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Northumbria’s Environmental Impact

Northumbria’s Environmental Impact. What is an environmental impact?. Northumbria’s Environmental Impact. An impact has a strong affect on something, it can be positive or negative affect. In terms of the environment our physical operations can often have a negative impact.

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Northumbria’s Environmental Impact

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  1. Northumbria’s Environmental Impact What is an environmental impact?

  2. Northumbria’s Environmental Impact • An impact has a strong affect on something, it can be positive or negative affect. • In terms of the environment our physical operations can often have a negative impact.

  3. Northumbria’s Environmental Impact • Climate Change is recognised as the largest single risk to our environment

  4. What is climate change? • Sunlight - passes through our atmosphere and warms the earth • Infrared radiation is given off by the earth most goes into space and the earth cools • However some infrared radiation is trapped by gases in the air and reduces the cooling, there’s a natural balance as this makes life on earth achievable but more and more CO2 is now trapping this heat which is warming or heating the planet aiding climate change

  5. Where’s the proof?

  6. Where’s the proof? • United Kingdom • Central belt of England 1 C warmer since 1970 • Rainfall in summer has decreased almost in all of the UK (does not always feel like it) • 9 of the 10 warmest years on record have been since 1990 • Sea levels have risen 10 cm since 1900

  7. Where does the CO2 come from? • CO2 the greenhouse gas comes from our use of electricity and gas, when we burn fuel to make power we emit CO2 (as well as other gases) • It also comes from vehicles we drive, the water we use • Traditional electricity is far more of a CO2 emitter than gas

  8. What will that mean? • Warmer air expands the sea - rising sea levels • Warmer air melts land ice - rising sea levels • Warmer air dries out soils – less fertile • A third of land growing food across the world could be lost • More extreme weather, more drought, more rain, • Or climate chaos

  9. When will that happen? • Tipping Point in PPM of CO2 • PPM are rising 2 per year • 380 ppm now keeping it under 400 ppm can stabilize • 350 ppm is considered safe • That means a global cut of 60% Co2 by 2030 before the tipping point is realised

  10. So how much CO2 does Northumbria generate? • 20,000 tonnes from gas and electricity enough to fill cubic space of almost 20,000 three bedroom houses • Add our travel, domestic and overseas, as well as our travel to work that can increase to a minimum of 30,000 tonnes

  11. CO2 contributions

  12. What are Northumbria doing about this? Technical • Solar Powered Hot Water • Rain Water Harvesters • Ultra Efficient Gas Boilers • High efficiency hand dryers • PV and Wind powered units • Heat and Air Pumps • Combined Heat & Power Units • Intelligent Lighting

  13. What are Northumbria doing about this? Non Technical • Senior managerial support • Staff support – look at our printers for example • Furniture recycling • Raise awareness • Dedicated student awareness – Estates funding SU • Publish results • Recycling • Carbon offsetting? • Car sharing clubs • Staff public transport schemes • Staff cycling loan schemes • School specific Projects

  14. What are Northumbria doing about this?

  15. What are Northumbria doing about this?

  16. What are Northumbria doing about this?

  17. What are Northumbria doing about this?

  18. Easy to waste energy from stand-by….. • Here’s some facts, we have: • 6,908 PC’s (3,275 are staff) • 840 mobile devices • Thousands and thousands of lights • 700 network printers

  19. And does this show in the results? Gas • 28.7m kwh • 31.1m kwh • 31.6m kwh Electricity • 19.4m kwh • 26.2m kwh • 24.3 m kwh

  20. And does this show in the results? • Display Energy Certificates • BB • CCCCCCC • DDDDDDDDDDD • EE * • F • GGGGG** • * will move up considerably • ** defaulted G

  21. What is best for us? • Electricity  kWh           0.537/KG of CO2 • Natural gas  kWh       0.185/KG of CO2 • Wood pellets   kWh      0.025/ KG of CO2??

  22. HEFCE think HE can lead the way In advance of the Government’s next Spending Review we will remodel the (CIF) process with a greater focus on carbon’ HEFCE – Carbon Reduction and Strategy for Higher Education A sector-level target in line with the Climate Change Act of 34% reduction by 2020 and 80% reduction by 2050 against a 1990 baseline.

  23. Look at this…..

  24. Landfill • Landfill is ultimately going to run out • Unsustainable • Gives of Methane gas another greenhouse gas • Example of our throw away culture • But think about the re-usable shopping bags

  25. The best bin in the world!

  26. Waste is a resource • Using this expensive method we recycle 80% of all waste but this should come from recycling • We will look to energy from food waste

  27. But! • I see skips filled with furniture • Students don’t seem to be interested in the environment any more • Classroom info screens never get turned off • We don’t have enough recycling bins for all of our wastes • There are always flyers on offer which end up on the ground • PC’s in labs are always on • Lights are left on • Lights go off too soon • Our buildings are too hot/too cold • My School has a lot of paper Insights • We use so much paper • I don’t know half of what we do? • Small actions won’t make a difference

  28. You can play a role, at work and at home • Only take and make what you require • Packaging Waste • Food Waste • Energy CO2 • Paper Waste and CO2 • Petrol CO2 • Diesel CO2 • Water CO2 • Lets move away from TAKE, MAKE and WASTE

  29. Biodiversity • Simply put is the variety of life on earth or biological diversity • It is essential for human life, think of the relationship with our food and wildlife • The University has a legal duty under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

  30. Biodiversity • 100 crops depend on bees to pollinate them so they can produce foodstuffs that we eat • Our green spaces or natural spaces play a role in protecting the wildlife that needs such habitats and we need to protect those habitats

  31. Biodiversity

  32. Fairtrade

  33. Fairtrade • Fairtrade ensures that farmers in developing countries who do not have fair access to international markets and are vulnerable to exploitation receive an agreed, fair and stable price for their goods. • Plantations or estates have to ensure fair working conditions for their workers and producers are encouraged to protect the environment. • Fairtrade producers also receive an extra payment called the Fairtrade premium which they invest in economic, social and environmental projects in their community, or in improving their businesses. 

  34. Thanks • When it comes to minimising environmental impacts…. …….even the smallest action is worth taking

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