Group 4

• GLOBAL CONCERN OVER THE ENVIRONMENT
• Global concern over the environment

  Widespread worry and attention given to issues related to the health and sustainability of our planet, including concerns such as climate change, deforestation, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and depletion of natural resources
• Climate change


  • Changes to Earth's climate driven by increased human emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, with widespread effects on the environment
• Deforestation


  • Decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining activities, negatively affecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and the climate
• Ocean pollution


  • Combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean, resulting in damage to the environment, health of organisms, and economic structures worldwide
• Biodiversity loss


  • Reduction of any aspect of biological diversity (i.e., diversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels) in a particular area through death (including extinction), destruction or manual removal
• Air pollution


  • Contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere, from sources like household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires
• Water scarcity


  • Insufficient freshwater resources to meet the human and environmental demands of a given area
• Overfishing


  • Catching too many fish at once, so the breeding population becomes too depleted to recover, often going hand in hand with wasteful types of commercial fishing
• Poverty


  • A state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and other essentials for a minimum standard of living, leading to lack of proper housing, clean water, healthy food, and medical attention
• Overpopulation


  • The state whereby the human population rises to an extent exceeding the carrying capacity of the ecological setting, contributing to environmental deterioration, worsening in the quality of life, or even the disintegration of the population
• Waste disposal


  • The collection, sorting, transport and treatment of waste as well as its storage and tipping above or under ground; the transformation operations necessary for its re-use, recovery or recycling
• Price of Prosperity


  • Income inequality
  • Inflation
  • Urban Congestion
  • Environmental Degradation
  • Housing Shortages
  • Labor issues
  • Social tensions
• Greenhouse gases


  Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), Methane (CH₄), Nitrous Oxide (N₂O), Fluorinated Gases
• Greenhouse gases and their effects

  1. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): Released from burning fossil fuels, emitted from deforestation and industrial processes

  2. Methane (CH₄): Emitted during production and transport of fossil fuels, produced by livestock and waste decay

  3. Nitrous Oxide (N₂O): Emitted from agricultural and industrial activities, produced during combustion

  4. Fluorinated Gases: Synthetic gases used in industrial applications
• Global Warming Potential (GWP)


  • Gases vary in their GWP, with methane and fluorinated gases having much higher GWP than carbon dioxide
• Environmental Impact of Greenhouse Gases

  • Climate Change: Increased global temperatures, rising sea levels, more frequent and severe weather events
  • Biodiversity Loss: Habitat destruction and species extinction, disruption of ecosystems and food chains
  • Human Health: Increased respiratory and cardiovascular diseases from air pollution, greater incidence of heat-related illnesses and vector-borne diseases
• Climate change


  The composition of generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness and winds throughout the year, averaged over a series of years
• Factors affecting climate

  1. Abiotic factors: latitude, altitude, ocean current, topography, solar radiation, evaporation, orbital variation, volcanic activity

  2. Biotic factors: Transportation, respiration, photosynthesis, decomposition, Earth's natural greenhouse
• Greenhouse gases


  Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone layer, needed in atmosphere to regulate temperature to sustain life
• Global warming


  A phenomenon of climate change characterized by a general increase in average temperature of the Earth, which modifies the weather balances and ecosystems for a long time, directly linked to the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, worsening the greenhouse effect
• Effects of climate change

  • Temperature will continue to rise
  • Glaciers are melting
  • Sea level will rise
  • Effects on biodiversity
  • Effects on humans
• What we can do to address climate change

  • Renewable energies
  • Energy and water efficiency
  • Sustainable transportation
  • Sustainable infrastructure
  • Sustainable agriculture and forest management
  • Responsible consumption and recycling