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POLLUTION
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Pollution is the contamination of a substrate when harmful and foreign substances are added to it. This substrate can be air, water or soil. The additive substances can be of any form –solid, liquid or gases. This leads to poisoning of the medium, making it unfit to be used.

Be aware of the change of the climate; watch important issues. Only the international community can shoulder the responsibility to do their bit to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The main cause of climate change or global warming effects is believed to be the accumulation of the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas in the atmosphere, which is a result of the extensive burning of fossil fuels that began during the Industrial Revolution. In these times, awareness of the adverse effects of pollution (it is not just about dirty air, but warming also has an impact on migration, health, food and water) has increased sharply and measures are being taken to turn the tide. An example of actions can be found in "The industrial energy efficiency playbook: 10 actions companies can take right now to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions".
 
 

 

DASHBOARD | BRIEF OVERVIEW | the PARIS AGREEMENT | Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change

 

  DASHBOARD
change of the climate, a real threat to global food security?
European environment agency
Renewable Revolution:
Low Carbon Energy
by 2030
(worldwatch report)
the economics of climate change; debate on Stern review Carbon Footprint Counter. Want to improve the atmosphere? Count CO2 emissions
climate change mitigation
and social justice
click for a magnificant impression.
#NOPLASTICWASTE
national oceanic and atmospheric administration
the White House
Climate Action Plan
#eu2050
Expedition
greenhouseworld
European Commission DG Energy
Europa.eu

(European Commision)
Plastic Pollution

Natural Energy Hub
greenhouse gas technologies
We Are All Climate Refugees Now
Jeffrey D. Sachs
on emissions trading
(website IETA)
intergouvernmental panel on climate change
Future impact
of climate change
across Europe
 (CEPS, 2010)
Carbon Sink
(fern)
European climate foundation
United Nations
climate change
combating
climate change
EU leads
transport

socio-climate designing for better cities

 

Climate change is marching onward, habitats are disappearing and species are dying out: in the medium term, a good life in an intact environment is no longer guaranteed. Core areas of our lives will have to change. The economy, work, every aspect of our day-to-day lives are facing social and environmental restructuring. The course for this will be set in the next ten years. How we shape digitalisation will determine whether this path will lead to a greenhouse gas neutral future in a liveable world.

Digital technologies and infrastructures leave behind a significant and ever-growing ecological footprint. Guiding principles are needed to ensure digitalisation does not exacerbate environmental degradation. If digitalisation is successfully designed in a sustainable way, it can decisively support social and environmental restructuring.

At the core of the current energy security and price crises sits an overdependence on volatile, imported fossil gas, oil and coal. It is time for all of us to take the necessary steps to strengthen Europe’s energy security and resilience by accelerating the green transition.

The case for action has never been stronger. The recent IPCC report has starkly laid out the choices that are facing us if we are to keep a 1.5°C compatible future in reach. It has demonstrated that we must replace fossil fuel bills and subsidies with investments in our economies. It has shown us that we should not build costly fossil fuel infrastructure that we will then have to phase out but instead we should invest in the infrastructure that can support a green transformation.
Digital Policy Agenda
for the Environment		  

 

BRIEF OVERVIEW

Climate experts were consulted on the steps to be taken to put in place a binding climate protection agreement as of 2012. A so-called Bali roadmap is to lay out the salient points to be negotiated and a time schedule for negotiations.  One thing is, however, already clear. Negotiations for the new agreement must be wound up by 2009, to ensure that there is no gap following the expiry of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. 

"Time is of the essence, because the international climate council tells us we must halve CO2 emissions in the long term – by the middle of this century,” This is such an enormous task that the international community can only solve it together. 

(year 1990 is stated 0)......................... 1990 .......2008 ......... 2018 .......... 2030
carbon dioxide concentration................350.......... 385 .......... 408 .......... - 55%
temperature ............................................ 0C......... 0,3C .......... 0,9C ...........
sea-level................................................... 0 cm ..... 5,5 cm .......8,6 cm ..............
energy savings ............................................................................................. 30%
functioning renewables .............................................................................. 27%
Both sites contains information about a European research project (CO2 capture, sink and storage) dealing with research on geological storage of CO2 as a means of reducing green house gas emissions. The main cause of climate change or global warming effects is believed to be the accumulation of methane (CH4) and the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas in the atmosphere. This accumulation is a result of the extensive burning of fossil fuels that began during the Industrial Revolution.

We can reduce the volume of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by collecting and storing it deep underground. The concept is a simple one, but establishing whether the technique can be. The capture and storage of CO2 could play a significant role in reducing the release of green-house gases to the atmosphere. Approximately one third of all CO2 emissions due to human activity come from fossil fuels used for generating electricity, with each power plant capable of emitting several million tonnes of CO2 annually.

No lack of plans. Europe must be climate neutral by mid-century. No more emissions of greenhouse gases and if that is the case, they must be collected and stored. This is the ambition of the European Commission, on behalf of the (still) 28 EU countries (Strategy for a climate neutral Europe by 2050 – Questions and answers).
What does Europe want?
  • Energy-efficient housesLess 'old' fuelsMore trainsfewer trucksTaxing aviationCO2 collection and storage
  • Fast linking of energy networks

Sweden came up with a solution for the choice between environmental policy and social justice: the entire tax revenue received from environmental taxes is recycled to citizens.

The Ministry of Finance annually determines the total revenue from the environmental tax and divides it by the number of taxpayers. Each taxpayer then receives a credit from the tax authorities stating "refund environmental tax". Those who behave in an environmentally friendly way pay less than the received credit, more polluters more than the received credit and receive relatively little back.

 

175 COUNTRIES SIGNED THE PARIS AGREEMENT ON APRIL 2016
At the Paris climate conference (COP21) in December 2015, 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal. The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. The agreement is due to enter into force in 2020 and is a bridge between today's policies and climate-neutrality before the end of the century. Governments agreed on:
 
Mitigation: reducing emissions
  • a long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels;to aim to limit the increase to 1.5°C, since this would significantly reduce risks and the impacts of climate change;on the need for global emissions to peak as soon as possible, recognising that this will take longer for developing countries;
  • to undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with the best available science.

Before and during the Paris conference, countries submitted comprehensive national climate action plans (INDCs). These are not yet enough to keep global warming below 2°C, but the agreement traces the way to achieving this target.
Transparency and global stocktake
  • come together every 5 years to set more ambitious targets as required by science;report to each other and the public on how well they are doing to implement their targets;
  • track progress towards the long-term goal through a robust transparency and accountability system.
Adaptation
  • strengthen societies' ability to deal with the impacts of climate change;  
  • provide continued and enhanced international support for adaptation to developing countries.  

  
Loss and damage
  • recognises the importance of averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change;
  • acknowledges the need to cooperate and enhance the understanding, action and support in different areas such as early warning systems, emergency preparedness and risk insurance.
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