiversity in Europe by 2010. For that, we must implement existing legislation such as the Birds and Habitats...
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...It is clearly the case that variations in levels of biodiversity are highly influenced by physical factors. The climate of a region has a massive impact on the levels of biodiversity, as this determines what flora and fauna can survive. Sunlight, temperature, water and CO₂ are all limiting factors for plant growth. Places with very few limiting factors, such as a tropical rainforest, have high biodiversity because the conditions are good, meaning many plants can grow there because they do not need to be specialised. These conditions are also favourable to many animal species, due to resources being widely available and many niches to be occupied. This leads to high biodiversity because of little competition between species. On the other hand, places with a lot of limiting factors, the Arctic for example, means plants and animals have to be specialised to survive, therefore biodiversity is low due to harsh conditions. The altitudinal range of an area also influences biodiversity. This is because different climates occur at different altitudes, meaning if there is a large range of elevations, there will be conditions that suit many different species of animals and plants so biodiversity is higher. One example of this is the Himalayas where biodiversity is high. Endemism is another physical factor, this increases biodiversity and is affected by the location of an area. For example, islands, such as the Galapagos Islands, are more likely to have endemic species because of isolation...
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...Global Water Crisis: What is the Prognosis Global Water Crisis: What is the Prognosis While the world has struggled with oil, globalization, and strife, the new crisis that is being increasingly important is the health and capacity of the water supply. Taken for granted, the rising population primarily in developing countries along with the declining freshwater reserves will lead to conflict. In addition there is the issue of climate change, the anthropological effect and how the hydrological cycle suffers because of it. And the supply of trade and food will also be increasingly fragile when the health of ocean ecosystems and its marine life is consistently threatened. In the past people have fought for water in the beginning of their colonization. After the conflicts regarding territories, alliances, and now currently oil, the global economy along with its citizens will again fight for the control of the dwindling water supplies in the face of an increasing population. “Many environmental scientists warn that declining water supplies could lead to wars between nations” (Cunningham, p. 384). If the specifics are studied closely in current international conflicts, the fight for the new oil, water, has already begun. The familiar Middle East conflicts that the United States is engaged in has often been regarded as a way to help secure our oil supply. However some neighboring countries are already moving on to a more striking issue that humans as a species simply aren’t paying...
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...Causes of Climate Change Climate change is a long-term shift in weather conditions identified by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators. Climate change can involve both changes in average conditions and changes in variability, including, for example, extreme events. The earth's climate is naturally variable on all time scales. Factors that cause climate change can be divided into two categories - those related to natural processes and those related to human activity Natural Causes The Earth's climate can be affected by natural factors that are external to the climate system, such as changes in volcanic activity, solar output, and the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Human Causes Very few people doubt that it is normal for there to be climate change. The rotation of the earth on a tilted axis leads to this, as well many natural events, like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes. However, human activities are having a much greater impact on climate change. For example, the jump in earths’ population from 1950 through 1985 more than doubled from 2.5 billion to over 5 billion. (Meyer, 1996: 24) The importance of this growth is a drain on the Earths’ resources causing even more altering. It is not as much the altering of these resources that are causing climate change but the type of human activities which are taking place, and the way in which they are impacting the climate. The earth is naturally surrounded by gases the added human processes...
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...Climate Change: Debate Unit Research Design Journal Marco Palomares [Working Families] Mr. Delcambre Professional Communications 1B April 20th, 2017 Introduction Since the 1760s, fossil fuel has become the primary source of energy. We used fossil fuels for over two hundred years. Today, fossil fuel such as oil, powers most of our modes of transportation. Then coal and natural gas powers our electricity. Over the two hundred years we used fossil fuels, it has developed a problem that only got bigger over time. A problem that we face not only as a nation but as the human race. The problem is climate change. Climate change is caused by natural or non-natural greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Modern human activities have increased the release of non-naturally occurring greenhouse gases because we have boost our demand of burning more fossil fuel. The following design cycle explains my point of view [Working families] on climate change. Criterion A Need for...
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...Executive summary This report seeks to define Environmental sustainability and examine its importance in the contemporary world of corporate dominance in the world arena. Business activities are regularly having an increasing contribution to environmental problems and threatening sustainability. Phenomena like climate change and extreme weather events have evidenced the effects of relentless use and overuse of natural resources. The need for environmental sustainability has become important now more than ever following the occurrence of repeated natural disasters and studies showing the ill effects on human health. It has been established that the misuse of natural resources can threaten the existence of future generations. The role of businesses, civil society and governments has been discussed in the context of environmental sustainability in this report with focus on climate change. The oil and gas sector is an important sector in terms of sustainability related to the environment. The sector has been scrutinized widely for occurrences like leakages and oil spills. The companies in this sector have a huge impact on the environment. The importance of oil companies in the path to sustainable development has been discussed. The multinational giants British Petroleum and ExxonMobil have been used as case studies to understand the kind of initiatives being taken in this sector for a sustainable environment. Lastly, the challenges related to the sector in implementing these initiatives...
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...The Effects of Climate on Phytoplankton Introduction Phytoplankton are dependent on climate and are affected greatly by the drastic climate change. Phytoplankton are “floating and swimming algae and photosynthetic prokaryotic organisms of lakes and oceans” (Nester 2012). “Climate change is not restricted to temperature change, but cloudiness and hence surface irradiance are predicted to change as well” (Klauschies 2012). Climate change that effects phytoplankton depends on cell size and food web structure. (Winder 2012). Phytoplankton contribute to only 45,000 μm3) (Klauschies 2012). Each size of phytoplankton has a unique sensitivity to temperature, light and nutrients (Klauschies 2012). “The small-sized algae comprised autotrophic pico-...
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...Royal Docks Business School, University of East London, Docklands Campus, 4-6 University Way, London, E16 2RD, UK It is known that Human Resources Management (HRM) can help to develop service culture, which will in turn improve service quality. The purpose of this article is to determine the relative importance of six HRM practices in terms of their impact on culture. A questionnaire survey of medium and large-sized UK service businesses was conducted. The results reveal that there is a strong association between culture and HRM practices, and that some management practices are more strongly associated with culture than others. Further research should explore the reasons why some HRM practices are more contributory to culture than others. Service businesses in pursuit of service quality should make use of these HRM practices for developing service culture in their organisations. This research has confirmed a strong association between culture and HRM practices, and also clarified the relative importance of HRM practices in terms of their impact on culture in order to improve service quality. Keywords: culture; HRM; services Introduction This article investigates the relative importance of six Human Resources Management (HRM) practices in terms of their impact on culture in order to improve service quality. In a previous study, it was found that there were, broadly speaking, seven practices which affect service quality: these encompass six HRM practices, namely, recruitment and selection...
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...The Russian Federation United Nations COP 17 Position Paper on Negotiations on Climate Change and the Suggested Steps by the Russian Government In a fight to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, the Russian government acknowledges that there is an immediate need to collectively take action to combat this global issue. Russia feels that this can be accomplished, with the implementation of strict resolutions, whilst avoiding any detrimental effects to a growing economy. In 1997, Russia made a responsible decision to join The Kyoto Protocol. Albeit it a small step on the long road to reduce CO2 emissions; it was never the less, a decisive action which proved Russia’s commitment and accountability to reduce climate change. Originally Russia set out to reduce its CO2 emissions by 5% since 1990. Today, however, Russia has re-evaluated its target to a 15% reduction by 2020. To date, Russia has already successfully cut more emissions than required by the Kyoto Protocol. Due to its size and geography – much of Russia being located in the Polar Regions, It is expected to be hit hardest by climate change. Climate change is expected to manifest itself in the form of increased frequencies and severity of natural phenomena such as floods, winter melts, and gas leaks. According to Russian Natural Resources Minister Yury Truntyev, “Over the last 100 years, sea levels have risen approximately 10 centimetres – if this tendency continues they will rise by 10 to 20 centimetres...
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...Empowering the Community to Adapt to Climate Change BACKGROUND Bangladesh, a low-lying country is known globally as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Factors contributing to its vulnerability includes its biophysical resources, particularly water which is highly sensitive to climate variability and change, along with high population density, high incidence of poverty, inadequate infrastructure and limited financial resources. This makes water resources, coastal zones and its resources, agriculture and human health the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. Around 66 per cent of the country’s labour force are engaged in agriculture and with their dependence on water, are likely to be hit the hardest by climate change1. The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has recognized climate change as an important issue and attempts are being made to incorporate potential measures for reducing climate change impacts into overall development planning. Bangladesh has developed the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA). It has also incorporated climate change into its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The GoB realizes that to reduce the impacts of climate change it is necessary to work across sectors and with active participation of local communities. Thus, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) has been working since the 1970s with vulnerable communities, particularly women through the Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), is in a unique position...
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...Climate Change and the IPCC o What is the IPCC? - Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, created in 1988, first assessment report in 1990 launched global awareness of climate change issue. How the IPCC works - Thousands of scientists contribute to writing and reviewing reports. Does not carry out new research or monitor climate related data. There are 3 working groups and a special tasks force. Terminology – 99%-100% (Virtually Certain) 90%-100% (Very Likely) 66%-100 (Likely) 33%-60% (About as likely as not) 0%-33% (Unlikely) 0%-10% (Very Unlikely) 0%-1% (Exceptionally Unlikely) o Causes of climate change Relative forcing components – Long-live greenhouse gases (Global), Ozone (Continental to Global), Stratospheric water vapor from methane (Global), Surface albedo, Aerosol (Direct Affect, Cloud Albedo Affect, Surface to Continental), Linear Contrails (Continental) , Solar irradiance (Global) Earth’s energy budget & human use Quadrillion BTU 100% Incoming Solar Energy Wood 64% - Radiated to space Coal 51% - Absorbed by land and oceans Oil &Gas 23% - Carried to clouds Hydropower &Nuclear (1900-) 20% - Reflected by clouds 16% - Absorbed by atmosphere 15% - Radiation absorbed by atmosphere 7% - Conduction and rising air 6% - Reflected by atmosphere 6% - Radiated directly into space 4% - Reflected from Earth’s surface 3% - Absorbed by clouds Greenhouse gases (types and impact)...
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...has influenced the environment as humans. In their daily activities, people build houses, roads, cities, dams, and carry out various other activities in order to make life more comfortable. Consequently, human beings adapt, depend on, and modify the environment in order to make life more comfortable. This has resulted in consequences such as climate change that have only recently been appreciated by the global community. It is an irrefutable fact that human beings cannot survive without the environment. Therefore, the topic of how humans are interacting with the environment is becoming an increasingly debated topic. This paper seeks to discuss how humans interact with the environment and the impacts that have resulted from these interactions. Finally, a solution to the challenge brought about by these interactions will be discussed together with the best way forward. Human interaction with the environment From the time people came into existence on earth, they have depended on, adapted, and modified the environment to suit their daily needs. However, technological advances that began to occur from the industrial era have resulted in changes in the manner in which humans...
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