a. What is the Kyoto Protocol, and what was written?.
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement, approved on 11 October 1997 in the Japanese city of that name. By this treaty, the signatory states agreed to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants into the atmosphere by 5.2%.
The treaty entered into force on February 16, 2005, after 55 nations accounting for 55% of greenhouse gas emissions ratify it.
Six proposed to reduce polluting gases in the Kyoto Protocol are: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs, perfluorocarbons and hexafluorocarbono the sulfur.
b. Are you meeting Spain with his commitment to the emission of greenhouse gases and why?.
Spain is the European Union further from the goals of reducing CO2 emissions to meet Kyoto Protocol to combat climate change, which obliges the EU to cut emissions by 8% by 2008-12 compared to the values \u200b\u200bof 1990.De accordance with the distribution agreement between the old fifteen Member States to Spain would fall to limit emissions growth to 15%. But the EU executive figures show that if no new measures are applied, the increase during the reference period is 45.4%, ie 30.4% above the target, according to projections based on 2002 data.
of not achieving the goal, the EU sanctions could apply to Spain, although not yet specified the amount of them. The recourse left to English companies buying, in the emissions market, surpluses of other countries.
c. What is climate change?
climate change is called weather modification in relation to climate history to a global or regional scale.
Such changes occur at different scales of time and climate parameters: temperature, precipitation, cloudiness, etc.. Are due to natural causes and human action.
The term is often used, so inappropriate for only refer to climatic changes that happen in this, using it as a synonym for global warming, but others global warming, climate change involves changes in other variables as global rainfall patterns, cloud cover and all other elements of the atmospheric system.
d. Why did it happen?
Climate change is caused by an action exacerbated the greenhouse effect, resulting from increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, ie the quantity and variety of some of the gases that up.
Naturally, the atmosphere is made in a 78.1% nitrogen, oxygen 20.9%, and the remaining 1% other gases, among which are argon, helium, and some greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (0.035%), methane (0.00015%), nitrous oxide (0.0000016%) and water vapor (0.7%).
Due to human activity, a large number of gases have been emitted into the atmosphere, which has slightly changed the composition of it. As an example we can mention that the concentration of various greenhouse gases has increased.
In the last three hundred years the amount of carbon dioxide carbon increased from 280 to 368 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3 or ppm) of methane, 0.7 to 1.75 mg/m3, and nitrous oxide, from 0.27 to 0,316 mg/m3. This means that in volume, now carbon dioxide is 0.046% of the atmosphere instead of 0.035%, the methane is now 0.00037% instead of 0.00015%, and nitrous oxide is 0.00000187% instead of 0.0000016 %.
Although these concentrations are very small compared to the oxygen or nitrogen, they really change is affecting the planet.
The following graph shows the variation of CO 2 throughout history. Carbon dioxide is one of the main gases generated during the combustion of fossil fuels, which is currently the main source of emission of gases that contuibuyen to climate change. Although earlier in the history of the earth have produced changes in the percentage of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, both current and projected levels for the near future far outweigh.
e. Who is to blame?
The blame for climate change lies in each human. The main culprits are industrial activities and transport, both of which use fuel as an energy source fossils, which as I mentioned, the atmosphere provide a large percentage of greenhouse gases.
But today, it is investing money in researching methods of energy production that do not produce greenhouse gases and many sites are already in use, many people still think that climate change is a fact but an invention of scientists, and continue to use fossil fuels and other things that Provocon climate change, without thinking that is harmful not only for themselves but for future generations and our planet.
f. What are its implications on a global scale?
The rise in global temperature, freshwater reservoirs in the solid state (poles and permanent snow) would begin to melt. If this happens, not only lose valuable ecosystems for humanity and water reserves may be crucial in the future, but also begin to suffer from climate change following the rise in sea level. It happens that the ice will melt will run on all oceans and seas of the planet. To this we add that the sea temperatures rise, causing it to expand and grow in volume as many cities will be flooded and its inhabitants should vivir.Pero find new places to flooding are not limited to costs, will also in other sectors because scientists predict that in certain parts of the world climate change will manifest itself by increasing the amount of rainfall. In others, in contrast, it will rain less and less, leading to more frequent droughts.
Another consequence of climate change will extinction of many species and ecosistemas.Las species are closely related to their environment and local climate change will cause some animals to move into new ecosystems to try to survive. Some make it and others do not. There are countless species can not move to environments suited to their needs and may not survive where están.Y achieve all this will greatly affect the man.
g. What impact will climate change in Spain (looking at least ten)?.
1-Increase temperature by 0.4 º C every ten years in winter and 0.7 ° C every ten years in the summer. At the end of the XXI century will rise by between 5 and 7 º C in summer and 3 to 4 º C in winter.
2-It will alter ecosystems and increased risk of pests.
3-Increase the intensity, frequency and magnitude fire. 4-More
frequency of days with extreme temperatures in the peninsula, especially in summer.
5-warming is greatest in inland areas than in coastal areas. 6-Transformation
permanent seasonal lakes, rivers and mountain streams, and coastal wetlands.
7-Reduced productivity of marine waters, and therefore fishing.
8-Decrease of 20% of available water by the end of XXI century. The watersheds most affected will be those of: Guadiana, Canarias, Segura, Júcar, Guadalquivir, Sur and the Balearics.
9-Increase of the magnitude of river flooding. 10-Increased
an average of 50 centimeters the sea level.
h. How do you avoid?
In electric power generation plants has been invested in combined heat and power, which uses the heat energy previously perdía.En industry saving measures specific to each proceso.En the domestic sector will be achieved through improvements in thermal insulation of homes and improving the efficiency of household appliances through better designs and better use, such as the commercial sector iluminación.En methods efficiency improvement is achieved through methods domésticos.El very similar to public transport, through improvements in engine technology, better maintenance of engines, comply with speed limits and more discreet use of acceleration and braking.
i. List five actions that you contribute to the greenhouse effect, and what you could do about it.
-> Make use of public transport to reduce CO2 emissions from cars.
-> Use recycled paper to avoid the massive felling of trees that helps not remove CO2 from the atmosphere
-> Use convenient energy, as low-energy lights, heating and air conditioning to save energy prices.
-> Recycle and make others in my family recycle mienbros
-> Reducing levels of waste, as this produces methane as it decomposes.
