...Kyoto Protocol and Global Warming Evaluation Ron Lewis ECO/370 November 10, 2014 Ronda Jantz Kyoto Protocol and Global Warming Evaluation Introduction of Global Climate Change In this paper we will research, come to know and understand the causes and effects of global warming and global climate change. We will also come to know and understand the Kyoto Protocol. Let’s first look at the meaning of the words global warming and global climate change. Global warming is an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect (Global Warming, 2014). Global climate change is changes in the earth's weather, including changes in temperature, wind patterns and rainfall, especially the increase in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere that is caused by the increase of particular gases, especially carbon dioxide (Global Climate Change, 2014). Earth's average temperature has risen by 1.4°F over the past century, and is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5°F over the next hundred years. Small changes in the average temperature of the planet can translate to large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather (Basics of Global Climate Change, 2014). Global climate change is a really big issue in the world today, and trying to fight it is an ever bigger issue. The question is, can we fight it and how? Contrast the costs and benefits of combating Global Climate Change The benefits...
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...environmental and economic impacts of global climate change has increased over the past few years. Many state governments are encouraged to develop policies that address climate-related issues. Most of the policies are focusing on the mitigation and reduction of greenhouse gases through state-level climate action plans. “In North Carolina, the “clean smokestacks” legislation passed in 2002 states that a commission is to be established to study policy options for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In 2005, the General Assembly passed the North Carolina Global Warming Act. This act established a Global Warming Commission that evaluates potential impacts on the state from rising temperatures, creates goals on reducing global warming pollutant, and prepares the economy to enhance economic markets associated with global warming” (“Cordato”). After passing this act, North Carolina became the first state in the Southeast to meaningfully step forward in the fight against global warming. North Carolina is one of the most vulnerable states to the impacts of global warming, but it can position itself to take advantage of opportunities that come along from the development of new technologies. The decisions we make today can affect the impacts of global warming on North Carolina, the opportunities for North Carolina to address the issues on global warming, and the recommendations that are established to fight against global warming. The impacts of global warming can have several different...
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...Global warming means a gradual increase in the Earth's average lower atmosphere due to emissions and build up of greenhouse gases . Global warming is when the earth heats up and the temperature rises. It happens when greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature. Greenhouse gases are released mostly by the burning of fossil fuels for transportation, heating, electrical appliances and manufacturing, but they are also released as a result of the natural decomposition of organic materials, wildfires, deforestation, and land-clearing activities. The diffusion of these gases results in the spread of various epidemics. There are myriad problems that emerge due to global warming. The repercussions of the soaring temperature are serious and irreversible. Global warming can have devastating long term consequences. It disturbs the biodiversity of various species and their genetic makeup. It causes the sea levels to rise everywhere, permanently flooding many low lying parts of the earth. Many geographical areas may experience reduction in crop yield due to drier and hotter condition. In particular, global warming will result in the extinction of many under water species and is a major threat to marine ecosystems. Also, the increase in temperatures results in the melting of glaciers and expansion of ocean water, both of which cause sea level to rise. Higher...
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...Kyoto Protocol and Global Warming Evaluation xxxxxx ECO-370 April 21, 2014 Xiaobing Shuai Kyoto Protocol and Global Warming Evaluation Surface temperature of the earth has been an indicator of threatening critical concern. The principle of a greenhouse is that the enclosing glass or plastic allows the passage of incoming sunlight, but traps a portion of the reflected infrared radiation, which warms the interior of the greenhouse above the outside temperature (Field & Field, 2009, p. 430). This reaction encloses greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere that cause an increase in temperature in earth’s surface, in which is known as global warming. Based on this chemical reaction, it creates a global climate change on planet earth that changes meteorological patterns in each region. Costs and benefits from industrialized countries Due to a higher economic standing in industrialized countries, such as the United States and Europe we have larger amounts of pollution discharges that contribute to global climate change. Major issues related to costs with the intent to reduce global climate change include: what methods to adopt in various countries to meet the performance required by the agreements and how to share the overall costs among the participating countries (Field & Field, 2009, p. 456). These are cost-effective measures that countries can substantially decrease of the overall program. In accordance with Field & Field (2009), “The benefits accruing to any particular...
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...Unit 5 Individual Project – Environmental Policies Danielle Wynma AIU SCIE210 – Environmental Science Lindsey Nieratka December 14, 2014 Abstract This paper will discuss one environmental law. Major provisions will be summarized as well as the economic impact of the law. Global warming will also be discussed as well as whether the U.S. should adopt additional policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Unit 5 Individual Project – Environmental Policies Introduction This paper will discuss the Clean Water Act. This law was passed initially in 1948 and was known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. It was reorganized and expanded upon in 1972 when it became known as the Clean Water Act (EPA, 2014). This paper will summarize the major provisions of this law as well as the economic impact. It will also describe what, if anything, the law has improved. Finally, global warming will be discussed and whether additional policies should be adopted to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Provisions and economic impact of the law The Clean Water Act was the first major law to address water pollution. One of the major provisions of this act are that it prohibits the discharge of any pollutant except those in compliance with the Act. The Act imposes limitations on existing sources and how the pollutant is discharged (whether the pollutant goes directly into an open body of water or to publicly owned treatment plant). This law requires the EPA to maintain water...
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...Inconvenient Truth (2006) – Review “An Inconvenient Truth”, a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim, attempts to raise the alarming issue of climate crisis due to Global Warming and it foretells the dreadful consequences that the future generations on the Planet Earth are likely to experience. The film features a strong political figure, Al Gore (former Vice President of United States), to unleash the astonishing facts and predictions related to Global Warming, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest societal concerns today. The main purpose of the film is to educate the citizens of the world about the highly severe environmental challenge of global warming by separating the truth from the fiction and the actual connections from the misunderstandings, and to reenergize the environmental movement. It tries to convince people that it is their moral imperative to hear the environmental warnings that are scientifically sound. The film documents a revolutionary slide show by Al Gore that he estimates to have given at least 1000 times across different locations around the world. The documentary contains stark visuals of the recent natural calamities, possible future disasters and the mind-boggling graphs that force the audience to take a deep interest in the issue. It uses small animated clips to explain the phenomenon of global warming, highlight its probable impact on polar ice caps and foresee the likelihood of extinction of the living organisms there. The slide show in...
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...individuals and institutions whose work is helped us to prepare this research paper. We are also grateful to multiple webpage and link in related to climate change and sea level rise. We are also grateful to Bangladeshi local NGOs and their documents in related sea level rise. Sea level rise: Impacts on Bangladesh and the role of NGOs Introduction: climate change is one of the most raising issues in contemporary world. Global warming is an important cause if climate change. The temperature of the world is increasing day by day. As a result the ice of arctic areas is melting. And this is raising the sea level. Though the temperature is increasing equally all over the world but all the countries of the world are not equally affected by this global warming. Usually costal areas, islands, and lower lands are mostly affected by this sea level rise. They are flooded badly each year because of this sea level rise. Global warming not only affects the environmental life but also they affect the political economic and infrastructural basis. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries of sea level rise. As it is a costal and lower land, so here lives and properties are at a severe risk. One of the island of Bangladesh, named South Talpatti Island has already sank because of sea level rise. NGOs role is very important for Bangladesh. NGOs can play vital role in many ways. NGOs can supply knowledge and information through research which...
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...change has increased, how should governments be responding and what will this imply for economic growth? BY: NILUSHA DE SILVA (Msc – Australian National University) Specialized in Environmental Management & Development Introduction It is universally accepted that climate change is unavoidable; it can not be stopped but it is manageable and could be slowdown if carefully and wisely handled. However, the pressure on governments to act on the issue is immensely increasing; evidence is obvious and rather comprehensive. Globally as well as locally governments responded and responding in different ways, presents different arguments and logics, bears different perspectives and struggles to deal with the issue which concerns the effects on the economic growth. Kyoto Protocol is one of the global attempts that spell out the increasing concern of climate change. The urgency to act on climate change issues can not be ignored or denied. Past few decades have evidenced and strengthen its immense impact on every arena of sustainable issues of humanity (Climate trends 2007): ecological, economic, social /culture (‘sustainability’ is meeting the triple bottom line). Action should be taken by the governments to address this issue both on local and global levels. This paper identifies governments should focus on policy reforms in order to address climate change efficiently and effectively. These policy reforms should gear towards investing on human capital / knowledge capital, utilization...
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...nuclearization as well as security against global climate change. Like all other things, global climate change also got a strong basis of global agenda in international relations specificly in 1972. Since then international relations and global climate change have become very intimate to one another to be discussed. By 1972 and having a remarkable benchmark in 1992, global environment as well as global climate change is being practiced almost with every aspect of international relations which include state, non-state actors, domestic international relationship, various political approach, several global accord, security and world trade as well. In this paper, we will try to find out the intensity of the intimacy between international relations and global climate change through several different approaches. In the beginning of the paper we will survey on the theories of international relations through which both international relations and global climate change can be explained then the discussion will be shifted to the role of state and non state actors on climate change, which will be pursued to the effect of climate change on human activities and the history of global climate change co-operation. Then we will move to an analysis of the global climate change regime through the several grand theories of international relations. Having theoretical analysis the paper will look forward to the domestic-international relationship on the global climate change negotiation and the political...
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...government. Even though people have their own ideas on climate issues, change is happening and we need to do something about it to help ourselves, and our future generations. Climate change has risen from the greenhouse effect, and it is a worldwide problem. There are many ways to help with the climate change, and there are things everyone can do to help. There needs to be major changes implemented in terms of dealing with the climate change. We need a proactive leader to get the public educated on climate change, we need adaptive and preventative measures set up for climate change, all major parties in our government to work together to come to a conclusion on climate change policies, and we need to reform the United Nations to help the world deal with the climate change. The first step in dealing with the climate change is having a proactive leader who will use strategic leadership skills to enlist change among the nation, and the world. We need a person who can help encourage the people to change. Mike Zajko states in the article, The Shifting Politics of Climate Science, “the public stands to benefit from a more accurate understanding of science as both a process and body of knowledge.” People need help in terms of opening their minds to other ideas, and they need help making changes to their lives. If we have a proactive leader in office, he/she can press the government to build checks and balances into climate policy. A strategic leader can also voice their opinion to the people...
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...Global Warming Cause and Mitigation Vanessa Gunnoe Week 9 assignment Professor Pavlov 06/07/2013 ------------------------------------------------- The role of anthropogenic climate changes is a climate change that refers to the production of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity. By examining the polar ice cores, scientists are convinced that human activity has increased the proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; The Earth has a natural greenhouse effect where certain gases (known as greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere allow the sunlight to enter but absorb the heat radiation. Because these gases absorb the heat, they average the surface temperature on Earth around 14°C. Without the natural greenhouse effect, the Earth’s average surface temperature would be around -19°C.which has skyrocketed over the past few hundred years. In other words this is anthropogenic climate change, and the significant increases in the atmosphere of these potent greenhouse gases are a result of human activity. The most potent of the greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N20). Alarmingly, these are a result of anthropogenic climate change, and the gases are at the highest levels for over 650,000 years. Since 1750, it is estimated that about two thirds of anthropogenic climate change CO2 emissions have come from fossil fuel burning (coal and petroleum) and about one third from land use change (mainly deforestation and agricultural). About...
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...Global Warming Cause and Mitigation Vanessa Gunnoe Week 9 assignment Professor Pavlov 06/07/2013 ------------------------------------------------- The role of anthropogenic climate changes is a climate change that refers to the production of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity. By examining the polar ice cores, scientists are convinced that human activity has increased the proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; The Earth has a natural greenhouse effect where certain gases (known as greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere allow the sunlight to enter but absorb the heat radiation. Because these gases absorb the heat, they average the surface temperature on Earth around 14°C. Without the natural greenhouse effect, the Earth’s average surface temperature would be around -19°C.which has skyrocketed over the past few hundred years. In other words this is anthropogenic climate change, and the significant increases in the atmosphere of these potent greenhouse gases are a result of human activity. The most potent of the greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N20). Alarmingly, these are a result of anthropogenic climate change, and the gases are at the highest levels for over 650,000 years. Since 1750, it is estimated that about two thirds of anthropogenic climate change CO2 emissions have come from fossil fuel burning (coal and petroleum) and about one third from land use change (mainly deforestation and agricultural). About...
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...Global Warming The major threat of today’s world is global warming. Due to various reasons global warming turns out to be a serious issue in the last few years. Today people believe in global warming while this concept was not so much believed and people interpreted in some other meanings what was happening in the past. Global warming is amplification in the temperature of earth because of industrial pollution, fossil fuels, and agricultural practices caused by human being, other and natural gas emissions. Because of this greenhouse gases are released in large quantity. Solar radiations of short wave type go down under the earth and increase its surface temperature, while infrared radiations of long wave type that is released by earth are absorbed and then gases re-emit these waves again. And this climax of greenhouse gases is the cause of change in our earth atmosphere. Serious problems can arise when large quantity of these greenhouse gases buildup in our atmosphere because these gases improved the heat trapping ability of earth. Major Causes of Global Warming The causes of global warming are divided into two categories mentioned in the following: 1. Natural Causes: The causes created by nature are natural causes. One natural cause is an emission of methane gas from wetlands and frosty tundra. Methane gas is called a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere of earth. The earth cycle of atmosphere changer is another natural cause. And this atmosphere cycle approximately...
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...Project Part 4 INTRODUCTION Global warming poses a great danger to our planet. A harmonious blend of living organisms, humans, and the ecosystem is on the verge of being unbalanced. Within recent years, the sea levels have risen, animals have become extinct and the delicate balance of nature is threatened. Whether this is a danger to Earth is still uncertain but, whatever the effects of global warming may be, there is no doubt that the consequences are going to be massive, in the form of diseases and economic decline (Times Magazine, 2013), for example. THE CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING According to Withgott and Laposata (2012), global warming refers specifically to an increase in Earth’s average temperature (p. 300). Scientists have concluded that most of the warming is due to carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a “thickening” blanket, trapping the sun’s heat. Research states that human activity, such as burning fossil fuels, causes more greenhouse gases to expand in the atmosphere. Oil, coal and natural gas are high in carbon and when burned, produce huge amounts of CO2. “A single gallon of gasoline, and when burned, puts 19 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” says the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The issue of global warming is frequently blamed on humans’ ecologically reckless practices and technologies. In my view, causes of global warming are neither solely our fault nor that of nature...
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...the New Green Economy On Thursday November 18, 2010, Oakland Community Colleges Student LIFE and OCCSustainability groups hosted Stanley “Skip” Pruss at the Smith Theatre on the Orchard Ridge Campus as he presented his lecture Is Sustainability the Key to Michigan’s Economic Recovery?. Mr. Pruss was most recently the director of Michigan’s newly established Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth and Michigan’s Chief Energy Officer, and served as Governor Granholm’s Special Advisor for Renewable Energy and the Environment, as well as the Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. Mr. Pruss has just been appointed to advise United States Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu. His lecture, Is Sustainability the Key to Michigan’s Economic Recovery? was warmly received by both students and facility. During the address, Mr. Pruss cited issues other than greenhouse gas emission that threaten our world like, depletion of marine stock, soil erosion, ground water withdrawals, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. However, Mr. Pruss was quite clear that global warming is “the mother of all sustainability issues of the century” as he presented an unequivocal case for the reality of global warming. Pruss points out that Climate Science is extremely well studied and that of over 1,200 published and peer reviewed Scientists in the field, 98 percent of them have reached “extraordinary scientific consensus”...
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