Seriousness of Climate Change Issues

Climate change is a serious and urgent issue. The Earths climate is changing, and the scientific concern is
not only that human activities have contributed to it significantly, but that the change is far more rapid and
dangerous than thought earlier. The global mean temperature of the earth is rising; it has risen by 0.7 oC in
the 20th century, and continues on an upward trend. This has already begun to impose costs (e.g., in the
form of heat waves, frequency of extreme events, and recession of glaciers), but these are still within the
bounds of common experience.
Therefore, it is assumed that the average annual temperatures in North America, Europe, and East Asia
will increase by 2-4C by 2046 2065. One effect of this will be that the hottest summer of the last 20
years is expected to occur at least every other year. By the end of the century, if the trend of increasing
greenhouse gas emissions continues, temperatures will increase by 5-6C.
Besides the environmental damage, which is the original driving force behind studies of climate change,
we as humans should be more aware of global warmings consequences because it may have some effect
on our behavior. In a recent study conducted by the University of California Berkeley and Princeton
University, scientists discovered a positive correlation between increasing temperature and human
violence. If we take these studies seriously, then going green can be a lot more important than we ever
thought before.

The Process of Climate Change

Climate change occurs when the factors that influence it changes. Changing climate on a global scale,can
only occur when the amount of heat in the Earths system changes by either being added or released.
Warming climates are the result of either an increase in heat entering the Earth or a decrease in heat
released from the atmosphere. The heat entering Earth comes from the Sun. Sunlight enters our
atmosphere and heats the land surface and the oceans. Heat exits the Earth system as the Earths surface,
warmed by solar energy, radiates heat away. However, certain gases in our atmosphere, called greenhouse
gases, allow the lower atmosphere to absorb the heat radiated from the Earths surface, trapping heat
within the Earth system. Greenhouse gases, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous
oxide, are an important part of our atmosphere because they keep Earth from becoming an icy sphere with
surface temperatures of about 0F. However, over the past century or so the amounts of greenhouse gases
within our atmosphere have been increasing rapidly, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels, which
releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Consequently, in the past one hundred years global
temperatures have been increasing more rapidly than the historic record shows. Scientists believe this
accelerated heating of the atmosphere is because increasing amounts of these greenhouse gases trap more
and more heat .The amount of heat trapped in the Earths atmosphere can fluctuate, possibly due to small
changes in Earths orbit around the Sun that occur over thousands of years or by changes in the Suns
intensity. Besides, the amount of heat can fluctuate as a result of human actions.
Our weather is always changing and now scientists are discovering that our climate does not stay the
same either. Climate, the average weather over a period of many years, differs in regions of the world that
receive different amounts of sunlight and have different geographic factors, such as proximity to oceans
and altitude.

Steps To Mitigate the Climate Change Issues

There are many different factors that complicate this system, including clouds, volcanic eruptions, oceans,
and people. Additionally, there are likely factors that affect climate which we have yet to identify. In the
coming decades, climate change will affect our environmental, social, and economic resources. We have
the ability to respond in a variety of ways to influence how our changing climate will affect us and the
natural and built environments we depend on. Our responses fall into two broad categories: mitigation
and adaptation. Mitigation refers to the steps we take to slow down the rate of climate change through
reductions of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, while adaptation refers to the ways we prepare for and
react to changes in our climate to reduce the risks posed by those changes. Therefore it is very significant
at this point that few measurable steps to be taken by us as the inhabitants of Earth. The following are few
steps that can be taken:

Cleaner alternative energy sources

One important way to fight climate change is to use alternative sources of renewable energy which will
not release harmful emissions. Some of these cleaner sources of renewable energy include wind energy,
solar energy, water or hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy.By reducing our reliance on and
usage of fossil fuels, and tapping on alternative and greener sources of energy, not only are we helping to
reduce the release of greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere, and hence helping
to reduce global warming and fight climate change, we are also helping to ensure the sustainability of the
worlds living and development.

Energy saving tips

Before we discover reliable and sustainable green energy sources that we can tap on effectively, we need
to learn how to conserve our energy sources.
Even if we discover the green energy sources to last us forever, it is still a good value to not be wasteful.
To do so, we can adopt energy saving tips like using energy-saving appliances like the compact
fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, switching off our electrical appliances when they are not in use.

Green driving
Given the number of automobiles in the world today, they emit a substantial amount of greenhouse gases
and contribute significantly to global warming and climate change. In fact, after coal-burning power
plants, automobiles are the second largest source of carbon dioxide.
Which is why cutting greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles is a critical strategy to fighting global
warming and climate change. The best strategy on how to reduce climate change is definitely to reduce
the use of automobiles. Use public transport or carpool, instead of driving our own car. This is because
the amount of pollution created when we drive by ourselves (as opposed to carpooling or driving others)
can be as bad as taking the plane!
If there is a must for a drive, then use an eco-friendly and fuel efficient car, and ensure that our vehicles
engine is working in impeccable condition at all times. A car in poor working condition uses more fuel for
the same mileage covered, and releases more carbon dioxide and exhaust gases.

Reduce Reuse Recycle practices

The culture of consumerism today encourages people to buy and throw, with little consideration for the
impact of such unsustainable consumption on the world. For each item that we purchase and use, energy
and resources are used in its manufacture, packaging, transportation and retail, and ultimately its disposal.
Pollution is created each step of the process, and substantial greenhouse gases are also released. It is time
we think twice about the way we are living life. If we are to live a sustainable and green life, leaving
minimal carbon footpaths during our passage through this earth, we need to resist the culture of
consumerism, and instead adopt a lifestyle guided by the Reduce Reuse Recycle principle.
Reducing, reusing and recycling help us conserve resources and energy, and reduce pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions produced, for example in the raw material extraction and disposal processes. In
turn, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions substantially would help us reduce global warming and fight
climate change.

Re-forestation
The cleanest and most efficient remover of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere actually comes free. This
remover is a gift from nature our green plants and trees. Unfortunately, we have taken this gift for
granted. The rate at which we are cutting down our trees and forests to make way for human
developments has greatly reduced the earths ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This
has in turn contributed to a faster rate of global warming and climate change. You can do your part by
contributing to re-forestation efforts. Take part in your local communitys plant-a-tree effort. Grow an
organic garden of your own. Reduce your usage of paper paper production is one main cause of
deforestation.

Organic farming
Soils are an important sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Nevertheless, deforestation to make way for
conventional agriculture is increasingly depleting this sink.Sustainable and organic agriculture helps to
counteract climate change by restoring soil organic matter content as well as reduce soil erosion and
improve soil physical structure. Organic farming also does not use chemical fertilizers that release
substantial nitrous oxide and methane (greenhouse gases) into the environment, and as such reduces
global warming, while at the same time maintaining crop yields.

Green shopping tips

One point on how to reduce climate change through green shopping tips is to buy local products instead
of those produced overseas. Transporting exotic fruits and vegetables from one destination to another
requires a lot of energy, usually from the burning of fossil fuel, which contributes to greenhouse gas
emissions and global warming. Moreover, in attempts to keep the fruits and vegetables fresh, chemical
pesticides and preservatives are used, which again contribute to toxins and greenhouse gases being
released into the atmosphere. Hence, we should buy local produces not only do they leave less carbon
footprints and are cheaper, they are also healthier.

Education
Schools and institutions also have an important part to play in this process of education educating our
children on the importance of protecting the earth will help us (and them) secure the future of the planet.

Sustainable Construction
Sustainable construction, also known as green construction, is concerned with the economic, social, and
environmental impact of creating a usable structure. In other words, it requires designers and contractors
to use building practices that will not cause long-term damage to the environment. Sustainable buildings
are designed to be energy efficient, to be healthy for the people who live or work in them, and to reduce
pollution and waste. Overall, this type of construction is based upon the triple bottom line (TBL) tenets of
"people, planet, and profit." For most companies, countries and individuals who do take the subject
seriously the concept of sustainability embraces the preservation of the environment as well as critical
development-related issues such as the efficient use of resources, continual social progress, stable
economic growth, and the eradication of poverty.

Contribution of World Community to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change

There are some steps taken by world community to mitigate the effects of climate change. Here are some
of them:
Australia: In November 2011, Australian lawmakers approved an ambitious carbon trading plan the
world's largest outside of Europe. Under the plan, Australia's 500 worst polluters would be forced to pay a
tax on every ton of carbon they emit starting in July 2012. By 2015, the nation plans to move to a full-on,
market-based carbon trading system. Australia says it plans to link its carbon market to one set up in
neighboring New Zealand. That might make it harder to dismantle the market if conservatives win back
control of Australia's government in 2013.
Brazil: Brazils National Climate Change Plan is focused on expanding renewable electric energy sources
and beefing up the use of biofuels in the transportation industry. The country is also focusing heavily on
reducing deforestation rates: It's hoping to eliminate illegal deforestation and bring the net loss of forest
coverage to zero by 2015.
India: India is the world's No. 3 emitter of greenhouse gases, but because it's a developing nation, it isn't
required to cut emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. That said, India is an active participant in the Clean
Development Mechanism a carbon offset plan set up under the Kyoto Protocol. Basically, the CDM
lets developing nations like India earn credits for implementing emission-reducing projects. India can
then sell those credits to an industrialized nation, which can count them toward its overall emissionsreduction commitment. India has hundreds of CDM projects; almost half of them focus on wind power
and biomass. India has set an ambitious goal of getting 20 gigawatts of solar power online by 2022. A
gigawatt of electricity is enough to power a small city. In 2010, the country started levying a carbon tax
on coal to help subsidize renewable energy projects.
Indonesia:Indonesia is home to vast swaths of tropical forests, which suck up atmospheric carbon. But
those forests are being logged at an alarming rate and that's releasing huge amounts of carbon into the
atmosphere. Under a deal with Norway that went into effect in May 2011, Indonesia agreed to implement
a two-year moratorium on new concessions for clearing forests in exchange for $1 billion in support for
its forest conservation efforts.
Malaysia: Established globally in 1992 following the Rio Earth Summit, the GEF Small Grants
Programme (SGP) formally commenced its operations in Malaysia in July 1999. SGP is a Global
Environment Facility (GEF) funded corporate programme implemented by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the GEF partnership. UNDPs role in implementation
assures government support within each country as well as links to national development frameworks and
priorities.

Contribution as an Individual Living in This Planet

1. Get an energy audit. Utility company can perform an energy audit to determine where we are
overusing energy. Many will do this for free, and the recommendations they give us will help us save
money for years.
2. Recycle everything that can be recycled. Find out how to start recycling paper, plastic, glass,
aluminum, ink cartridges and cardboard.
3. Reuse whatever that can be reused. Cardboard boxes and other packing materials are a great place to
start.
4. Reduce paper use. Print double-sided, reuse printed paper for scrap paper.
5. Buy local. When possible, source products from local distributors or producers to reduce fossil fuel
use.
6. Go digital. Switch to digital bill payment, invoicing, banking and ordering. Email can be sent rather
than printed memos or offer downloadable employee handbooks. Using an eFax service instead of a paper
machine.
7. Get rid of Styrofoam. Styrofoam is one of the least environmentally friendly products .Find
alternatives to Styrofoam for everything from cups to packing peanuts, both in selling and in using in the
warehouse.
8. Eliminate disposables in the break room. Reusable cups, plates and utensils may come at a small upfront investment, but they pay for themselves quickly the average employee uses 500 disposable cups
per year!

Opinion on whether the world and government had done sufficiently to combat
climate change
In my opinion, the world and government of Malaysia has done some measures in combating climate
change, but it is still not sufficient enough. This is because there is very little sign of decrease in global
warming throughout the world. Instead it ends up to worse condition. For instance, according to Sir John
Houghton, a climate specialist and co-chair of the IPCC Working Group, discussed that catastrophes such
as heat waves, flash floods, drought, and storm surges are impacting us from time to time. . The potential
consequences of global warming are so great that many of the world's leading scientists have called for
international cooperation and immediate action to counteract the problem. In fact, humans are still
contributing so much to global warming through their daily activities either individually or globally. For
an example people still tend not to practice carpooling for instance. Besides, the usage of styrofoams and
plastics should be banned entirely as this will be a good step ahead in combatting global warming. This is
because there are no strict laws in encouraging this practice .So, at this point the government should play
a vital role in order for this good practice to occur properly. Not only the government but we individually
should also contribute to solve this major issue.

CEEB 223 INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT
SEMESTER 1 2015/2016

TITLE: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, GLOBAL WARMING AND ENVIRONMENT

NAME: GAYATHRI THARAMALINGAM
ID NO.: CE092982
LECTURER: DR CHUA KOK HUA
DATE DUE: 5/8/2015