Climate Change:Fitting the pieces together

“Greenhouse effect” Increasing greenhouse gases trap more heat

Greenhouse gases

Nitrous oxide

Water

Carbon dioxideMethane

Sulfur hexafluoride

Effects on ecosystems

Sea-level rise projections : a few inches to a few feet

• 2 ft: U.S. would lose 10,000 square miles• 3 ft: Would inundate Miami• Affects erosion, loss of wetlands, freshwater

supplies• Half of the world’s population lives along coasts• Big question: Ice sheets

Produce more fuel-efficient vehiclesReduce vehicle useImprove energy-efficiency in buildingsDevelop carbon capture and storage processesTriple nuclear powerIncrease solar powerDecrease deforestation/plant forestsImprove soil carbon management strategies

Individual actions

Use mass transit, bike, walk, roller

skate

Tune up your

furnaceUnplug

appliances or plug into a

power strip and switch it off

Buy water-saving appliances and

toilets; installing low-flow shower

heads.

Caulk, weatherstrip, insulate, and replace old windows

Buy products with a U.S. EPA

Energy Star label

Water crisesThe Earth has a finite supply of fresh water, stored in aquifers,

surface waters and the atmosphere. Sometimes oceans are mistaken for available water, but the

amount of energy needed to convert saline water to

potable water is prohibitive today, explaining why only a

very small fraction of the world's water supply derives

from desalination

• Inadequate access to safe drinking water for about 1.1 billion people 

• Groundwater over drafting leading to diminished agricultural yields 

• Overuse and pollution of water resources harming biodiversity 

• Regional conflicts over scarce water resources sometimes resulting in warfare 

Waterborne diseases and the absence of sanitary domestic water are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. For children under age five, waterborne diseases are the

leading cause of death. At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering

from a waterborne diseases.According to the World Bank, 88 percent of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking

water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

Health impacts of water

crises…..

Sewage treatment plant whose effluent is used to create the Wonga Wetlands, Australia.Not only are there 1.1 billion without adequate drinking water, but the United Nations acknowledges 2.6 billion people are without adequate water for sanitation (e.g. wastewater disposal). The issues are coupled, since, without water for sewage disposal, cross-contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage is the chief adverse outcome of inadequate safe water supply. Consequently disease and significant deaths arise from people using contaminated water supplies; these effects are particularly pronounced for children in underdeveloped countries, where 3900 children per day die of diarrhea alone[9].While these deaths are generally considered preventable, the situation is considerably more complex, since the Earth is beyond its carrying capacity with respect to available fresh water[10]. Often technology is advanced as a panacea, but the costs of technology presently exclude a number of countries from availing themselves of these solutions. If lesser developed countries acquire more wealth, partial mitigation will occur, but sustainable solutions must involve each region in balancing population to water resource and in managing water resources more optimally. In any case the finite nature of the water resource must be acknowledged if the world is to achieve a better balance.

MADE BY:•AAYUSH JAIN SETHIA•MANISH SHARMA •BHAVAY NAGPAL•KARTIK GOYAL