Climate Change, Energy Crisis, & Environmental Awareness PDF

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY CRISIS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS  This course is divided into seventeen major parts which are the following:  Climate Change as a Result of Global Warming  Earth's Natural Greenhouse Effect  Enhanced Greenhouse Effect  Greenhouse Gases  Sources of Greenhouse...

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY CRISIS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS  This course is divided into seventeen major parts which are the following:  Climate Change as a Result of Global Warming  Earth's Natural Greenhouse Effect  Enhanced Greenhouse Effect  Greenhouse Gases  Sources of Greenhouse Gases  Global Warming is Changing the Earth  Projected Health Impacts of Climate Change  Managing the Effects of Global Warming  Carbon Footprint Computation  Ways to Reduce Global Warming and Climate Change  Energy Crisis  Causes of the Energy Crisis  Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Alternative Energy Sources  Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Basics  Types of Otec Systems  Advantages and Disadvantages of Otec Technology  Environmental Awareness LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to: 1. recognize the causes and effects of climate change; 2. describe the present energy crisis and alternative energy resources; and 3. demonstrate awareness in the current environmental issues.  CLIMATE CHANGE AS A RESULT OF GLOBAL WARMING  Continuous dependence of people on fossil fuels as source of energy has resulted to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.  The NASA Earth Observatory defined Global Warming as the unusually rapid increase in the Earth's average temperature.  Humanity has greatly forced the changes of the Earth's natural climate.  As reported by the UCSUSA Organization, an increase of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit of the average temperature of the earth over the past 130 years. Majority of that increase occurred over only these past 35 years. It was recorded that the hottest year was last 2016. Since 1998, the 12 warmest years have already occurred in our planet.  EARTH'S NATURAL GREENHOUSE EFFECT  The sun is the principal source of the heat and energy of the earth.  30% of it is reflected into the space when the sunlight tries to reach the earth. These reflections may be due to the clouds or ice in the atmosphere.  The land, ocean, and the rest of the atmosphere absorbs the remaining 70%.  Our planet is heated due to this absorbed heat.  Once the earth's surface warms up, thermal infrared radiation or heat energy will be released in the atmosphere.  Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane present in the atmosphere will most likely absorb the released heat energy of the earth.  The said gases tend to trap the heat on the earth's surface instead of sending it off to the outer space.  This enhances the heating that we get from direct sunlight, results to the natural greenhouse effect on earth.  Life on earth benefits greatly from the natural greenhouse effect.  The absence of the greenhouse effect may lead to a very cold earth.  The present 15℃ (59ºF) of the earth's average surface will decline to 18℃ (0ºF).  This figure show the comparison of the Natural Greenhouse effect from the Human enhanced Greenhouse effect.  ENHANCED GREENHOUSE EFFECT  The primary concern of the scientists is the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere. Mostly this is due to human activities that require burning of fossil fuels and the vast clearing of land.  Research showed that since the Industrial Revolution, nearly 38% of the carbon dioxide have increased as of 2009 and 48% of the methane levels.  Today's atmosphere has greater concentration of greenhouse gas molecules than before. This means that more of the infrared energy released by the earth's surface is trapped in our atmosphere. GREENHOUSE GASES  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the greenhouse gases include the following: 1. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - primarily emitted by burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil), solid waste, trees and wood products. Removal of CO2 from the atmosphere is primarily the thru absorption of plants. 2. Methane (CH4) - emissions are from livestock, agricultural practices, and the decay of organic waste. Production and transport of fossil fuels also release methane. 3. Nitrous Oxide (N2O) - agricultural and industrial activities and combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste are the primary source of nitrous oxide. 4. Fluorinated Gases - also known as High Global Warming Potential (GWP) gases; synthetic powerful greenhouse gases from the emissions of industrial processes. It includes Hydrofluorocarbons, Perfluorocarbons, Sulfur hexafluoride and nitrogen Trifluoride.  SOURCES OF GREENHOUSE GASES From an annual report given by the EPA. Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, these are the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions in USA. 1. Electricity production - the largest amount of greenhouse gas emissions is from electricity production. 2. Transportation - majority of the fuel used by the vehicles are petroleum based (gasoline and diesel). 3. Industry - production of goods from raw materials in the factories requires the use of fossil fuels that leads to emissions of greenhouse gases. 4. Commercial and Residential - handling wastes and burning fossil fuels are common sources of greenhouse gases in homes and commercials places like market and cities. 5. Agriculture - livestock such as cows and goats, agricultural soils and production of rice release greenhouse gases. 5. Land use and Forestry - trees have been the primary absorber of the CO2 in the atmosphere. Clearing of lands make it difficult to control the increasing concentration of the top greenhouse gas CO2.  GLOBAL WARMING IS CHANGING THE EARTH Impacts of the enhanced global warming have been identified by various scientists. More frequent hot days and fewer cool days More intense heat waves Worsening storms, floods and droughts Intensified Hurricanes Warmer ocean surface temperatures Rising sea levels More frequent coastal flooding  Island nations may disappear Accelerated melting of ice sheets nd glaciers Changes in the growing seasons of plants Disruption of normal ecosystem Loss of animal habitat Possible extinction of animals  PROJECTED HEALTH IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE Humans are not excused with the harmful effects of Climate Change. Here's a list of the possible impacts of climate change to humankind. Increase malnutrition and consequent disorders. Increase in the number of people dying and suffering from disease and injury due to heat waves, floods, storms, fires, and droughts. Continue to change the range of some infectious disease vectors.  Have mixed effects on malaria Increase the burden of diarrheal diseases. Increase cardio-respiratory morbidity and mortality associated with ground-level ozone.  MANAGING THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING  Ways to manage the effects of Global warming:  Practical solutions should be started in order to decrease the carbon emissions, slow down the pace of global warming and provide a sustainable future to the next generations.  Reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases into the earth's atmosphere.  Reducing our personal carbon emissions every day.  The leaders of the world must put into actions that can support and implement laws and regulations that can provide efficient climate solutions.  CARBON FOOTPRINT COMPUTATION  It is usually expressed in equivalent tons of Carbon Dioxide CO 2.  It calculates the sum of all the produced carbon induced by a person's energy use.  Awareness of personal carbon footprints can help reduce energy consumption leading to minimized carbon emissions production.  The US Environmental protection Agency has been reported that since 1970, the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide has an estimate increase of 36%.  Based from scientific studies, the increase of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere originates mostly from human activities.  Carbon footprint calculators have been developed by the EPA and non-profit environmental agencies in oredr to calculate individual carbon contributions.  Online calculators are also available. In using the calculator, personal information about vehicle or public transportation usage, energy used at home, water consumption, food consumption, goods production and waste management are necessary to get the computation.  Minimizing personal energy consumption is the primary way to reduce carbon footprint.  Use of public transportation or low-emission vehicles, eergy- efficient products at home, reusing and recycling are some of the ways to decrease carbon footprints.  WAYS TO REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE To reduce Global Warming and the alarming climate change, the people can do their own part by doing the following: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Use Less heat and air conditioning. Drive less and drive smart. Buy energy efficient products. Grow your own foods in your backyard. Plant trees in your backyard. Replace incandescent lights to fluorescents light bulbs.  Use hybrid or electric cars. Encourage others to conserve. Support the government projects toward environmental preservations.  ENERGY CRISIS  A sustainable nd reliable source of energy of a country shows its prosperity and development.  As stated by the US Energy Information Administration, the primary energy sources include petroleum,natural gas, coal, renewable energy, and nuclear electric power.  Non-renewable - They do not form or replenish in a short period of time. - Extracted from the ground in the form of liquids, gases, and solids. - Liquid petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel fuel are made out of the crude oil. Butane, ethane, and propane are taken from both natural gas and crude oil.  Classification of non-renewable sources: Energy sources such as crude oil natural gas coal nuclear energy  Renewable - energy sources that replenish naturally in a short period of time. -Biomass includes wood and wood waste, landfill gas, Biogas, Ethanol, and biodiesel.  Classification of renewable sources: Solar Geothermal Hydropower Wind Biomass Bio-fuels  Developing countries have high demands of energy resources in order to secure its future economic development.  Unfortunately, environmental risks are associated in accessing energy demands.  CAUSES OF THE ENERGY CRISIS The causes behind the energy crisis can never be blamed to a single factor. This globa problem can be attributed to the following according to the publications of the World Energy Organization. 1. Overconsumption - This is the result of too much use of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. 2. Overpopulation - The human population steady increase leads to more demands to energy resources. 3. Poor infrastructure - The continued use of outdated equipments in maintaining old infrastructures limits energy production.. 4. Unexplored renewable energy options - Ignorance of other renewable energy sources options will lead the people to greatly depend in non-renewable energy sources. 5. Delay in commissioning of power plants - The big difference between the energy demands and supply of some countries may be due to its reliance to the old power plants established years ago. 6. Wastage of energy - The energy wasting habits at home such as leaving the lights on or leaving electronic gadgets plugged adds more problem with the energy shortage nowadays. 7. Poor distribution system - If the energy from plants has poor distribution system, tripping and breakdowns will be more frequent. 8. Major accidents and natural calamities - Energy supply shortages may be caused by natural calamities, like volcanic erruptions, floods and earthquakes, and major accidents. This may result to greater increase in energy price in the global market. 9. Wars and attacks - Unsettled wars involving Middle East cuntries may create major problems for energy consumers due to global shortage. 10. Miscellaneous factors - These factors include Political Events, Strikes, Tax hikers, Service Weather Changes. If the problems will arise from oil producing companies, it will directly cause energy crisis. STATUS OF OTEC POWER PLANTS AS OF MAY 2017 The current status of OTEC power plants as of May 2017.  ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS In order to find the best solution to address the current environmental crisis, environmental awareness is a number on requirement. Here is a list of the current issues the environment is facing today: 1. Air pollution - Toxins from the factories and vehicle are the primary reason behind the air pollution. Urban sprawl, acid deposition, and oil leaks contaminate the groundwater. The burning of fossil fuels from the power plants and manufacturing plants discharge different gases that pollute the air. 2. Water pollution - In the increasing human population results to more demand for clean water. Pollution of water are mostly caused by discharges from agricultural and industrial activities. 3. Soil and land pollution - Mining for minerals, deforestation, construction, and industrial activities degrade the earth's surface. Land pollution have a big impact in the terrestrial ecosystems. 4. Climate change - The melting of the polar ice, new health issues, changes in seasons are some of the many destructive impacts of the Climate Change resulting from the increasing temperature of the earth's surface. 5. Global warming - Greenhouse gases are by-products of fossil fuel utilization. In turn, it leads to environmental changes that affect human, animals, and plants. 6. Deforestation - The forests play a great responsibilityin managing the earth's temperature and precipitation. The increased number of human population results to more demands for homes, food, and materials. The forests are continuously losing in order to provide these demands. 7. Increased carbon footprint - Human activities directly and indirectly produce greenhouse gases. As humans depend in fossil fuels, carbon footprint is increased and this cause destruction to the earth. 8. Genetic modification - The demands for food due to the increasing population have been addressed by genetic engineering. The umans found a way to modify the genes of the plants through this technology. However, these genetically modified food causes threat to the animal consumers those results to poisons and sicknesses. 9. Effect on marine life - One of the problems in the world is facing the increasing amount of carbon in the water. This has a direct effect on shellfishes and microscopic fishes. 10. Public health issues - The present environmental problems are a great threat to the wellness of the humankind, including the animals. If left unresolved, this may affect the life span of both human and animals. 11. Overpopulation - Ar present, the sustainability of the earth's resources is at threat due to the increasing growth of population. This is one of the most salient environmental problem that needs to the addressed immediately. 12. Loss of biodiversity - Human activities have affected the earth's biodiversity. Destruction of habitat leads to loss of biodiversity. 13. Littering and landfills - The problem in proper waste disposal has been one of the issues related with the growth of population and industries. Municipal and household garbage once incinerated or buried in landfills result to environmental damagein the long run. Certain waste products of manufacturing industries generate refuse that cannot be reuse and must be properly dispose of. 14. Ozone layer depletion - The ozone layer provides a great protection against the radiation of the sun. The presence of Chlorofluorocarbon's (CFC's) in the atmosphere breaks the bond of the ozone in the atmosphere. The greatest ozone depletion was detected over the Antarctic. 15. Mining - The earth's minerals once extracted through mining may release harmful chemicals to the atmosphere. These emissions may pollute the air, water and the soil. 16. Natural resource depletion - Overconsumption of the non- renewable resources of the earth may lead to global warming that result to more alarming environmental issues. 17. Natural disasters - Millions of people are severely affected by the current natural calamities happening in the planet. This includes hurricaes, floods, earthquakes and forest fires. What makes it worst is its unpredictability and the irreparable outcomes. 18. Nuclear issues - One great source of energy comes from nuclear resources. However, its by-product,the radioactive waste is extremely harmful and toxic. Improper disposal of radioactive wastes will affect humans, plants, and animals including in the environment. 19. Habitat loss - Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation are the different kinds of habitat loss. This environmental concern may pose a great threat to the wildlife and terrestrial ecosystems. 20. Acid rain - The acidic rain water caused by the contamination of precipitation with nitrogen and sulfuric acids has great ecological effects. The acid deposition may affect the aquatic ecosystems, forest, man-made structures, and even cause health issues. 21. Agricultural pollution - The use of chemical products like pesticides and fertilizers has been a common agricultural practice nowadays in dealing with pest. As the chemicals seep into the ground, it contaminates the groundwater and thereby will soon affect the plants and crops. 22. Light and noise pollution - One of the common concerns arising from the urban areas is the high density of lights from buildings, cars, and street lights. This pollution greatly affects the bird populations especially in their communication, mating, and social behavior. 23. Urban sprawl - Urban sprawl or the widespread population growth in undeveloped areas brings about results to various effects. This includes increase in public costs, traffic flow congestions, health issues, and environmental concerns. 24. Medical waste - The refuse generated from healthcare facilities like hospitals, laboratory clinics, dental clinics, and nursing homes are considered biologically hazardous waste. Improper disposal of these biomedical wastes can lead to environmental contamination. “ When the last tree is cut and the last fish killed, the last river poisoned, then you will see that you can't eat money”. -John May-