Green

Forests Cascais

The Global Warning

 

The term "global warmig" refers to the phenomenon of progressively increaing tempertures of the Earth'satmosphere and ocean measured at present. In addition to its projected continous increase in the future. No one is questioning the increase in global temperature, which always generates controversies as to the increase in greenhou gas concentration genreates by human. including deforestation and fossilfuels such as oil and the coal..

 

it heat for the planet!

 

Looking at the graphofthe Earth'ssusface temperature over the past 100 years, there is an 

crease of about 0.8 ° C, mostly visible over the last 30 years. Climate model projections were summarized in the IPCC’s fourth report in 2007. They indicate that global temperatures will likely continue to increase in the 21st century. An increase of between 1.1 ° C and 2.9 ° C for the most optimistic scenario and between 2.4°C and 6.4°C if the emissions are higher. The global temperature has warmed up since 1880. Much of the global warming took place from 1970, and the hottest 10 years were registered during the last 12 years.

 

The rise in temperature should be higher than the level of the poles, especially in the Arctic, where glacier retreat is widely observed. But this is not the only evidence that we are experiencing a rapid warming...

 

The rise od the see level

 

The overall level of the sea increased by 17 centimeters during the twentieth century. The rise in the last decade is almost twice that of the last century...

 

Warming of the oceans

 

The first 700 meters of the oceans show an increase of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.

 

The decline in glaciers

 

The ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica are decreasing, as is the extent and thickness of the pack ice, and the phenomenon is accelerating...

The decline of glaciers is visible throughout the world,

In the Alps,

In the Himalayas,

In the Andes,

In Alaska,

In Africa...

 

Extreme weather events

 

Situations of extreme heat have increased while the cold periods have decreased since 1950. Besides the violent storms, the floods...

Global warming: the man involved...

The average temperature of the planet depends on a delicate atmospheric process, based on the equilibrium of certain gaseous compounds. The significant increase of one of these gases in the atmosphere would lead to a significant change in the climatic equilibrium and thus the temperature of the planet. But what are the origins of such a phenomenon?

The greenhouse effect

For many, the greenhouse effect is a new or even unknown concept, but scientists from all disciplines began to study it as early as the 1800s. The greenhouse effect is a process of thermal change or increase of the temperature on the planet produced by the flux of solar radiation through our atmosphere.

As a rule, this type of radiation passes through the atmosphere and reaches the earth where it releases a certain amount of energy which in turn generates heat. This same radiation returns to the atmosphere to lose itself in space. This process maintains the average temperature of the planet and is a necessary natural phenomenon.

However, with the accumulation of different types of gas (CO2, H2O, CH4, O3, CFC, NOx ...) known as greenhouse gases, this process of input and output of solar radiation is modified. Human activity has contributed significantly to this increase in the greenhouse effect, particularly in industry, agriculture and in the expansion of urban centers through deforestation.

 

Fossil fuels

 

Fossil fuels are those that result from the decomposition of organic matter for thousands of years, and the combustion of which generates large amounts of energy. These are mainly :

 

  • the oil and its derivatives(gasoline, gas oil, diesel, kerosene)

  • the coal

  • the natural gas(primarily methane)

  • the liquid petroleum gas(propane, butane).

 

These fuels are the cornerstone of the development of human activity . However, this development has a cost because the use of these fuels releases large emissions of greenhouse gases , mainly CO2 and CH4.

 

Deforestation

 

Intensive logging and the burning of large forest areas have also largely contributed to the accumulation of greenhouse gases, and hence to global warming.

 

The forests tropical forests and other wooded areas act as a great air purifier for our planet . Through sunlight, plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and emit oxygen, helping to regulate the temperature of the planet. But the increase in urban areas, agriculture and livestock, have led to the destruction of these forest areas...

 

Global warming: dramatic consequences ahead

 

The increase in temperatures brings about changes already observed throughout the world:

 

  • Rise in sea level,

  • Structure and quantity of precipitation,

  • Expansion of subtropical deserts...

 

If we cannot control greenhouse gas emissions quickly and if their level is double the level before the industrial revolution, the situation will worsen:

 

An increasingly hot planet, especially at night and during winters. This will have a positive and negative impact in some areas such as tourism. In general, this warming will have a negative impact on agricultural production and will lead to increased mortality due to extreme heat waves and drought...

 

Sea level ever higher... The last time the Earth’s temperature was 3°C higher than the current average temperature, the sea was 6 m higher than the current level. At this rate, land like the Maldives will disappear from the surface of the globe, engulfed by the waters...

 

A disoriented weather with a more intense drought cycle and more pronounced flooding Extreme weather events will become more frequent. This will affect the availability of drinking waterin many parts of the world.

 

Ecosystems under Stressful Stress. Many species, especially in the polar regions, in the mountains and in the tropics, must adapt their lifestyles. But can they do it? The list of endangered or threatened extinct animals will grow...

 

If we cannot control greenhouse gas emissions quickly and if their level is double the level before the industrial revolution, the situation will worsen:

 

Projects and Possible solutions: how to combat global warming?

 

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), signed at the World Summit in 1992 by 162 governments, had specifically addressed the issue. The main objective of the Convention was to achieve a stabilization of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The Convention demanded that all countries that have signed the treaty reduc

e their greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. More recently, in 2015, COP21 concluded an agreement committing 195 states to allow To stabilize global warming “clearly below” by 2°C by 2100.

  • In the United Kingdom, a program aims to achieve this by promoting the efficient use of energy, a means of reducing carbon dioxide production in all sectors. 

  • The development of renewable energies: solar energy (thermal or photovoltaic), wind energy, hydraulic energy (tides, underwater currents, ocean thermal energy, waves, streams...) and geothermal energy. 

  • The biomass and organic materials (wood, plants, animal droppings...) can be converted into energy.

 

All the measures will only be effective if governments really work in this direction, without yielding to the pressure of powerful lobbying... And if each of us on his scale becomes aware of the scope of his actions on a daily basis...

Energy

 

Humans have always sought ways to use energy to achieve a better quality of life. Even if there are a multitude of sources of energy, ten of them stand out because of their use in the world. All are mainly used to produce electricity, an energy that seems to make the whole planet turn : cars, light, computers... They

 

non-renewable energies largely majority

 

With almost 80% of the total energy consumed in the world of non-renewable origin and a large and growing consumption of fossil fuels , non-renewable energies seem irreplaceable.

 

Nuclear energy

 

While it remains a major subject and debates its use and management of waste, the fact is that nuclear energy is one of the main non-renewable energies available in the world.

 

Energy is created by a specific nuclear reaction, which is then collected and used by electric power generators. Nuclear energy is also debating its classification in so-called renewable energies. Indeed, by advocating “non-carbon energies”, the French authorities intend to take nuclear power into account in the category of renewable energies. Yet it is one of the most polluting :

 

  • nuclear waste,
  • Chemical and radioactive releases to the environment,
  • Contamination by uranium mines...

 

Fossil fuels : coal, oil and natural gas

 

The fossil fuels provide energy primarily using coal and oil. The oil thus obtained is the most widely used in the form of gasoline.

 

The problem of fossil fuels is twofold :

  • Achieving and transforming them requires great destructionand pollution of the environment. During combustion, they release high levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, one of the main factors leading to air pollution and global warming. Almost 80% of carbon dioxide emissions come from the consumption and transformation of fossil fuels into energy. Numerous studies also show that the population is affected by the burning of these fossils, including pregnant women, the elderly and children.
  • Reserves are limitedand, although naturally renewed, it is a process that takes millions of years and can not be replaced for the use of future generations.

 

Projects and Possible solutions: renewable energies as alternatives

 

Today, renewable energies or green energies are an effective solution. The term “renewable energy” (also known as alternative or soft energy) refers to energy obtained via an almost inexhaustible resource, either by the immense amount of energy it contains or because it is capable of Naturally regenerate.

 

These sources would therefore be an alternative to traditional processes and would reduce the environmental impact. Here we present the main sources of energy. Many more are to be discovered, but none of them have reached the stage of “adequate supply” of energy.

 

Solar energy

 

It captures the sun’s energy through the use of sensor panels. Large fields of solar panels are found in deserts to collect enough energy to recharge power plants. More and more households are using small solar systems to get hot water or supplement their electricity.

 

The major problem with solar energy is that it requires abundant amounts of sunlight. Thus, panels can be placed only in certain geographical areas of the world, those that receive sufficient direct solar energy and long enough.

 

In Portugal, solar energy occupies a minimal place among renewable energies, but it is nevertheless showing very strong growth over the last 10 years. Germany is by far the largest producer in the world.

 

Wind energy

 

It has become one of the most common energies. The new innovations have enabled the installation of numerous wind farms. By using large turbine turbines, a generator activates and generates electricity.

 

While wind turbines seemed to be an ideal solution for many, the reality of wind farms is beginning to reveal an unforeseen ecological impact. Wind turbines appear to pose a threat to two large animal populations, including birds and bats.

 

The noise, caused by the mechanics inside the nacelle and by the pale cracks in the air, is also another discomfort generated by the wind turbines. Among the renewable energies, wind energy is the second largest in Portugal and other countries and is one of the most important energies in the last 10 years.

 

Geothermal energy

 

It is the energy produced under the earth. It is clean, sustainable and environmentally friendly. The high temperatures continuously produced inside the earth’s crust heat the water and produce steam. The latter is then captured to actuate turbines which, in turn, feed generators.

 

Geothermal energy can be used in homes but also on a large scale, for industrial use for example.

 

One of the biggest disadvantages is that it can only be produced in specific sites. Portugal are not aware of this example of other countries. The largest group of geothermal power plants in the world is “The geysers”, located in California, USA.

 

The biomass

 

This energy is produced from organic matter and is commonly used throughout the world. It makes it possible to manufacture electricity thanks to the heat released by the combustion of :

 

  • wood, 

  • plants,

  • agricultural wastes,

  • Organic household refuse...

 

In Europe, biomass is the leading source of renewable energy with 60% in 2013, in front of hydro power. Although this innovative idea is ideal at the outset, many environmental organizations are critical of large European biomass plants and their international timber supply chains.

 

Hydraulic energy

 

Many people are unaware that most of the world’s cities have been powered by hydro power for a long time. The power of water is used to run generators and thus generate electricity.

The main problem today is the aging of dams. Most of them need important work to remain functional and secure. Among the Portuguese renewable energies, hydraulics occupies the first place.

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The Forests

 

For thousands of years, humans have played a more than important role in deforestation. Throughout history, one empire after another, they cut entire forests to build boats and houses. Once devastated, these forests have needed 1000 years or more to recreate biodiversity , while some will never recover, as in parts of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Great Britain.

 

Forests real problems! ...

 

Although deforestation is primarily a sign of tree destruction, it also hasa major impact on the environment.Thus, many species depend on these trees, if they disappear, it’s a whole area of biodiversity that disappears. Water, air, indigenous peoples and national economies are also affected as the future of people and forests are intimately linked.

 

Deforestation and agriculture

 

The tropical forests of South America and South Asia are cut and burned according to “slash and burn” at an alarming rate for agricultural uses, in particular on a small and large scale. They are then replaced by huge oil palm plantations (Elaeis guineensis). These fires are often out of control. In the years 1997 and 1998, huge fires, the result of large-scale slash-and-burn crops in forests affected by severe drought, devastate South Asia: nearly 800,000 hectares of forest have gone up in smoke and at least 60,000 people Have fallen ill.

 

About 14 million hectares of rainforest are lost each year. It is estimated that agriculture accounts for 80% to 85% of this destruction . Activities vary by country. For example, livestock and large-scale agriculture are the biggest deforestation factors in Latin America, while oil palm development, intensive agriculture, and pulp and paper The main engines of Indonesia.

 

And it is without counting on the cattle breeding, responsible for 80% of the Amazonian deforestation, or 14% of the annual deforestation of the planet.

 

Deforestation and illegal timber

 

In the context of illegal logging, timber is cut, transported, sold or bought in violation of national laws. The process itself can be illegal: corruption for access to forests, protected wood or endangered wood...

 

Illegal logging results in losses of billions of dollars. The regions most affected are:

  • The Amazon,

  • Central Africa,

  • South East Asia,

  • Russia

  • The Baltic States.

Governments in these regions very often underestimate the situation, partly because it suits them. So much because they need the land for crops or for the money received from the direct sale of timber. For example, the Estonian government claims that 1% of the timber harvested on its territory is illegal. Many environmental groups have estimated it to be 50% .... In Indonesia, illegal logging accounted for 40% in 1998. In Brazil, 80% of logging in the Amazon violates government controls (or rather, the government does nothing to control illegal logging on its territory) .

Needless to say, many trees are burned directly by arson.

 

Deforestation and environmental impact

 

Trees store water and release it into the atmosphere (this process is called plant transpiration). This water cycle is an important part of the ecosystem because many plants and animals depend on it. Any decline in the forest is a problem for the forest ecosystem. When trees are cut, nothing can retain water, leading to a drier climate, causing erosion because no root retains the soil.

 

Deforestation leads to a significant increase in carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main “greenhouse gases”. Indeed, forests store 20 to 50 times more CO2 than any other ecosystem. Once cut, trees release carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Deforestation causes CO2 emissions of 20% of global emissions !

 

If industrialized countries destroy vast areas of forest for short-term economic gains, they may not think about climate change in which they participate. This deforestation could lead to a significant reduction in precipitation. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Buenos Aires, the Great Britain, by quoting a study led of the Institute of the Ecology to Edinburgh, suggested that the Amazonian forest could be destroyed in 50 years because of the changes of precipitation led by the global warming.

 

Deforestation and impact on humans

 

According to FAO, 60 million indigenous peoples depend almost entirely on forests and 300 million people live in or around forests.Riparian areas are therefore particularly sensitive to the effects of deforestation. Indeed, the forest acts as a sort of sponge that absorbs precipitation during tropical storms, protects the soil and releases water at regular intervals. This type of forest- based regulation moderates floods and droughts.

 

When the forest canopy goes up in smoke, water flows rapidly into streams, increases the level of rivers and exposes entire villages, towns and agricultural fields to floods, especially during the rainy season. To curb this situation, Brazil embarked on a campaign to build hydroelectric dams , through the creation of 1,500 km2 of reservoirs . Already in the 1970s and 1980s, the living conditions of the local populations and the biodiversity of the flooded areas had been undermined. The opening up of vast roads and the creation of cities for the thousands of workers had accelerated deforestation.

 

Projects and Possible solutions: how to protect our forests?

 

It is vital to stop – or at least to drastically limit – global deforestation, which has accelerated dramatically in recent decades. Putting an end to the plundering of our planet’s lung is no longer an option but a necessity.

 

Reforestation

 

Tree planting is an important strategy to reduce environmental problems. A young tree stores on average 11.3 kg of atmospheric carbon per year. It is estimated that at least 65 trees need to be planted to compensate for the amount of carbon that each person releases to the atmosphere during their lifetime.

 

Many developing countries (and some developed countries) lack the resources needed for massive forest reforestation. As a result, British firm Biocarbon Engineering has designed a reforestation program usingdrones to plant 10,000 trees per day, or at least one billion trees per year using this technology. Thanks to this system, 36,000 seeds can be planted per day. According to Lauren Fletcher, “The only way to attack this problem at the root is to use new techniques, which were not possible or not possible in the past. Using a technological and responsible approach, we can really hope to bring a solution to the dimension of the problem”.

 

Other global initiatives to restore forests have emerged. The Bonn Challenge is a project to replant 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded land by 2020. The Bonn Challenge, which began in 2011, exceeded 100 million hectares in 2016 of which 55, 3 million hectares in Africa. Other countries have already announced their commitment, including Mexico (7.5 million hectares), the United States (15 million) and Argentina (1 million).

 

Ecuador established a world record for reforestation in 2015 by planting 647,250 trees of more than 200 different species in one day. Reforestation is also becoming a means of combating the greenhouse effect and a home for certain species of animals, plants and micro-organisms. But even if it can lead to results similar to the original forest, it can not reproduce its rich diversity and complexity.

 

A true local agricultural policy against deforestation

 

In Haiti, where only 2% of the original forest remains, a program funded primarily by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) promotestree cultivation by farmers.Each year, thanks to this agroforestry project, Haiti’s nurseries distribute 70 million plants to 45,000 small farmers. They can then be sold as firewood or construction materials. This has had the side effect of slowing down the erosion of the land that has devastated the forests of Haiti. Without proper local agricultural policy, how can these multinational forest companies be prevented from looting forests ? Unable to exploit the forests of their country (Canada, USA) protected by strict laws, protected by strict laws, they come to take advantage of the non-existent or ambiguous legislation of these countries.

 

 

The Oceans

 

 

The pollution of the oceans by plastic is very worrying ... Because of the exponential growth in the use of plastic in 2050, according to a study of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the oceans will have more plastic than fish! ... The plastic is A material that the planet cannot “digest” , putting hundreds of years to decompose in the environment, up to 1000 years depending on the type of plastic. Massive use of such material for disposable items is a mistake with catastrophic global consequences. It is estimated that between 5 and 13 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year.

 

the oceans, gigantic opencast garbage

 

Many well-known navigators are sounding the alarm: the dumping of our waste into the seas and oceans has reached an unacceptable level. Real beaches and oceans of plastic are born. The OMPE starts from the indisputable fact that the industrial era caused an increase in plastic pollution in the oceans without precedent, of which we can already see the first effects.

 

Oceans pollution: fragmentation and dispersal of plastic

 

In the environment, plastic material quickly begins to fragment into ever smaller particles that can be transported over long distances by wind and water. Some particles are so tiny that they can not be seen with the naked eye. As small as they are, they remain non-biodegradable and toxic to the oceans.

 

The contamination of beaches by plastic

 

According to a 2012 study by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 80% of sand samples from beaches around the world containmicro-plastics, tiny toxic particles mixed with sand. Including in remote locations such as Antarctica. Thus « plastic beaches » are formed where the enormous amount of visible waste meets nature. The most infamous is the beach at Kamilo Beach, south of Hawaii.

 

Vortex of waste: towards the appearance of plastic continents?

 

In some oceanic gyres of the world, water vortices formed by a set of marine currents, there are more plastics in suspension than plankton: these are plastic waste plates called vortex. Most are made up of small plastics (less than 4 mm) and fragments scattered in gigantic surfaces. The “Great Plate of Pacific Waste” , with nearly 3.5 million km2, has a layer that can reach 40 meters deep. Not to mention the waste that can not be seen with the naked eye. The contents of these Vortex are still unclear but seem very different in density, size and consistency of materials,Forming a kind of plastic “soup”. Whether in the Pacific or the Atlantic, sailors are constantly discovering new and larger Vortexes.

 

The absorption of pollutants by plastics in the oceans

 

In addition to the clean toxicity of plastic, plastic particles have the property of attracting and accumulating water-borne hydrophobic pollutants such as DDT (insecticide) and PCBs (industrially produced molecules). In other words, plastics are genuine “sponges” of these dangerous agricultural and industrial pollutants, which reach the sea and contaminate the underwater food chain.

 

Contamination of the underwater food chain

 

The consequences of pollution of the oceans by plastic on terrestrial animals, including humans, are still poorly understood but some of them. Science is just beginning to study this phenomenon. Studies confirm that the man-made marine food chain is contaminated. Microscopic beings, such as marine plankton, eat and absorb micro-plastics.

 

The same applies to animals “filtering” water, such as mussels. For 300 grams of mold flesh, we ingest 300 microparticles of plastic on average! (Study of the University of Ghent in Belgium, 2012).

 

Many common fish species feed on plastic fragments, not counting other animals depending on these marine species such as birds.

 

Krill, small shrimps in cold waters, is at the center of an important chain on which squid, marine mammals, birds, fish and certain cetaceans feed. Yet, the krill population has decreased by about 80% due to global warming, endangering these same animal species. In order to preserve the Fauna, the Krill, the Plankton, the plants and the animals victims of this oceanic pollution, the OMPE proposes to put in place ingenious solutions.

 

Projects and Possible solutions to combat pollution of the oceans by plastic

 

How can we reduce the impact on our fauna of our plastic waste already present in the oceans?

 

Of course, plastic waste is only part of the problem of ocean pollution. Acidification and overfishing are also responsible. The “false” solutions such as the recycling of plastics to create new ones, and the “ecological plastics” which cannot degrade in the ocean and also pollute the seabed (report of the United Nations Program for the Environment, 2016 ), offer no lasting solution. The cleaning of the beaches and the seas are only “dressings” in front of the magnitude of the problem. While they remain good ways to clean our environment, they do not address the root of the problem.

 

The pollution of the oceans by plastic is first of all a problem of massive use of this “eternal” and toxic matter, and not just of a bad waste management. Rethinking the way we produce and consume seems inevitable.