Welcome to my Blog, enjoy, and feel free to comment.Thank youFionnuala

Christmas has both positive and negative effects on the Environment

Its that time of year again, Christmas, a time for thinking of family and friends, eating, drinking and celebrating. 

Lets spare a thought at this time and think of the things that we can do to help protect the environment. A little thought and care can make a big difference towards avoiding damage to our environment without spoiling your celebration.

POSITIVE EFFECTS:-

Polluting industries often cease their activities during the holidays, and the atmosphere, land, and water are able to recover a little from the effects of pollution.
When the amount of commuting to and from work is reduced, there is a corresponding reduction in motor vehicle emissions.
Christmas motivates many people to donate to charity, including charities working to mitigate environmental damage.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS:-

The exchange of consumer products in Christmas wrapping, many of which will be unneeded and/or unappreciated, contributes to the sending of consumer waste to landfills, unless consumers choose to regift them.
The cultivation of Christmas trees for display during a few weeks, before they are sent to landfills, represents a monoculture which sometimes reduces the use of arable land for agriculture.
Artificial Christmas trees are manufactured by processes which may have harmful effects on the environment.
Christmas decorations for homes and for Christmas trees are consumer products which are sometimes discarded to landfills.
Electric Christmas lights consume electricity, which, by most means of production, harms the environment. But remember candles and oil lamps can be fire hazards.
Increased travel to visit friends and relatives generally involves the consumption of fossil fuels.
One solution to counter the negative effects is alternative giving to help you to save money, reduce your Christmas carbon footprint and have a more eco friendly and sustainable Christmas.
Some manufacturers and retailers have developed new ranges of less environmentally damaging products in response to consumer interest and demands. Support these efforts.
When buying gifts check that they have not been manufactured using cheap labour in sweatshops in third world countries. Read labels carefully. Be aware of false or misleading claims that products are safe for the environment.  Support local Oxfam/Fair Trade/Amnesty retail outlets. Try to wrap presents with ribbon or string instead of sticky tape.

GIFTS:- This year why not give a gift with a difference?

1. Young trees.
2. Bulbs or seeds.
3. UBiee Power Pills
3. Non-violent toys.
4. A homemade gift. (Yule Log, centre piece, jam etc)
5. A gift of your time e.g. using your skills of baking, baby-sitting etc.

CHOOSE:-

Good quality products that will last. Products with a long life symbol keep the energy used in manufacturing new goods to a minimum and avoid the creation of waste.
Products that do not contain CFC’s. Check that sprays and similar products are clearly marked “ CFC- free.” or “ozone friendly.” CFC’s damage the ozone layer.
Cosmetics, which use natural materials, preferably from companies, which will refill the bottle so it can be used indefinitely.
Soy, beeswax or natural vegetable-based candles as they biodegrade, are smoke-free, and so more eco friendly.

DO NOT CHOOSE:-

Disposable products. Products with excess packaging. Buy unwrapped items and wrap them simply rather than buying over packaged goods.
Clothes made from natural fabrics such as cotton, linen or wool. Some outlets now promote garments made from environmentally friendly cotton.
Stationery and other paper products made from recycled paper.
Books from the large range dealing with environmental issues.
Paraffin candles are made from petroleum residues so neither do your health or the environment any good.

RECYCLE YOUR UNWANTED GIFTS:-

Unfortunately everyone receives at least one unwanted gift at Christmas. Recycle my unwanted presents to charities, local hospitals and hospices they are often very pleased to receive unwanted smellies to give to patients.

CHRISTMAS CARDS:-

An estimated 1.7 billion Christmas cards are sent each year in Britain alone, the equivalent of 200,000 trees, and around 1 million Christmas cards are thrown away every year.
There's no point recycling rubbish if you don't buy recycled products!  Purchase wrapping paper and Christmas cards printed on recycled paper from charities that donate up to 20% to less fortunate people at the same time.
Recycling all our cards, wrapping paper, bottles, cans and even Christmas trees will mean less waste going into landfill sites that are filling up fast.

TOYS:-

Buy good quality toys that will last and can be used again and again. Choose wooden toys over plastic ones. This will help to reduce the amount of energy needed for manufacturing and to avoid the creation of waste.
Whenever possible, buy toys that can be run from mains rather than from batteries.
Pick games with an environmental theme, which help children appreciate the value of our environment and how important it is for us to protect it.  Avoid poor quality toys and disposable toys.

BATTERIES:-

Millions of batteries are used every year, the range toys and equipment requiring them is increasing all the time. Many batteries contain hazardous materials, including cadmium and mercury and can cause pollution in disposal.

DO:-
 
Use mains power wherever possible. Remember that manufacturing batteries can take up to 50 times more energy than the batteries can provide. Mains electricity is many times cheaper than batteries.
Switch to using rechargeable batteries. A battery charger can make a useful Christmas gift.
Look for batteries that are free of mercury and cadmium.  Dispose of batteries carefully.

DONT:-

Use old batteries with new ones. The new batteries try to recharge the old ones, cutting their useful life.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE:-

Christmas would not be the same without the traditional tree and decorations. Real trees are carbon neutral, absorbing as much carbon dioxide as they grow as they will emit when burnt or left to decompose. They are also a wildlife habitat and a naturally renewable resource.
Most Christmas trees are grown on managed tree farms for Christmas or come from thinnings of larger forests. They are a renewable resource and generate employment.  Buy a tree with roots in a pot, which you can use year after year. When it grows too big for indoor use, it can be replanted outdoors in the garden. There are more and more potted trees on the market each year. Make sure that your tree is properly secured and positioned away from doors, stairs, open fires, and heaters. Use only good quality Christmas tree lights which meet approved standards.  It is important to keep a real tree in a cool place in a leak proof container and water it frequently. Remember Safety First. If watering a tree, ensure that electricity is switched off and that no water comes in contact with the lights.  In some areas Local Authorities operate recycling schemes where you can leave your old Christmas tree to be shredded. Check out with your own Local Authority before disposing of your tree to see if they have such a scheme.
Although artificial trees last for many years they are made from metal and derivatives of PVC, which requires large amounts of energy to make, and also creates by-products such as lead which can be harmful to both the environment and human health. The average life of an artificial tree is just 6 years and given that they are not naturally biodegradable they will potentially pollute a landfill site for many years to come. Most artificial trees are now made in Taiwan and China and so have additional energy costs associated with transport.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS:-

Buy good quality  decorations which will last year after year. Store the decorations carefully away for future use. Avoid the cheaper varieties, which have to be thrown away after only one use. Encourage the children to get involved in making decorations for the tree from everyday household items. A number of books and magazines will show you how to make decorations for the tree. House decorations can be made from organic, recycled and scrap materials. Try popcorn, dough, cinnamon sticks, bows, gingerbread, holly, seasonal berries, ivy and evergreen branches – once you have finished with them, you can put them in the compost. Don't forget to turn off your fairy lights Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produce enough carbon dioxide to inflate 12 balloons - so make sure you get energy saving light bulbs for your home and try outdoor solar powered fairy lights for some winter sparkle without adding to your carbon footprint.

ENTERTAINING AND FOOD:-

Having a big crowd over for Christmas dinner can make it tempting to use disposable products. Don’t use plastic containers. Plastic leaches chemicals into food, especially when heated, so even if you store food in plastic transfer it to glass before reheating. If possible forget disposable plates and utensils altogether. Try to buy organic fruit and vegetables. Although they are a little more expensive, they are grown without artificial fertilisers and pest-repellents, which can cause so much harm to the environment. Throw those vegetable peelings on your compost heap and make some natural fertiliser for your garden next year. Organic turkeys taste better too try to make sure it has been reared in humane conditions. Shop at farmers markets or buying direct from the farmer is far cheaper than buying organic in the supermarket. Think of the benefits – the taste of chemical-free food, the reduction in food miles and CO2 emissions, and reduced dependence on oil. Buying locally produced food also boosts rural jobs.  If demand for organic produce grows, they will be grown in larger quantities and the prices will start coming down.

TRAVEL:-

Getting to your destination is half the battle, but the other half is what all of our travel does to the environment. If you can avoid flying, particularly short-haul flights, do so. Buses and trains are less expensive, and can be a bit of an adventure because you actually get to see things along the way. Regardless of your mode of transportation,consider offsetting your emissions. The money you pay for offsetting goes to projects that reduce carbon in the atmosphere, like reforestation and renewable energy.

CHRISTMAS CLEAR OUT:-

When you are clearing up after it is all over, pay attention to what waste is being generated.  Remember to avail of recycling schemes for disposing of paper, glass and cans. Bring empty bottles to the nearest bottle bank and cans to the nearest can bank.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

With a little planning we can all have a wonderful Christmas and make a difference to the environment too.

Seasons Greetings

Fionnuala

WASTE REDUCTION - What’s it all about?

Welcome to my Blog, enjoy, and feel free to comment. Thank you - Fionnuala

Each household in Northern Ireland contributes around one tonne of waste and this amount is increasing!  Our current lifestyle, based on convenience and over packaged products, means we are producing more waste than ever. At the moment the most common way of managing waste is through landfill.  Not only are we running out of space in landfill sites, but new legislation from Europe is obliging us to find better ways of dealing with waste.

The Waste Strategy groups developed joint management plans to meet European targets, using the principles of the waste hierarchy.  This shows that the best way to manage waste is not to produce it at all, or at least reduce the amount which needs disposed of, with final disposal as a last resort.

Waste represents the squandering of our natural resources, it is unsightly and costly to remove or dispose of.  The majority of waste goes to landfill, where materials with the potential for re-use or recycling are lost.  While the waste which is buried in landfill breaks down it begins to release Methane which is a harmful greenhouse gas. A liquid called leachate is also produced which has the potential to pollute our ground water. 

Here in Northern Ireland, there was a household recycling rate of around 9.8% and a composting rate of approximately 4.7%.  This must continue to grow or the future for Northern Ireland could be bleak.

Waste Reduction Is.....

*  Reduction or elimination of the amount of waste produced in the first place,
*  Being economical with materials, energy and money,
*  Development of products or production techniques to minimise waste generation
*  Reprocessing waste material for reuse

We are running out of locations suitable for waste disposal and the amount of waste we produce is increasing every year

Take a good look at the waste you produce and ask yourself a few simple questions;

*Is there anything which may be of use to someone else?
*Is there anything which may be of use with a little modification?

There are many different ways to minimise your waste here are some tips:-

Old T- shirts make great dusters or cloths,
Share trips to the recycling centre with another family,
Buy loose fruit and veg,
Give old toys to the local playgroup,
Print and photocopy on both sides of paper where possible,
Carry out a simple waste audit. Where is the waste produced in your workplace and how could you reduce it?
Use e-mail instead of leaving paper notes,
Take lunches in a reusable box instead of using sandwich bags.
Provide recycling facilities for waste paper, cans, glass, etc.
Use ‘junk’ (egg cartons, yoghurt pots etc) for craft work,
Swap books with friends,
Say ‘no thanks’ to a carrier bag when out shopping: take your own,
Choose products with minimal packaging or packaging that can be returned for recycling,
Buy refillable bottles that can be used again,
Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste,
Sign up with the mailing preference service or put a sign on your door requesting no junk mail,
Have your milk delivered in returnable bottles: plastic-coated cartons are difficult to recycle.
Take left over tins of paint to your local RE-PAINT scheme,
Old furniture and household appliances can be refurbished and passed on to community groups or those in need.
Collect oil from DIY car maintenance and take to your local civic amenity site: it can recycled into boiler fuel and lubricants,
Buy recycled products: they are of good quality and support the market for raw materials from waste.

Check out these products - http://www.ubieepill.com/fifi

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In Conclusion

The waste hierarchy is the best way to address the problem. Create less waste, recycle more rubbish and dispose of the remainder in a safe, environmentally friendly way.

We can use the energy held in waste to generate power and heat.  A number of techniques have been created to produce energy from waste.

Landfill Gas: Methane, a potent greenhouse gas may be collected and burnt to produce energy
which can create heat and electricity.
Combustion of landfill gas therefore reduces volumes of methane which would otherwise be emitted.

Mass Burn Combustion: Untreated waste is incinerated, steam is produced and passed through a turbine to create electricity and low temperature heat, which can then be used in nearby buildings.

Anaerobic digestion - Kitchen waste (raw vegetables, peelings etc) or agricultural waste (dairy, beef and sheep slurry or chicken litter) is placed in a heated airtight container where bacteria start to break down the material converting it to Biogas – used to generate heat and/or electricity which may be used on site or the electricity may be sold to the national grid
Fibre – can be used as a soil conditioner
Liquor – may be pasteurised and used as a liquid fertiliser.
This process is used successfully in Germany and Denmark and now the first ‘Centralised Anaerobic Digestion Plant’ has been set up in Devon, England.

Gasification - A thermo-chemical process in which waste is heated in an environment with a limited amount of oxygen. A low-energy gas is produced containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane which can then be used as a fuel in a turbine or combustion engine to generate electricity.

Pyrolysis - Waste is treated in the complete absence of oxygen.  Gas, olefin liquid and char are produced in various quantities.  The gas and oil can be processed, stored and transported, if necessary and combusted in an engine, gas turbine or boiler.  Char can be recovered from the residue and used as a fuel, or the residue passed to a gasifier and the char gasified.

Refuse Derived Fuel- Separating the combustible waste from the non combustibles such as glass or metals means they then be recycled.

This leaves plastics, paper, wood etc which can be shredded and compacted making it more efficient to burn and easier to transport.
As the waste has been separated before incineration, there will be less chance of noxious gasses such as heavy metals being released.

The use of waste as an energy resource frees up a lot of space in our landfills and puts less of a strain on the world’s finite resources such as oil, coal and natural gasses.

Although the waste that does not decompose may not release by-products it takes up space and will be around for hundreds of years.

It is time to Wake Up To Waste!!!

Please feel free to comment on what is happening in your area.

Till Next time

Fionnuala
N Ireland
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Nature's budget 'has run out'

Welcome to my Blog, enjoy, and feel free to comment.Thank you - Fionnuala

Nature's budget 'has run out'

Published by Press Assoc. - Tuesday, September 23 07:47 am

The world has slid into "ecological debt", having used up all the natural resources the planet can provide this year, according to the New Economics Foundation.

The think-tank said humans were using up resources such as forests and fisheries faster than they can be regenerated and producing more waste, mainly carbon dioxide, than the planet can absorb.

As a result, we have been increasingly "overshooting" nature's budget each year since the 1980s, NEF said.  Tuesday marks the date when we have exceeded the natural resources the planet can provide for this year - a day which has been creeping steadily earlier each year.

From now until the end of the year, humanity is "dipping into our ecological reserves, borrowing from the future," according to Dr Mathis Wackernagel, executive director of the Global Footprint Network.

Each year, the network calculates humanity's ecological footprint - the demands it puts on the planet - and compares it to the capacity of the Earth's ecosystems to generate resources and absorb waste.

Human beings are currently using up the capacity of 1.4 planets, and consumption is increasing.

Last year, Ecological Debt Day, formulated by NEF based on data from the Global Footprint Network, was October 6 - although new data has been taken into account this year including emissions from slash and burn agriculture and biofuels.

Incorporating the new data into last year's calculations would have put Ecological Debt Day 2007 on September 28, showing human consumption is still on the rise, NEF said.

According to the foundation, the failure to live within our ecological means is the root of many of the most pressing environmental concerns, including climate change, collapsing fisheries, declining biodiversity and factors contributing to the current food crisis.

Till next time

Fionnuala

Adding greenhouse gases to our atmosphere is warmi

Welcome to my Blog, enjoy, and feel free to comment. Thank you - Fionnuala

Current climate models predict global warming of between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100.
Even a 1.4°C temperature rise over 100 years has never been observed in the past 10,000 years.
The Earth's climate is already slowly adjusting to past greenhouse emissions - climate records show that global temperatures have increased by 0.6 °C since the late 19th century.
The 1990s are likely to have been the warmest decade of the millennium.
Mean sea-level around the world has risen by 10-20 cm. Most of the rise in sea levels has been due to the thermal expansion of seawater. Melting glaciers and ice caps could also contribute to rising sea levels.

Other impacts of climate change, which were observed during the 20th century;

* Global mean sea level - Increased at an average annual rate of 1-2 mm during the 20th century

* Duration of ice cover of rivers and lakes - Decreased by about 2 weeks over the 20th century in far North

* Arctic sea-ice extent and thickness - 40% thinner in summer in recent decades. Decreased in extent by 10-15%

* Non-polar glaciers - Widespread retreat

* Snow cover - Global area decreased by 10% since 1960s

* Permafrost - Thawed in parts of polar and mountainous regions

* El Niño events - More frequent, persistent and intense

* Growing season - About 1-4 days longer per decade during the last 40 years

* Plant and animal ranges - Shifting polewards (geographically) and upwards (altitude) as plants, insects, birds and fish seek cooler conditions

* Breeding, flowering and migration - Earlier plant flowering, earlier bird arrival, earlier dates of breeding season, and earlier emergence of insects in the Northern Hemisphere

* Weather-related economic losses - Rising

In recent decades, an increase in precipitation has been noticed in mid- and high-latitude areas of the Northern Hemisphere (45 °N - 60 °N), as well as the tropics (10 °N – 10 °S).  On the other hand, precipitation has decreased in sub-tropical areas (10 °N - 30 °N) during the 20th century.  As a result, the frequency and intensity of droughts appears to have worsened in parts of Africa and Asia over the last few decades.

IMPACTS IN MY PART OF THE PLANET - NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland enjoys a very mild climate.
It is buffered by the huge Atlantic Ocean – since water heats up and cools down more slowly than land does, our climate is fairly constant, and there are no great extremes of weather.  Long periods of snow and sub-zero temperatures, or sizzling heat waves are uncommon. Compare this to continental Europe and Asia, where the huge land masses and distance from the oceans make for great climate extremes.  (The Siberian town of Verkhoyansk may possibly have the most extreme climate in the world. It has been as cold as -67 °C in January, and as high as 37 °C in July!)

Given our mild climate, it is possible we may notice climate change slightly more slowly than in other areas of the world. This is not to say that it won't happen here though. Already, changes are being noticed.

Armagh Observatory measured the number of snow days and recorded that it has decreased over the 20th century. Less snow in Northern Ireland each year will have many effects: on roads, transport, wildlife to name a few. Climate models predict that summer temperatures are predicted to rise.

What effect might this have on agriculture in Northern Ireland?

The yield of potatoes here has varied with the mean summer temperature. (The yield is measured in kilotonnes per hectare, showing how successful the crop has been each year). There is clearly a link between summer temperatures and potato crop yield. In 1983 and 1995 the temperature was high, but the potato yield was low – this was because both these years had much drier than usual summers.  This is an example of how climate change might produce some advantages. It is likely that in Northern Ireland, new crops may be introduced, which previously did not grow well here. 

It may be the behaviour of plants and animals which we notice soonest.  Snowdrops usually bloom in January, daffodils in March, bluebells in May. The periodic timing of natural events in response to climate is called phenology. Plants and animals respond to seasonal changes in weather.  Recording data such as the flowering date of plants, leaf-fall date of trees, or arrival dates of certain migratory birds is vitally important in monitoring climate change impacts on the natural world.

For more information on phenology, or if you would like to take part in recording, visit: www.phenology.org.uk

THE CHANGING CLIMATE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Climate models run by the Met Office have predicted what the climate is likely to be in the 21st century.

Summary of predicted climate changes in Northern Ireland by 2080s

* Temperature - Average annual temperature to increase.

* Summer and particularly autumn to warm most.More record-breaking temperature years.

* Precipitation - Winters to become wetter; summers to become drier.

* Small changes in spring and autumn.

* Cloud cover - Cloud cover to decrease slightly.

* Humidity - Relative humidity to decrease slightly.

* Wind speed - Wind speed to decrease slightly, especially on east coast.

* Snowfalls - Large decrease in winter snowfalls

Till Next Time

God Bless and Keep Safe

Fionnuala
N Ireland
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The Earthʼs climate has always been changing.

Welcome to my Blog, enjoy, and feel free to comment. Thank you - Fionnuala

The Earth's climate has always been changing.

However, for at least 100 years we have been aware of a serious problem with the way our activities on earth may be affecting the climate. Swedish scientist Svente Arrhenius first raised the issue in 1895, and since then Climate change has now become accepted as possibly the most serious threat mankind has to face.  Tackling climate change is urgent – not only the causes of climate change, but also the effects it will have on our society.  So that we can understand the nature of climate change fully, we will look at three terms which are used when discussing the subject: Climate Change, Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect.

CLIMATE CHANGE - Weather

The weather is the changing conditions we see from day to day – in any given week (especially here in Northern Ireland!) we may see nearly all types of weather – sun, rain, wind, dry spells, warmth and cold.

Climate

Climate, on the other hand, is like a ʻweather averageʼ. Climate is usually based on long term weather records, over 30 years for example. Climate records could tell us that the average temperature in 2002 in Northern Ireland was 10.2°C, although there would have been many days above or below this temperature.  Climate tells us the average weather conditions we can expect in a particular place at a certain time of the year. You will even have some knowledge of climate - why do temperatures differ between Summer and Winter in Northern Ireland?

Climate Change

Climate is associated with ʻaveragesʼ. We know what the climate is like in Northern Ireland, so we know what weather to expect each year.
Question: Do banana trees grow outdoors in Northern Ireland?
Of course, the answer is no – it is not hot and sunny enough here to grow banana trees. In other words, the climate is not suitable. Everything we know about the climate is based on how weather has been in the past.
But weather records, particularly from the 1970s until the present, have been showing something unexpected. The average weather conditions seem to be steadily changing. This is Climate Change.

Weather records have been kept at Armagh Observatory since 1840. In 164 years of weather records, five of the warmest years have occurred since 1990!  ʻClimate Changeʼ refers to the rapid change in local weather patterns which are taking place around the whole world. Right at the beginning of this post I said that Earthʼs climate has always been changing – but it is now changing at a faster rate than it has ever done in the past. What is causing this change?

Global Warming

This is a term which describes how the earthʼs atmosphere is warming. It suggests that we will have higher temperatures. However, we now prefer to talk in terms of ʻclimate changeʼ – because warmer temperatures are only one type of weather change we will see. There are other ways in which the climate will change – summers will be drier, and winters more stormy and wet.

Greenhouse Effect

In a greenhouse, sunlight comes in through the glass and heats the contents, which then radiate infra-red energy back. Some of this infra-red energy cannot escape through the glass and stays trapped inside the greenhouse, so the temperature climbs - even on a dull day, youʼd be surprised how warm it can be!  This is the so-called ʻGreenhouse Effectʼ. It describes how a closed system heats up by allowing more of the sunʼs energy to enter than it lets escape.

Most of our atmosphere is nitrogen and oxygen, but a small amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is also present. The most important of these is carbon dioxide. GHGs ʻtrapʼ some of the infra-red radiation, so they act as a blanket, and keep the earth about 20°C warmer thanit would be without them.

Since the Industrial Revolution, man has been burning increasing amounts of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. This burning is needed to power our cars, produce our electricity, keep our homes warm and manufacture our goods. A main product of burning fossil fuels is carbon dioxide, which we know is a greenhouse gas. We are increasing the amount of this gas in the atmosphere, so we are making the ʻblanketʼ in our atmosphere thicker.
As we produce more carbon dioxide, less heat is able to escape and the Earth becomes warmer. This is man-made global warming, and it is causing climate change.

Other greenhouse gases

Carbon dioxide is only one of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) which humans are responsible for in the atmosphere.  Some GHGs are extremely powerful at trapping heat (for example sulphur hexafluoride is 23,900 times better than carbon dioxide). Also, some GHGs persist in the atmosphere for much longer (some perfluorocarbons can last 50,000 years in the atmosphere). However, carbon dioxide is the main contributor to climate change, due to the sheer volume which is emitted by burning fossil fuels. The next most important GHGs are methane and nitrous oxide.  Carbon dioxide levels appear to have varied by less than 10% during the 10,000 years before industrialization. Since 1800 all 3 main greenhouse gases have risen by at least 30%. However, scientists agree that even if emissions of greenhouse gases are stabilised or reduced now, we will still see the effects of climate change due to past emissions. Scientists believe that these increasing levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere have led to the global temperature increases seen in the late 20th century, particularly since 1970.

Scientific knowledge of climate change and the greenhouse effect has helped to inform governments across the world. Industrialized countries signed up to an international agreement – The Kyoto Protocol – which says they will try to limit the amount of greenhouse gases they emit into the atmosphere.  How can countries limit the amount of greenhouse gas they produce? Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor to global warming.

Some ways in which governments are trying to reduce emissions involve:

- Energy efficiency – if less energy is used, less fossil fuels have to be burnt, and less CO2 is produced.

- Renewable energy – energy sources like wind and wave power do not produce any emissions.

- Emissions trading – a scheme which encourages large power generators to cut emissions.

Till Next Time

Fionnuala
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