Mankind Is The Earths Biggest Threat Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate change brought about by global warming is one of the biggest threats to mankind’s survival. Due to human activity the temperature of the earth’s surface has increased by about 1.4°F during the last 90-100 years. Scientists have identified that greenhouse gases are the main reason we are experiencing global warming. The last government was attempting to combat climate change by setting annual targets for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions until 2050 by placing duties on the Prime Minister regarding the reporting on and achievement of those targets; to specify procedures to be followed if the targets are not met; to specify certain functions of and provide certain powers to Members of Parliament with regard to ensuring carbon dioxide emissions are reduced and to set sectored reduction targets and targets for energy efficiency. This seems very easy in principal but in reality the government has failed since the Kyoto Protocol. One key area where they are failing is in the housing sector as the aims are primarily focused on new homes rather than the existing housing stock. By the year 2050 there will be 21 million homes in need of an upgrade to reduce the carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere. In this dissertation we will examine the reasons for global warming and climate change, what government initiatives have been introduced and what solutions can, have and will be implemented to reduce carbon emissions with an emphasis on renewable technologies.

Declaration

I declare that the work contained in this dissertation is my own original work and that no part has been plagiarised from any source whatsoever. Where work, ideas or concepts have been taken or adapted from authors, these will be properly cited and referenced.

This dissertation is approximately 10000 words in length.

Signed……………………………………………………………………

Print Name…………………………………………………………………

Date………………………………………

Contents

The following proposes how my dissertation will be structured. These titles are in conjunction with my aims and objectives and are self explanatory.

Introduction

Aim

Objectives

Research Methodology

Literature Review

Global Warming and Climate Change

Energy Use

Background to climate change mitigation

The Kyoto Protocol

European union context

United Kingdom Context

EU Directive

Alternative and Renewable Energy

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Biomass Energy

Solar Energy

Types of Systems

5.1(a) Solar Hot Water Systems

5.1(b) Photovoltaics

6. Micro Combined Heat & Power

7. Wind Energy Technology

Introduction

The government and industry must reduce their carbon emissions from the United Kingdoms domestic sector in order to meet their climate change targets. 30% of all the United Kingdoms energy comes from the domestic sector and in turn accounts 45% of all emissions. (2008 Energy Technologies Institute LLP-Part of the low carbon innovation group).

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By the year 2050 there will be approximately 32 million dwellings of which 21 million will require refurbishment as they will be the existing housing stock. The government have set a target of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 and in order to achieve this goal they will have to install insulation, educate householders on ways to use energy more efficiently, use more low energy products and supply energy from renewable sources.

Aim

The main aim of this study is to examine ways to reduce carbon emissions from the United Kingdoms existing housing stock.

Objectives

The main objectives of this study to examine:

A brief history of global warming and climate change

What government legislation is in place to reduce carbon emissions

The current energy efficiency of the United Kingdoms existing housing stock

What contribution renewable energy can make towards reducing carbon emissions

Research methodology

The objectives outlined previously will give the reader a better understanding of the subject areas. The research carried out will be a 50 – 50 split between qualitative and quantitative research.

‘Qualitative research is subjective in nature. It is research that cannot be measured because it is not based on facts. It is based on people beliefs, their feelings and their own personal opinions and experiences’. (Naoum 2007 second edition)

‘Quantitative research is ‘objective’ in nature. It is research that is based on factual information that can be proven. It could be results from tests, surveys etc that can be analysed’. (Naoum 2007 second edition)

‘Primary literature is research that includes academic journal, published original work and technical papers’.

AND

‘secondary literature sources are sources such as text books and newspaper articles’ ((Naoum 2007 second edition)

Dissertation Structure

The research into my aim and objective will provide a greater depth of understanding of each subject area. The study will give a background into the need for an energy efficient housing stock including looking at reasons for global warming and climate change. It will also discuss government initiatives and energy use in the domestic sector as well as the reasons why it is difficult to achieve the aims. The existing housing stock will be researched to ascertain their energy efficiency before and after refurbishment.

Some of the primary literature I plan to use include;

Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change

The EU’s Contribution to Shaping A Future Global Climate Change Regime The Sixth Environment Action Programme of the European Community 2002-2012

Our Energy Future – Creating a Low Carbon Economy

Action in the UK – The UK Climate Change Programme

European Buildings Directive

Met office action on co2

Planning for micro renewables – Renewable energy technologies,

Scottish Executive, Development Department

HM Government- Renewable Energy Strategy

Some of the Secondary Sources I plan to use include;

Environmental science in buildings 6th Edition (Randall McMullan)

CIBSE – Energy and carbon emissions regulations – A guide to implementation

The scope for reducing carbon emissions from housing (J.Henderson & L. Shorrock)

Literature Review

Global warming and Climate Change

People are the main cause of climate change. 40% of all co2 emissions come from greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane through energy use in the home, driving and air travel.

Global climate change occurs naturally through oceans, changes in the earths orbit and the suns energy but there is evidence that the greenhouse effect is made worse by mans actions.

What changes have been observed?

global temperature increase: +0.75°C over the past century with 2000-2010 the warmest decade on record

rainfall patterns: wet regions of the world are getting wetter, and dry regions getting drier

humidity: increases over the last two to three decades make extreme rainfall and flooding more likely

warming oceans: temperature increases in the last 50 years in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans are not linked natural variations

salinity: increased evaporation is making the Atlantic saltier in sub-tropical latitudes

sea-ice: summer Arctic sea-ice is declining by 600,000 km² per decade (the area of Madagascar), a long-term trend only explicable by human influences

How the evidence stacks up

Scientists have used sophisticated methods to identify these long-term

changes, and to then consider:

are these changes due to natural variability? (changes in energy from the sun, volcanic eruptions, or natural cycles such as El Niño)

if not, is there evidence that human activity could be to blame?

Peter Stott, Head of Climate Monitoring and Attribution at the Met Office, said: “The science reveals a consistent picture of global change that clearly bears the fingerprint of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. This shows the evidence of climate change has gone beyond temperature increases – it is now visible across our climate system and all regions of the planet.”

The average person thinks that the weather and climate change are the same but this is not the case. Weather is rain, hail, sleet, snow and wind with varying temperatures that change daily, where as climate change is a study of the weather and it changes over time.

The greenhouse consequence is the natural process of the earths atmosphere allowing in some of the energy we receive from the sun (ultraviolet and visible light) and stopping it being transmitted back out into space (infrared radiation the greenhouse effect is the natural process. This makes the Earth warm enough for people to live.

Although there have been quite stable levels of greenhouse gases for many years, industrial and domestic energy use has upset the balance with the evidence of climate change now being seen right across the planet with temperature increases and melting ice caps causing havoc with our eco-system.

Energy Use

Humans use energy such as coal, gas and oil everyday and everytime they do so carbon monoxide and other gases are absorbed by the atmosphere. The natural cycle was for the carbon dioxide to be reabsorbed by the plants and trees. However, we are burning so much fuel, and with humans cutting down our rainforests. the trees and plants can no longer cope. As the increased carbon dioxide levels rise they are being trapped within our atmosphere causing the temperature to rise. This is global warming.

As the global temperature is rising daily we are seeing more floods and extreme weather such as tornados and hurricanes. To try to combat this

we have to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we are using. (The Carbon