WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?

© K. Landry

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Climates at Risk What Causes Global Warming?

Endangered SpeciesWhat Can I Do?

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How Do I Use This?

In order to navigate through this PowerPoint, all you need to do is use your mouse.

When you see a word with an underline, you can click on it. When you click, it will take you to a new page, a website, or a movie. Many of the pictures are linked to different places also. Basically, whenever the mouse arrow turns into a hand, that means that you can click on it and it will take you somewhere else.

At the bottom of each screen you will see a variety of words, each underlined. ‘Home’ takes you to the menu of different choices, the second page you encountered when you opened this product. ‘Back’ takes you to the page you previously visited. Do not use your backspace key, because it will not take you to the slide you were previously on. Additionally, there are other places you can get to at the bottom of the page that relate to the topic. For example, on the Water Pollution page, you can also access Air Pollution and Soil Contamination, two other kinds of pollution.

If you feel like you have gotten lost, try the Back button or Home. This way you can go to the slide you were just at, or start over.

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Greenhouse GasesGreenhouse gases are the main cause of global warming. They contribute to what is known as the Greenhouse Effect, which traps heat and keeps the earth warm.

Watch a video on Global Warming

Insensitivity to the EnvironmentHumans have not been taking care of the environment. Two major factors contributing to global warming are Pollution and Clear Cutting. Both of these factors are problematic because of the way we treat our world.

What Causes Global Warming?

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Greenhouse GasesGreenhouse gases are the main cause of global warming. Greenhouse gases are naturally occurring gases, which are necessary for the earth to survive. The problem with them is that the concentration of them is now too high. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, keeping it warm, called the greenhouse effect. If greenhouse gases did not exist, the earth would be about 33 degrees Celsius cooler, and would not be able to sustain the environment. Unfortunately, due to many man-made factors, the greenhouse gases are being produced in abundance, and are trapping too much heat. This is global warming. The three main greenhouse gases, in order of importance, are: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

Methane Nitrous Oxide

Carbon Dioxide

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Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

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Carbon dioxide is always present in the atmosphere. It is a product of plant and animal respiration (breathing), decaying organic matter, fermentation, forest/grass fires and oceans. Like the other greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide traps heat to contribute to global warming. Humans increase the amount of carbon dioxide through deforestation, the burning of fossil fuels, and industrial processes.

The carbon cycle is important to global warming. As we increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we potentially disrupt the carbon cycle. Check out this link for an animation on how the carbon cycle works.

Methane (CH4)

Methane is a naturally occurring gas and the earth’s crust contains large amounts of it. Methane is produced from many different sources, including livestock, biomass burning, landfills and coal mining. Since the 1700s, human activities have increased the amount of methane in the atmosphere by about 150%. Methane is the main component in natural gas, which is a fossil fuel.

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Nitrous Oxide (N20)

Like the other two greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide is a naturally occurring gas and is required in the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide is produced primarily from soil and water denitrification. When nitrous oxide is produced in this manor, plants absorb it. Approximately one third of atmospheric nitrous oxide is produced by humans. It comes mainly from nitrogenous fertilizers and the burning of fossil fuels.

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Pollution

Pollution is a huge problem in the world. It takes many forms, and each type of pollution is extremely harmful to the environment and negatively affects the climates.

There are three main types of pollution that affect the earth and increase global warming. They are: Air Pollution, Water Pollution and Soil Contamination

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Air Pollution

Water Pollution

Soil Contamination

Air PollutionAir Pollution is the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Air pollution can appear in a variety of ways, including smog, acid rain, “holes” in the ozone layer, and the greenhouse effect. There are general categories of air pollution: criteria air contaminants (CAC), persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals (HMs), and toxins.

CACs Smog and acid rain are results of CACs. The pollutants in this group include Sulphur Oxides (SOx), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Particulate Matter (PM), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Ammonia (NH3).

POPs These pollutants can last in the environment for very long periods of time, and can easily travel great distances. They include industrial chemicals (PCBs), pesticides, and unintentional contaminants and by-products (i.e. dioxins and furans)

HMs HMs are basic metals, such as mercury and lead. These metals are easily transported through air and enter the water and food supply.

Toxins CACs, POPs and HMs are all included in toxins, but this category also includes more pollutants. They are toxic and/or poisonous to our health and to the environment. Click here for a list of toxins.

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SmogSmog results from air pollution. Smog is created through a mixture of components, but ground-level ozone is the main component. Ground-level ozone is created when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds interact in the presence of sunlight. Smog negatively affects our health and the health of plants and animals. Smog creates a hazy atmosphere and is difficult to see through.

Learn how you can individual choices, environmental factors, and different types of land use affect the pollution in the air through Smog City, an interactive air pollution simulator.

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Soil ContaminationLike water pollution, soil contamination is caused by human activity. Contamination results from either liquid or solid hazardous substances which have been spilled or buried into the soil. It can also result from air pollution. When particles are released into the air, they deposit themselves into the soil when they land. Water pollution also plays a role in soil contamination. Soil naturally soaks up water, and when the water is polluted, the soil that absorbs it also becomes polluted.

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When soil is contaminated, it negatively affects all organisms that come in contact with it. Plants can absorb the contamination through their roots, which may cause them to die, or at the very least, spread the contamination to the animal that eats it. Animals also come into contact with contaminated soil when they dig or play it in. The contamination may absorb into their skin, harming their health.

Water Pollution

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Water pollution can be divided into two groups, point source, and non-point source.

Point Source Point source contamination occurs when pollutants are emitted directly into a body of water. Oil spills, landfills and leaking gas storage tanks are examples of point source contamination.

Non-point Source Non-point source contamination occurs when pollutants are indirectly put into the water system. Fertilizer run-off is an example of non-point source contamination. The majority of water pollution comes from non-point source contamination.

Non-point source contamination is the hardest to control because there is no definite entrance point. Steps can be taken to ensure that landfills won’t leak into the water stream, or gas storage tanks are leak-proof, but it is much harder to control rain, which is why fertilizers run off farms. Nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates are major factors in water pollution. They negatively affect the environment by over-stimulating growth, which means that aquatic life, especially plants and algae will grow faster. This causes clogs in waterways, excessive use of dissolved oxygen as they decompose, and it blocks light to deeper waters. The respiration of fish and other organisms in the water is adversely affected, causing them to die prematurely and be in danger of becoming endangered. Pathogens are another form of pollution that directly affect the environment. They cause aquatic life to become ill, sometimes causing death.

Clear Cutting (Deforestation)Clear cutting is the removal of trees from a given section of a forest. It has devastating effects on the environment and is a major factor in global warming. The main way that it contributes to global warming is that clear cutting increases the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. Trees take carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen, but when there are few trees, this can’t happen, and carbon dioxide levels increase. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases, and therefore traps heat, thus contributing to global warming.

Deforestation also affects the immediate environment in which the trees were taken from. The negative changes in the environment include: removal of the forest canopy (which protects life on the forest floor); the removal of carbon sinks, which will cause CO2 to build up; a loss of habitat for underground worms, fungi and bacteria which live in the soil and help keep plants healthy; and an increase in flash flooding due to the fact that precipitation is no longer trapped and simply runs off the soil.

To learn about deforestation and the rainforest, go here.

Sometimes the effects of clear cutting can be reduced through Reforestation.

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Acid Rain

Acid rain is precipitation that contains abnormally high levels of sulfuric and nitric acids. As acid rain falls, it makes the land and water it falls into more acidic. For water, it means that the bodies of water can no longer support all the varieties of life that live there. This may lead to certain species becoming endangered.

This website from Environment Canada offers some interesting visuals, as well as questions and answers about acid rain http://www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidwater.html

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Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels are naturally occurring substances which are created from decaying organic matter. Overtime, heat and pressure from inside the earth turned the decayed matter into fuel, which, when burned creates energy. The three main fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels provide about 90% of the world’s energy. We depend on fossil fuels in order to operate our cars, provide heat and electricity, etc. Unfortunately, fossil fuels are nonrenewable, and once they are gone, we can’t get them back. Fossil fuels are always being created, because organic matter is always decaying, but it takes a lot of time for the decayed matter to turn into fossil fuels. This is why renewable energy is important – there will never be a shortage of renewable energy.

Natural Gas OilCoal

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Insensitivity to the Environment

Ever since industrialization, we have been abusing the environment to an extent never seen before. The environment cannot sustain the changes that have been made to it in the last 300 hundred years. We have begun to take the environment for granted, and are causing it damage that may not be fixable. Two different human practices, pollution and clear cutting are major contributors to global warming.

Pollution Clear Cutting

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Glossary

Denitrification: A process occurring in soil where bacteria break down nitrates to produce nitrogen gas, which is returned to the atmosphere.

Permafrost: A thick layer of soil beneath the surface that remains frozen throughout the year

Kinetic Energy: Motion. Anything that moves has motion, and therefore has kinetic energy. Wind and water both have kinetic energy.

Industrialization: creating industry in a society. The Industrial Revolution took place in the 18 th century (1700s) and created pollutants never seen before.

Fermentation: anaerobic conversion of sugar to carbon dioxide by yeast.

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Social Changes

Everyone needs to do their part to stop global warming, but there are also some changes that society as a whole needs to make. Not all the social changes are included here, there are many more. Here is a website that has a lot of information. If you know more solutions, try and put them into action in your school, in your community, and let your MP know about the changes that our government should be making.

Reforestation

Public Transportation

Renewable Energy

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Renewable EnergyRenewable Energy is energy which is always available. Nonrenewable energy comes from sources which may become depleted, and therefore we cannot count on those sources always being there. Renewable energy comes from water, wind, biomass and sunlight. To find out more on how Canada uses renewable energy, go to this website. Moving Water

Solar EnergyBiomass Energy

Wind Power

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Solar EnergySolar energy comes from the sun. The sun is a huge source of energy and has been for billions of years. It gives energy off in the form of radiation. Not all the energy given off by the sun is available to us. Availability depends on the sun’s location in the sky, and current cloud conditions. Also, the atmosphere absorbs some of the sun’s energy, which slightly reduces the amount available to us. But the amount it absorbs is small and leaves plenty left for us to use. Solar collectors, such as solar panels are designed to capture the energy which the sun gives off, and change it from radiation into more usable forms such as heat or electricity.

See an animation of solar energy being used to heat water.

SunSolar Panels

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Wind Energy

Wind energy converts kinetic energy produced by the wind into more useful forms of energy. Wind energy is a very attractive form of energy because it is pollution-free and doesn’t produce greenhouse gases or toxic substances. It is infinitely sustainable because there is always wind, and is always giving off kinetic energy. Wind energy has been used for thousands of years. One of the most common uses of wind energy was to propel boats across bodies of water. Wind catches the sails, and propels the boat.

Wind Turbines

Wind turbines are currently used to convert the kinetic energy into mechanical energy or electricity. Wind turbines are best suited to very windy areas. The speed of the wind is determined by a number of factors, including the local terrain, density of the air, temperature, etc. Wind speed increase the higher above ground one goes, so turbines are usually located on tall towers or in high, open areas. To see wind turbines at work, click here.

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Biomass Energy (Bioenergy)

Biomass energy is produced when the chemical energy stored in fuels made from biomass are released. Biomass is a by-product of solar energy which has been stored through the photosynthetic activity of plants. The CO2 which the plant removed from the atmosphere is combined with water to produce biomass. Different types of wastes which contain biomass are: agricultural waste, municipal waste, forest waste and food processing waste. Specific forms of biomass include wood, straw and manure. Unlike fossil fuels, which take years to develop, biomass is always readily available. Photosynthesis happens on a regular, daily basis, creating biomass.

Create your own biogas generator with instructions from this website!

Cows are a great source of manure

Click here to see bioenergy heating a home.

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Water Energy (Hydroelectric Energy)

Water energy depends on the kinetic energy of moving water. As long as there is snow and water to fill rivers, lakes, streams and oceans, moving water can be a source of renewable energy. Unfortunately, water energy can have a negative impact on the environment. The dams and reservoirs which are built to increase water energy production can destroy the environment in which they are placed. The often destroy large areas of forest and wildlife habitats. The dams can also block the movement of fish and other organisms, disrupting the ecosystem.

In order to reduce the negative impact that dams and reservoirs can have on the environment, the builders of them need to consider all aspects of the environment and ecosystem, and develop a system which works with the environment, not against it.

Click here to see an animation of a dam at work. Water energy depends on

moving water

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Reforestation (Forest Conservation)Reforestation is the process of building up areas which have been subjected to clear cutting. When forests are cut down, we need to go in and plant trees in order to allow the forests to re-grow. Reforestation allows ecosystems the chance to return to the balance that was disrupted when the trees in the area were cut down. Reforestation occasionally occurs on its own, but that is not always the case. This is why society needs to plant trees. Companies who clear cut areas should replant trees, but that often is not the case. Fortunately, there are many opportunities for society to plant trees, and many organizations have days in which they plant trees.

There are many programs available in which you can participate in tree-planting. Here is a website which can provide you with the information you will need if you want to tree-plant.

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Public TransportationOne of the easiest ways to reduce pollution is to take public transportation. Not only is it cost effective, but it’s a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If everyone in the city of Montreal was to take public transit, walk or bike to work or school, greenhouse gas emissions produced by cars, trucks and vans would be vastly reduced. The air would be cleaner, and there would be fewer smog days.

Every city, not just the major ones, should have an effective and widely available public transit system. Many people don’t take public transit because they feel it takes too long, is too dirty, or is a hassle. In order to increase the use of public transit, cities need to offer more frequent buses or metros at peak times during the day. More workers should be hired to keep the transit areas, buses and metros clean.

City budget is a problem for a lot of public transportation needs. The city often does not have enough money to increase the frequency and number of transit vehicles, and may not be able to afford as many workers as necessary. Governments should be aware of the public’s need and desire for effective public transportation. This means writing letters to your MP and making your voice heard.

The Montreal Metro System

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What Can I Do?

Social Changes Recycle, Reduce, ReuseLifestyle Changes

We can all help in the fight against global warming. Below are suggestions for what you can do to help. Pass the information on to your friends and family. Every little bit helps.

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Endangered Species

There are two types of endangered species: Flora and Fauna.

Flora refers to plant life. Fauna refers to animals.

Flora Fauna

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Endangered Species are species which exists in small numbers and may become extinct if they do reproduce and increase their numbers.

Extinction is when a species no longer exists. Well known examples of extinct species include dinosaurs and the dodo bird.

Fauna - Temperate Climate

Here are some examples of animals in danger in this habitat. The list is way bigger than this, and we should try to preserve their natural habitat until they will not exist anymore.

Eastern Cougar, Vancouver Island Marmot, Sea Otter, Bowhead Whale, Right Whale, Beluga Whale (St. Lawrence River, Ungava Bay and Southeast Baffin Island-Cumberland Sound populations), Wolverine (Eastern population), etc.

What causes them to become endangered?:Because of the pollution, Global Warming and the destruction of their natural habitat, a lot of these animals are in danger. Some of the birds are not flying to the south anymore, because the weather is hot enougth in the winter in the continental area. Everything is interrelated, it's the cycle of life. We have to stop the global warming and what causes it, by doing every small step we can do. We should start by changing our habits at home and at work to save energy and try not to encourage the big compagnies who are contribuing to the destruction of the natural habitat of the animals.

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Click here to learn about the temperate climate.

Endangered Fauna in Different Climates

Temperate

Arctic

Rainforest

Desert

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Fauna - Arctic Climate

The arctic is the climate which is suffering the most from the Global warming. The ice is melting and the natural habitat of the animals is slowly disappearing.

This website takes an in-depth look at how global warming is affecting the arctic climate, with special attention to polar bears.

Endangered animals in the arctic climate include: the arctic fox, caribou, ermine, grizzly bear, Harlequin duck, musk ox, polar bear and the snowy owl.

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Click here to learn about the arctic climate.

Fauna - Rainforest ClimateThe fauna in the rainforest climate include apes, parrots, tigers, panthers, etc.

The majority of species in this climate are in danger of becoming endangered or extinct because of the deforestation and clear cutting of their habitat.

Because of the commercial aspect of the wood in the tropical forest, some big companies are clear cutting a very important part of the tropical forest. By cutting all those trees, they are also destroying the natural habitat of an intense variety of animals and insects, and also they are affecting the natural way of living of these living creatures. If a part of the animal food chain is interruped because an insect, plant or animal doesnt exist anymore, all of its predator are going to be affected by that. That is a big problem because everything is related and we are related to this food chain too. Some animals are contribuing to the preservation of this habitat or are helping some other animals or insects to live. The destruction of their natural habitat is so intense, that it is impossible to think of reconstructing it. But, it's time to stop the problem, stop clear cutting and let the nature grow for a while. But, if nobody stops the big companies who want to make money with the trees, this situation will just never stop. Their natural habitat will disapear and the flora and fauna will eventually disappear too.

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Click here to learn about the climate of the rainforest.

Fauna – Desert Climate

Examples of animals in this climate include: Camel Greater Bilby, Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Bridled Nailtail Wallaby, etc.

http://www.wildcamels.com/lopnur.htm

http://www.australiazoo.com.au/conservation/programs/habitat.php

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Click here to learn about the desert climate.

Endangered Flora in Different Climates

Temperate

Arctic

Rainforest

Desert

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Flora - Temperate Climate

http://www.richarddesjardins.qc.ca/documentaires/erreur_boreale.html

This is a very good documentary about global warming, this one is in french but you can find a lot of documentaries on the same topic in every language. (Look at your videostore or at discovery chanel, etc.)

This is a list of some endangered animals in the temperate climate:

Gattinger's Agalinis, Skinner's Agalinis, Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus, Slender Bush Clover, Pink Coreopsis, Southern Maidenhair Fern, White Prairie Gentian, Small White Lady's slipper, Pink Milwort, Eastern Mountain Avens, Hoary Mountain-mint, Slender Mouse-ear-cress, Western Fringed Prairie Orchid, Heart-leaved Plantain, Large Whorled Pogonia, Small Whorled Pogonia, Wood Poppy, Engelmann's Quillwort, Threat-leaved Sundew, Cucumber Tree, Water-pennywort, Spotted Wintergreen.

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Click here to learn about the temperate climate.

Flora - Arctic Climate

Examples of flora endangered in the arctic climate include: Arctic moss, Arctic willow, Caribou Moss, Bearberry, Diamond-leaf Willow, Labrador Tea, Pasque Flower,Tufted Saxifrage, etc

The melting of the glaciers, the destruction of their natural habitat, the weather changing and the pollution in general are about to causes some very important environmental problems in the Arctic aeria. The natural flora is in danger and a lot of animals and insects depend on it to survive.

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Click here to learn about the arctic climate.

Flora - Rainforest Climate

Many kinds of trees are being affected by clear cutting for too long now. This is one of the reasons why some species are disappearing and others are already extinct. The pollution, changing weather and clear cutting are the natural habitat of a lot of flora and fauna. This is getting worse everyday and we need to stop it. One day there will be no tropical forest and all the flora that lives in it will be extinct.

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Click here to learn about the climate of the rainforest.

Flora - Desert Climate

Examples of flora which are becoming endangered because of global warming are: Conophytum, Drosanthemum, Gibbaeum, Glottyphyllum, Ruschia, Trichodiademal; and some crassulacls: Adromischus, Cotyledon, Crassulal; aloacls Haworthia, etc.

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Click here to learn about the desert climate.

Lifestyle Changes

Save Energy at Home

Save Energy at Work

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Save Energy at Home

1- Put your thermostat down of 1°C. 2- Use energy saving light bulbs. It lasts 12 times longer and it uses less energy to

produce more light.

If everyone installed just one energy saving light bulb the CO2 emissions saved would fill 2 million double decker buses. And if each house installed three energy saving bulbs, it would save enough energy to run the country's street lights for a year.*

*http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/energy_saving_products/types_of_energy_saving_recomended_products/lightbulbs_and_fittings

Don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave a room, and sometimes you don't really need to have more than one light open at a time. If you are done with your computer or any other electric object, you should turn it off and unplug it. Then you will save energy and you will also preserve the length of working life of your electric object.

Here are more ways to save energy at home.

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Your family can change some things in your home that may help to preserve the heat, such as ;

• Sealing the windows with a double glazing or with a special winter sealing product. Because most of the old house have poor heat preserving capacities or old window frame. So the energy lost is a big problem. What you can do to help is to put a sealing silicone around the window frame, put a special heat preserving plastic surface on the window and then the heat will stay in the house and you will save energy.

• In fact, you should think of every part of your home, which may lose energy because of heat loss. (Windows, walls and the roof, etc. )You can fill your wall with insulation, so the insulation will be better.

• If you want to be sure your home is a good energy saver, you should do an energy check. Some websites can help you to identify some small energy waste in your way of living. Then you will be sure you are doing everything to preserve and save energy!

• You can also generate your own energy. By using solar energy or wind energy. You can also use solar water heating, to produce your hot water! This way to have hot water is cleaner and is a good way to preserve the environment.

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Save Energy at Work

Computer and lights

• If you can turn of your computer when you don't use it during your working time, turn it off. If you are the last one, turn everything off, the computers and the lights in the general area. If you can change your light bulb, change it for an energy saving light bulb.

• Close the windows and the doors. Then the heat will not leave the room.

• Always close every heat system if you can or reduce the level of heating. Close the cooling system too. If you want to preserve the freshness of the room close the curtains so the light won’t come in.

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Here are more ways to save energy at work.

Wear sweaters or layered clothing so you can adjust to stay comfortable.

If you want to have a lot of other very good ideas for saving energy at work you should visit this website.

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Four Climates at RiskPolar Regions

Temperate Zone

RainforestDesert

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Desert Climate

Whoops!

This page is still under construction!

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For now, you can learn about endangered Flora and Fauna in the desert.

POLAR REGIONS

Glacier melting

The effects of Global Warming are causing various climate changes in both the Arctic and the Antarctic regions.

Changes in Sea level

Impact on human communities

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?How are Flora and Fauna affected?

Glacier Melting

Arctic sea-ice extent has decreased by 2.9% per decade over the 1978-1996 period.

Some of the first impacts of warming will be associated with the loss of permanent ice cover in the far northern lakes; these impacts are already taking place in the Canadian High Arctic. As the length of the ice-free season increases, these effects will be amplified. However, climate warming is expected to increase levels of dissolved matter in many arctic freshwater systems as warming increases vegetation growth.

Lakes are draining into the sea from Permafrost thawing and ground slumping

What will happened to the animals living in the arctic?

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Change in Sea Level

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Impact on human communities

Indigenous Peoples throughout the Arctic maintain a strong connection to the environment through hunting, herding, fishing and gathering.

However, climate changes have affected their lifestyles due to is impact on their immediate environment.

Some of the impacts caused by global warming:

• Early spring

• Faster snowmelt and river break-up

• Inaccessibility to certain areas due to unstable ice surface

• Availability of some species has changed due to the inability of people to hunt them under changing environmental conditions.

• Northward movement of the pack-ice edge is expected to reduce the availability of seabirds as food resources to many arctic communities.

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TEMPERATE ZONE

Where is the Temperate Zone situated?

Warm Summer Subtype:• Eastern and Midwestern U.S. from • Atlantic coast to 100th meridian.• East central Europe.• Northern China.• Northern Korea.

Cool Summer Subtype:• New England, Great Lakes region.• South and central Canada.• Scandinavia, eastern Europe, • Russia

What will be the impact of global warming in the Temperate Zone?

How are animals in the Temperate Zone affected by global warming?

How are plants in the Temperate Zone affected by global warming?

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The Impact of Global Warming in the Temperate ZoneWe often pretend that impacts of global warming are only affecting the polar regions,

however , we are also concerned with this phenomena. Natural disasters such as hurricanes and droughts are hitting us more and more every year.

Hurricanes Droughts

A major factor contributing to global warming in the Temperate Zone of North

America, apart from pollution, is deforestation or clear cutting.

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Hurricanes and Global WarmingOne of the world’s leading organization dedicated to Global Warming research,The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has recently released a report stating the influence of global warming in the increasing number of tropical Storms. However, tropical storms vary often in tendency, therefore, no specific linkage can be made between Global Warming and hurricanes.

• The surfaces of most oceans have warmed up by 0.25-0.5 degree Celsius during the past several decades.

• The IPCC considers that the likely primary cause of the rise in global mean surface temperatures in the past 50 years is the increased gas concentration.

• The hurricanes that do occur near the end of the 21st century are expected to be stronger and have significantly more intense rainfall than under present day climate conditions. This expectation is based on an anticipated enhancement of energy available to the storms due to higher tropical sea surface temperatures.

Climate change caused by global warming is nonetheless altering the temperatures among sea waters.

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Droughts and Global Warming• Widespread cutting down of trees for fuel reduces the soil's ability to hold water, drying out the ground, triggering desertification, and leading to drought.

• Greater evaporation, particularly during summer and fall, could exacerbate drought conditions and increase the risk of wildfires.

• The wildlife therefore sees its habitat destroyed.

• The world of agriculture may also be at risk. Extreme drought, which makes modern agriculture virtually impossible, is seen by a new study from the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research as possibly affecting about one-third of the planet in the next century. (http://www.newstarget.com/020649.html) .

• The effects of drought caused by global warming is also threatening populations around the world where clean water is already rare or difficult to access. This phenomenon will only increase in the years to come.

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Clear cutting in Canada

• Clear cutting is not only affecting the tropical rainforests, it is a problem that is close to us as well.

• One of Canada’s symbols is vanishing due to clear cutting. The Cedar tree which is used by the native communities to carve their totem poles is being cut more and more to increase the revenues of British Colombia’s coastal logging industry.

• Canada possess one the greatest treasure this earth can give. The Pacific coast holds one-quarter of the remaining coastal temperate rainforest in the world. This is the largest intact tract left on Earth. And over 50 per cent of these forests have been logged

http://www.canadianrainforests.org/

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Go to this slide for more information on clear cutting/deforestation

THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST

?Why is the Rainforest so Important for the Earth?

?What are the Impacts of

TropicalRainforest

Deforestation?

Home Back Temperate Climate Polar Regions Desert

?What Flora and Fauna

are affected?

Why is the rainforest so important for the Earth?• Tropical rainforests are incredibly rich ecosystems that play a fundamental role in the basic functioning of the planet. • Rainforests are home to probably 50 percent of the world's species, making them an extensive library of biological and genetic resources. • In addition, rainforests help maintain the climate by regulating atmospheric gases and stabilizing rainfall, protect against desertification, and provide numerous other ecological functions.

?Some Rainforest

facts

Home Back Rainforest Deforestation in Rainforests

The Impact of Deforestation of the Tropical Rainforest• It is unfortunate to see how the tropical rainforest is dying little by little as time goes by.

• Deforestation is ravaging the areas Central and South America as well as Asia, parts of Africa and Australia.

• Although tropical forests cover only about a small percentage of the Earth’s dry land, they probably harbor about half of all species on Earth. Many species are so specialized to microhabitats within the forest that they can only be found in small areas. Their specialization makes them vulnerable to endangerment and extinction.

• In addition to the species lost when an area is totally deforested, the plants and animals in the fragments of forest that remain also become increasingly vulnerable, sometimes even committed, to extinction.

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More information on clear cutting and deforestation can be found here.

Recover & Reuse electronic devices

Composting

Encourage those around you

Be creative!

RECYCLE

REDUCE • REUSE

Home Back Lifestyle Changes Social Changes What Can I Do?

Recycle and reuse electronic devicesAs our society is becoming more dependent on electronic devices in their every day lives, an urge to educate our whole society unto how to recycle dying or non-functioning electronic material. Often some equipment might be reusable or could be taken apart to several separate piece to be reused into other electronic objects.

Companies such as HP are taking action reinforcing their policies on recycling electronic equipment. Simple actions towards educating society into this way of thinking is definitely large steps into making this planet a better place to live.

Here are some small steps you can take to recycle, reduce and reuse electronic devices:

• Recycle inkjet cartridges

• Some companies offer recycling services directly on their websites

• Donate your equipment to good will, often this electronic equipment can be sent to different areas in the world where computers and other kinds of materials are needed.

• Shop for items that are energy friendly and that aim to reduce energy use.

• Reconsider twice throwing away your electronic equipment. Try reusing it.

Home Back Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Compost Encourage Others Be Creative!

Composting• Composting is another great solution to reducing the amount of waste. Government programs are being developed to educate people on how to practice composting.

• Ground-up food clogs pipes places additional load on the wastewater treatment plants.

• Composting helps reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reducing the number of trips trucks must make to the landfill as well as the amount of methane released by our landfills.

• Adding compost to lawns and gardens helps them retain moisture, requiring less watering. Applying compost to your lawn will also protect it, reducing the need for pesticides, which are harmful to the environment.

Home Back Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Encourage Others Electronics Be Creative!

Be Creative!

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Home Back Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Compost Electronics Encourage Others

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Encourage Those Around You

Home Back Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Compost Electronics Be Creative!

QUIZ!Use this quiz as a way to evaluate how much you learned from this PowerPoint. Write your answers using pen and paper.

1. How can you save energy at home?

2. How can you save energy at work?

3. What are other travelling options you can use instead of your car?

4. Name 3 things that produce Greenhouse Gases.

5. How do the Greenhouses Gases affect Global Warming?

6. What materials can we recycle?

7. Which types of energy are less harmful?

8. Name 3 things we can do with the objects you don't use anymore instead of putting it in the garbage?

9. Name 3 things that contribute to the destruction of the natural habitat of the flora and fauna globally.

10. For each of the 4 climates, give one consequence that Global Warming has on the habitat.

11. What does “Clear Cutting” mean?

12. What do you think you can do to help?

13. Think of your way of living, do you think you could change some bad behaviours in order to create less pollution?

14. Name 3 different types of pollution and one way in which each negatively affects the environment.

15. Can we produce our own energy at home? If your answer is yes, give some examples of how you can adapt your home to use more eco-friendly energy.

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References UsedThis is a list of references used that do not appear as links throughout the PowerPoint. Explore these websites for additional information on Global Warming and the Environment.

http://www.canren.gc.ca/default_en.asp

http://www.allthingsarctic.com/environment/end_species.aspx

http://www.answers.com/

http://www.climatecrisis.net/

http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=FD9B0E51-1

http://www.epa.gov/kids/

http://www.re-energy.ca/

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/

http://www.panda.org/