ENVIRONMENTAL

AWARENESS
What is Environmental
Awareness?
•Environmental
awareness is an
integral part of the
movement's success.
Examples of
Environmental Issues
That Need Fixing:
Here are several cause-and-effect
problems that harm our
environment:
•Oil Drilling- This issue is one that
causes a great deal of environmental
destruction. Oil spills and offshore
drilling poison marine life, oil drilling (on
land) suffocates the earth, and the
combustion of fossil fuels add to the
increased atmospheric COz, which in
turns causes the progression of global
warming and ocean acidification.
•Deforestation- Millions of acres of
forest are cut down for industrial benefit,
such as large scale farming, oil mining,
and the production of paper goods.
Deforestation causes wildlife and
biodiversity extinction. The International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
has a Red List of environmentally
threatened species with up-to-date
information.
•Production of Plastic Goods-
Currently our society creates a great
deal of waste and much of that waste is
comprised of plastic. According to the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
in 2010 alone 31 million tons of plastic
waste was created. This waste ends up
all over the globe in both land and
water, a good example is the Great
Pacific Garbage Patch.
Possible Project Ideas
•1.Instead of driving to work or
school, take the bus, carpool, walk,
or ride your bike to cut down on
greenhouse gas emissions.
•2.Consider investing in appropriate
technology like clean power (solar or
wind), if not for your home maybe
for a community center.
•3.Buy reusable products such as glass
bottles, reusable bags and cups etc.
Avoid buying paper towels, plastic
bottles and bags.
•4.Start composting and recycling, which
will help cut down our waste production.
•5.Support local businesses and farmers
by only buying organic food at farmers
markets.
GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming
•Increase in Earth's average temperature due
to human activities, primarily the emission of
greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2).
This phenomenon has been accelerating over
the past 50 years, causing significant
environmental and societal impacts. Nearly
all of the hottest years on record have
occurred since 2000, reflecting the
seriousness of this global issue.
Causes of global warming
•Global warming is primarily caused by
the greenhouse effect. This occurs when
greenhouse gases, such as CO2,
methane, and nitrous oxide, accumulate
in the Earth's atmosphere and trap heat
from the sun. Instead of the heat
escaping into space, it remains in the
atmosphere, causing the planet to warm.
The main sources of these gases are
•Burning fossil fuels(coal, oil, natural
gas) for energy and transportation.
•Deforestation, which reduces the
Earth's capacity to absorb CO2.
• Agriculture and industrial processes
that release large quantities of
methane and other gases.
In the U.S., the largest source of
heat-trapping pollution comes
from burning fossil fuels to
produce electricity, especially in
coal-burning power plants. The
transportation sector is the
second-largest contributor,
generating over 1.7 billion tons of
Impacts of Global Warming on
Weather
Global warming has significant effects on
weather patterns and climate. Scientists have
observed:

- Hotter
and longer heat waves, leading to
severe health risks and crop damage.
- Increased
frequency of extreme weather events
such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts.
- Stronger
hurricanes, with warmer ocean waters
providing more energy for tropical storms.
A notable example is the
California drought, which was
intensified by 15-20% due to
global warming. Warmer oceans
have also fueled stronger
hurricanes like Hurricane Katrina
and Hurricane Sandy, both of
which caused devastating
impacts in the U.S.
Broader Environmental and Economic Impacts

Global warming has far-reaching consequences

beyond weather patterns. Some of the key
impacts include:

- Melting glaciers and ice caps, leading to rising sea

levels and increased flooding in coastal areas
such as Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.
- Severe droughts that threaten water supplies,
especially in the American West.
- Disruption of agriculture and fisheries, as
changing weather patterns, heat waves, and
new pests damage crops and marine life.
- Biodiversity loss, as many species face
extinction due to habitat destruction,
especially in sensitive ecosystems like coral
reefs and alpine meadows.
- Public health risks, including the increased
spread of diseases, asthma, and allergies due
to warmer temperatures and higher air
pollution levels.
Steps to Mitigate Global
Warming
To curb the harmful effects of global warming,
substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are
required. This involves:
- Switching
to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar,
and hydropower.
- Improving energy efficiency in buildings, transportation, and
industries.
- Innovating in cleaner technology for power plants and
vehicles.
- Protecting forests to maintain their role as carbon sinks.
- Globalcooperation to implement policies and strategies for
reducing emissions on an international scale.
The U.S. has made some progress in
reducing emissions between 2005 and
2014 due to cleaner technology and fuel
use. However, much more needs to be
done worldwide to limit future
temperature increases and prevent
catastrophic consequences
Conclusion
Global warming poses a major threat to the
environment, economies, and human health.
The rising global temperature is fueling more
frequent and severe extreme weather events,
melting ice caps, and causing widespread
disruption to ecosystems and agriculture.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and
transitioning to cleaner energy sources are
essential to mitigating these impacts.
Immediate and widespread action is needed to
slow the pace of global warming and minimize
WHAT IS GREENHOUSE
GASES AND IT’S EFFECT?
&
GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS?
GREENHOUSE GASES
Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are
called greenhouse gases such as:
•Carbon dioxide (CO2)
•Methane (CH4)
•Nitrous oxide (N2O)
•Fluorinated gases
Greenhouse gases trap heat and make the planet
warmer. Human activities are responsible for
almost all of the increase in greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere over the last 150 years. 1 The
largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from
human activities in the United States is from
burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and
transportation.
EPA tracks total U.S. emissions by publishing the
Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse
Gas Emissions and Sinks. This annual report
estimates the total national greenhouse gas
emissions and removals associated with human
activities across the United States.
The primary sources of greenhouse gas
emissions in the United States are:

1. Transportation (28.2 percent of 2018 greenhouse gas emissions)

2. Electricity production (26.9 percent of 2018 greenhouse gas
emissions)
3. Industry (22.0 percent of 2018 greenhouse gas emissions)
4. Commercial and Residential (12.3 percent of 2018 greenhouse
gas emissions)
5. Commercial and Residential (12.3 percent of 2018 greenhouse
gas emissions)
6. Land Use and Forestry (11.6 percent of 2018 greenhouse gas
emissions)
At the global scale, the key greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are:
•Carbon dioxide (CO2)
•Methane (CH4)
•Nitrous oxide (N2O)
•Fluorinated gases
GLOBAL EMISSIONS
BY ECONOMIC
SECTOR
Global greenhouse gas emissions can also be
broken down by the economic activities that lead
to their production, such us:
Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions
by Economic Sector
•Electricityand Heat Production (25%): The
largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions,
mainly from burning coal, natural gas, and oil for
energy production.
•Industry (21%): Emissions result from burning
fossil fuels on-site and from industrial processes like
chemical and mineral transformations, excluding
electricity use emissions.
•Agriculture, Forestry, and Land Use (24%):
Emissions primarily come from farming and
deforestation, with carbon sequestration in
•Transportation (14%): Almost all emissions
come from burning petroleum-based fuels for
road, air, rail, and marine transport.
•Buildings (6%): Emissions arise from
burning fuels for heating and cooking,
excluding electricity use.
•Other Energy (10%): Emissions come from
energy-related activities not tied to electricity
or heat production, such as fuel extraction,
refining, processing, and transportation.
Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels
have significantly increased since 1900.
Since 1970, CO2 emissions have
increased by about 90%, with emissions
from fossil fuel combustion and industrial
processes contributing about 78% of the
total greenhouse gas emissions increase
from 1970 to 2011. Agriculture,
deforestation, and other land-use
changes have been the second-largest
contributors. Emissions of non-CO2
Emissions by Country
In 2014, the top carbon dioxide (CO2)
emitters were China, the United States,
the European Union, India, the
Russian Federation, and Japan. These
data include CO2 emissions from fossil
fuel combustion, as well as cement
manufacturing and gas flaring. Together,
these sources represent a large
proportion of total global CO2 emissions.
Emissions from land use changes are not
included in some estimates, but they are
significant. Agriculture, forestry, and
other land use contribute over 8 billion
metric tons of CO2 equivalent, or about
24% of global greenhouse gas
emissions. In regions like the U.S. and
Europe, land use changes tend to absorb
CO2, helping offset emissions from
deforestation in other areas.
How will climate change affect
Ireland?
Analysis of meteorological data for Ireland shows that the climate
has changed over the past 100 years. The clearest trend is
evident in the temperature records but there is also a trend
towards more intense and frequent rainfall. Some of the
indicators of climate change in Ireland include:
• Ireland‘s
mean annual temperature increased by 0.7
degrees celcius (°C) between 1890 and 2004.
• Theaverage rate of increase is 0.06°C per decade.
However, as Ireland experiences considerable climate
variability, the trend is not linear.
• Thehighest ten-yearly rates of increase have occurred
since 1980, with a warming rate of 0.42°C per decade.
•Sixof the 10 warmest years have occurred
since 1990. Our climate will continue to warm
with possible increases of 3º to 4ºC towards
the end of the century.
•There has been a reduction in the number of
frost days and a shortening of the frost
season length.
•Theannual precipitation has increased on the
north and west coasts, with decreases or
small increases in the south and east.
Climate change is causing ecosystem
shifts in Ireland, such as a longer growing
season and the presence of warmer
latitude species. Impacts are expected to
increase in the coming decades, though
there is uncertainty about their scale,
especially later in the century. The
biggest uncertainty depends on how
successful global efforts are in reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
Predicted negative changes
include:
•the pace of sea-level rise, which has increased
from 1.8 millimetres per annum (mm/a) in 1961
to 3 mm/a in 2005, resulting in a projected sea
•level rise of between 18 cm and 59 cm this
century
•more intense storms and rainfall events
•increased likelihood and magnitude of river and
coastal flooding; increased storm surges
•water shortages in summer in the east, need
for irrigation of crops
•negative impacts on water quality
•changes in the distribution of species, and
possible extinction of vulnerable species
requiring cooler conditions, e.g. the Arctic char
•effects on fisheries that are sensitive to small
changes in temperature, e.g. cod
•increased frequency of wild fires and pest
infestation.
How does human activity lead to additional
greenhouse gases?

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) come from many

activities of the human. The main one is
carbon dioxide (CO2), which is released by
burning fossil fuels and changing how land is
used. Other important GHGs include methane
(CH4), from farming and food waste, and
nitrous oxide (N2O), mostly from agriculture.
Industrial gases like HFCs, PFCs, and SF6 are
also very strong GHGs but are released in
much smaller amounts.
Generally the sources of emissions can be broadly divided into two categories:

1. energy related
2. non-energy related.
•Energy related emissions arise
through power generation, transport,
industry, and buildings (heating and
other fuel use).

•Non-energy related emissions arise

from agriculture, forestry, land use
change and waste disposal activities.
The cycle of greenhouse gases are part of
life on earth. However, it is the enhanced
levels of emissions of these gases that is
currently part of modern life which we need
to address. If we are to effectively reduce
current excessive emissions of greenhouse
gases, fundamental changes are required
in the way energy is produced and
consumed, work is organised, leisure and
travel and management of land and
forests.