Transcript What is CO2? - North Seattle College

What is CO2?
Carbon Dioxide:
two oxygen molecules bonded to a single carbon molecule.
Carbon dioxide is a
colorless, odorless gas
produced naturally through
the carbon cycle
Carbon cycle
Carbon is a basic building block of living organisms.
Trees, grasses, and other plants absorb carbon as
they grow. When these plants decay, or are burned,
the carbon is released back into the atmosphere.
Deforestation and the conversion of wild lands for
human use are also adding enormous volumes of
carbon to the atmosphere.
Natural sources of CO2
occur within the carbon cycle where
billions of tons of atmospheric CO2
are removed from the atmosphere
by oceans and growing plants, also
known as ‘sinks,’ and are emitted back
into the atmosphere annually through
natural processes also known as
‘sources.’
Carbon Dioxide is also
released through human
activities like the burning of
fossil fuels
(coal, oil, gas and wood).
When in balance,
the total carbon dioxide emissions and removals
from the entire carbon cycle are roughly equal.
Since the Industrial Revolution in the 1700’s, human
activities, such as the burning of oil, coal and gas,
and deforestation, have increased CO2
concentrations in the atmosphere.
In 2005, global atmospheric concentrations of CO2
were 35% higher than they were before the
Industrial Revolution.
WE’RE CURRENTLY OUT OF BALANCE
350 PPM IS THE NUMBER!
The latest research shows that the current levels of
carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere correspond with
periods in our past when the Earth was much warmer,
and sea levels were hundreds of feet higher than they
are now.
WE ARE
CURRENTLY
AT 389 PPM
HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US?
Glaciers everywhere are melting and disappearing fast—
and they are a source of drinking water for hundreds of
millions of people.
.
HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US?
Mosquitoes, who like a warmer world, are
spreading into lots of new places, and
bringing malaria and dengue fever with
them.
Drought is becoming much more common,
making food harder to grow in many places.
.
HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US?
Sea levels have begun to rise, and scientists warn that
they could go up as much as several meters this century.
If that happens, many of the world’s cities, island
nations, and farmland will be underwater.
HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US?
The oceans are growing more acidic because of the CO2
they are absorbing, which makes it harder for animals
like corals and clams to build and maintain their shells
and skeletons.
HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US?
The Arctic shows us the clearest message that climate
change is occurring much more rapidly than scientists
previously thought. In the summer of 2007, sea ice was
roughly 39% below the summer average for 1979-2000.
•
Could Just One Degree Warmer
Change the World?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_ZQRIsn
2pA&feature=related
HOW DOES THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR
IMPACT CLIMATE CHANGE?
The healthcare sector ranks as the #2 energy user
after the food service industry.
Inpatient care facility is the health sector’s largest energy consumer
and obviously the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) producer.
Hospitals use approximately twice the energy as office buildings of
the same size, and roughly twice the amount of comparable
European hospitals.
The high energy intensity of fossil fuel generated power used by
medicine to heal is having the unintended consequence of causing
additional illness and disease that must then be cured.
What can Healthcare Institutions Do?
Maintain an electric energy management program
Use less energy usage, for example, by purchasing
products with more recycled content
Improve energy efficiency by investing in innovative
projects that use alternative fuels
Gradually replace the use of conventional energy with
clean, renewable energy that will reduce greenhouse
gas emissions
What Can Frontline Workers Do?
Use microfiber mops and rags which reduce water usage
Purchase Energy Star products: The Energy Star program
promotes energy efficiency practices that protect the
environment through intelligent product design and practices.
Energy Star is a service of the U.S. Department of Environmental
Protection and the U.S. Department of Energy.
What other ways could you help reduce energy consumption?