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What is an Engineer? Why are they so important?. Climate Change… We’ve all heard of it before So What is it?. Today we will be referring to Climate Change as: “the accelerated, unnatural warming of the earth due to the discharge of Greenhouse Gases as a result of human activities.”. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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engineering a better world
What is an Engineer?
Why are they so important?
Aerospace Mechanical Civil Electrical Chemical
Aircraft &
Spacecraft
Design
Energy Generation
Infrastructure Planning
Electric Circuit Design
Water and
Sanitation
Aerodynamics Product Life Cycle Design
Structural Analysis e.g. bridges
Computer &
Software
Engineering
Bio Diesel
Propulsion Systems Control
Environmental Engineering
Power Engineering
Materials Processing
Flight Mechanics & Navigation
Biomechanics Project Management
Telecommunications
Bio-molecular Engineering
Climate Change…
We’ve all heard of it before
So What is it?
Today we will be referring to Climate Change as:
“the accelerated, unnatural warming of the earth due to the discharge of Greenhouse Gases as a result of human activities.”
The Greenhouse Effect
Sourced from: http://staffwww.fullcoll.edu/tmorris/an_inconvenient_truth/an_inconvenient_truth.htm
The Greenhouse Gases
CO2Carbon Dioxide
CH4Methane
N2O
Nitrous Oxide SF6
HFCs
PFCs
The Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse Gas Contributions to Global Warming
Chart source: www.ieagreen.org.uk/1.pdf
The Evidence…
Data Source: World Watch Institute
More Evidence…
Data Source: www.whrc.org/resources/online_publications/warming_earth/scientific_evidence.htm
One More Set of Graphs ...
Data Source: www.whrc.org/resources/online_publications/warming_earth/scientific_evidence.htm
• 10 people represent the world’s population
• CO2 cards show the world’s carbon emissions
• Money represents the global GDP
Why Should You Care?
Environmental Impacts
Other Impacts…
Socio-economic Impact
Livelihoods of Future Generations
Something to Think About…
The Red Cross states:
“Natural disasters in 1998 created more refugees than wars or other armed conflicts. Declining soil
fertility, drought, flooding and deforestation drove 25 million ‘environmental refugees’
from their land...The group represented 58% of the total refugee population worldwide”
Climate Justice
“The idea of fair distribution of responsibility among the developed countries to avert or
cushion the negative impacts of global warming on disadvantaged communities.”
Something to Think About…
Recommendations
• Emissions Trading – Setting and Promoting CO2 reduction targets
• Technology Cooperation – Increased funding for R&D into low carbon technologies
• Action to Reduce Deforestation – Loss of forests contributes more to Global Warming than entire transport sector.
• Adaptation – Climate Change to be integrated into development policy.
From the Stern Review Summary of Conclusions, pg 9
How are the undeveloped nations being affected by global warming and climate change?
What technologies can we use to stop climate change from having such a large impact?
1. Agriculture
Climate change has been shown to affect:• Land quality• Soil nutrients • Soil acidity • Water retention• Drainage
Engineering SolutionsImpact management
Civil and Environmental
engineering• Drainage system• Bore water holes• Reticulation systems
2. Weather anomalies
– Floods– Heat waves– Drought – Rising sea level– Decreased or increased
precipitation– Powerful storm surges
Engineering solutionsImpact management
• Improve building designs design• Better town layout and planning for low-lying areas• Improving disaster relief accessibility• Coastal dams and seawalls• Drainage systems to cope with flood situations.• Predict weather events before they arise
3. Sanitization and Health
• Extreme weather conditions can cause:– Waste management issues– Food and water contamination– Destroy food sources, leading to malnutrition
and a rise in disease• Spread of insect and water borne diseases
Engineering solutionsImpact management
• Better sanitization systems
• Clean water, and storage systems
• Appropriate housing
Summary
• Climate change consequences:– Agriculture devastation,– Animal extinction and
migration– Weather anomalies– Health emergencies
• Poorer countries will suffer the most in the short term
Summary continued
THE GOOD NEWS ….• There are plenty of solutions to these issues
THE CHALLENGES …• Some of the solutions have ethical issues• They all cost money, a problem for poorer
countries, who are rarely the cause of Climate Change forces
Part 2: Green transport
Aim of green transport:To produce transportation methods (both public and
privatevehicles) which emit fewer greenhouse gases.
Pie chart shows how CO2 is producedwww.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Typical emissions of various vehicles
Large car comparison
Medium car comparison
Small car comparison
Transport conclusions
• Do you really need a 4WD?
• Do you have the most fuel efficient model?
• Obviously – the smaller the car, the fewer emissions.• So why do people keep buying the most heavily polluting cars?
Vehicle technology
• Petrol engine
• Diesel engine
• Electric motor
• Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)
• Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
• Hydrogen cell
The prevention is better than the cure
So lets start preventing NOW!• Talk to people about climate change and
what they can do• Set an example!• Reduce, re-use and recycle!• Buy better products• Support greener companies• Try to make yourselves carbon neutral!
NEXT TIME…
• Electricity and Transport – how do they effect climate change?
• Renewable energy – the global warming solution?
• United Nations Climate Change Assembly – YOU will be the members!!