NOTES

• Global emmisons

  • There are many sources of environmental pollution that are warming the earth
• Carbon footprint

  • A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the actions of an individual, organisation or community
• Consumer society

  • A society in which the buying and selling of goods is the most important social and economic activity
• Deforestation

  • Large areas of forest and rain forest are destroyed to harvest wood and/or make way for farmland
• Farming

  • As populations grow and the demand for meat increases, so too do the negative effects of farming
  • Farming is used to grow crops for biofuels such as oilseed rape
• Product miles

  • Product mileage refers to the distance travelled by a product, from raw material source, to manufacturer, to user and on to final disposal
• Oceanic pollution

  • The pollution of waterways and oceans is caused by the mismanagement of toxic by-products
  • Oceanic pollutions might be toxins such as fertilisers, dyes and chemicals being released or washed into the water system
• Atmospheric pollution

  • Emissions from all kinds of human activity can have a detrimental affect on the quality of our air
• Social responsibility

  • We all have a responsibility to make more sustainable decisions in our lifestyles that will help reduce our environmental impact
• Social footprint

  
  

  • This measures how far a company’s policies affect all stakeholders in the company, as well as wider society
• Safe working conditions

  • Governments set rules that outline safe working conditions for employees as well as the minimum wage
  • In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ensures employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment
  • Some countries are more relaxed about health and safety law than others
• Recent legislation

  • The Kyoto Protocol is an international commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions signed by 192 out of 196 countries on the planet
  • The Paris Agreement, adopted by 195 countries in 2016 was the world’s first comprehensive climate change agreement to:
  • Limit the increase in global average temperature to well below
  • 2°C above pre-industrial levels
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Give financial support for low-emission development