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Earth Day 2006 ?. Climate Change – Causes and Effects. Introduction. World Earth Day Was first held on 22 nd April 1970 Promotes environmental citizenship Has a worldwide network of campaigners Thousands of events and millions of participants Climate change is the 2006 theme.
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Earth Day 2006 ? Climate Change – Causes and Effects
Introduction • World Earth Day • Was first held on 22nd April 1970 • Promotes environmental citizenship • Has a worldwide network of campaigners • Thousands of events and millions of participants • Climate change is the 2006 theme
Climate Change - Cause • Increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere • This creates a rise in average temperature • The temperature change affects world climate systems • The climate changes as a result
Climate Change - Effects • Temperature Rises • Droughts • Floods • Hurricanes • Rising Sea levels • Biodiversity Reduced • Plants and animals die out • Economic Damage • Agriculture affected • Infrastructure destroyed
The Greenhouse Effect • Atmosphere allows energy (as sunlight) in • Only lets some of that energy (as infrared heat) escape • Having more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere means that less energy escapes • More energy is trapped and so the earth warms up
Greenhouse Gases • Carbon DioxideCO2 • MethaneCH4 • CFCs and HFCs • Nitrous OxidesN2O • Water VapourH2O
Sources of Greenhouse Gasses • Power stations • Transport • Industry • Agriculture • The natural world
Solutions? • Can we reduce emissions of greenhouse gases through… • Changes in society? • Change lifestyles • Change laws • Changes in technology? • New technologies • Energy efficiency
Barriers • Who would choose to have less, eat less and go on holiday less? • Would governmentsforce people to change? • Does this echo communism? • Who will pay for the technological solutions? • Would you want to pay higher taxes? • It is an International problem so it needs international agreements
Activities • Fact sheet • Are you surprised by any of these facts? • Ecological footprint • Measures our impact on the earth’s resources • Calculates how much land is required to produce the resources we consume and absorb all the waste we produce • Answer the questions on the sheet and add up your scores. • What was your score?
Conclusions • Our lifestyles are affecting the environment • Local emissions have a global effect • No easy solutions and little time to find them • Ecological Footprints help show us our personal contribution to climate change • People with the smallest footprints will be among those who will suffer the most from climate change