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Carbon Conscious Energy together with the
Industrial Development Corporation and the Central Energy Fund
(Pty) Ltd is focused on erecting the biggest biomass-to-energy
gasification plant in Africa. Once this plant is operational we
will be in a position to use it as a reference plant with the
objective of selling machinery and plant operation services to
Municipalities of South Africa and wider Africa.
Carbon Conscious Innovations is a manufacturer
and supplier of green building materials and the machinery to
produce such materials. We provide innovative solutions and
cutting edge building technologies for:
• The casting of
foundations • Compressed Masonry
Units • utoclaved Aerated
Cement Blocks
Carbon Conscious Construction manufacture green building materials such as the iBrick and offer a wetworks service building with the iBrick to developers.
Global Warming
1. What makes the climate change?
Greenhouse gases are produced mainly by the burning of
fossil fuels. The Earth’s climate is influenced by many
factors, mainly by the amount of energy coming from the sun,
but also by factors such as the amount of greenhouse
gases and aerosols in the atmosphere,
and the properties of the Earth’s surface, which determine
how much of this solar energy is retained or reflected back
to space.  The atmospheric concentrations
of greenhouse
gases such as carbon
dioxide(CO2), methane (CH4)
and nitrous
oxide (N2O) have significantly increased since the
beginning of the industrial revolution. This is mainly due
to human activities, such as the burning offossil
fuels, land
use change, and agriculture. For instance, the
atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is now far
higher than in the last 650 000 years and has been growing
faster in the last ten years than it has been since the
beginning of continuous measurements around 1960. It is very
likely that, overall, human activities since 1750
have had a global warming effect on the Earth.
More...
2. How is climate changing and how
has it changed in the past?
2.1 The
warming of global climate is now unequivocal. There
are many observations of increasing air and ocean
temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice,
and rising sea levels.
More specifically, eleven of the last
twelve years (1995-2006) rank among the 12 warmest
years ever recorded since global surface
temperatures are measured (1850). Over the last 100
years (1906–2005), global temperature has increased
by 0.74°C. Global sea level has risen by 17 cm
during the 20thcentury, in part because of the
melting of snow and ice from many mountains and in
the polar regions. More regional changes have also
been observed, including changes in Arctic
temperatures and ice, ocean salinity,
wind patterns, droughts, precipitations, frequency
of heat waves and intensity of tropical cyclones. More...
2.2 The
temperatures of the last half century are unusual in
comparison with those of at least the previous 1300
years. The last time that the polar regions remained
significantly warmer than now for a very extended
period (125 000 years ago), the sea level rose by 4
to 6 meters. More...
•3.
How is the climate going to change in the future?
•
 3.1 The
global average temperature is expected to increase
by about 0.2°C per decade over the next two decades.
Continuing greenhouse
gasemissions
at or above current rates would cause a further
increase in global temperatures and many other
climatic changes during the 21st century.
•The
best estimates for projected global temperature
increases from the 1980s to the end of the
21st century range from 1.8°C (1.1 - 2.9°C) to 4°C
(2.4 - 6.4°C) for the IPCC scenarios that
do not consider additional mitigation measures apart
from those already in place in 2000. More...
•
3.2 Global
average sea level is expected to rise by 18 to 59 cm
by the end of the 21st century. Warming is expected
to be greatest over land and at high northern
latitudes and smallest over the Southern Ocean and
parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. Other projected
changes include acidification of the oceans, reduced
snow cover and sea
ice, more frequent heat waves and heavy
precipitation, more intense tropical cyclones, and
slower oceanic currents. More...
•
3.3 Warming
and sea level rise caused by human activities will
continue for centuries, even ifgreenhouse
gas concentrations were to be stabilized. If
warming persists over many centuries, it could lead
to a complete melting of the Greenland
Ice sheet, increasing global sea levels by about
7m. More...
•4.
What impacts of climate change have already been
observed?
•Regional climate change is already affecting many natural systems. For
instance, it is increasingly being observed that
snow and ice are melting and frozen ground is
thawing, hydrological and biological systems are
changing and in some cases being disrupted,
migrations are starting earlier, andspecies'
geographic ranges are shifting towards the poles.
•Despite
remaining gaps in knowledge, it is likely that these
effects are linked to human influence on climate. At
the regional level, however, responses to natural
variability are difficult to separate from the
effects of climate
change.
•Some
previously unanticipated impacts of regional climate change are just starting to become apparent. For instance,
melting glaciers can
threaten mountain settlements and water resources,
and damage associated with coastal flooding are
increasing. More...
• 5.1 Over
the course of the 21st century, many impacts are
expected to occur in natural systems. For instance,
changes in precipitation and the melting of ice and
snow are expected to increase flood risks in some
areas while causing droughts in others. If there is
significant warming the capacity ofecosystems to adapt will
be exceeded, with negative consequences such as an
increased risk of extinction of species. More...
•
5.2 The
most vulnerable people are in general the poor,
since they have less capacity to adapt,
and their livelihoods are often dependent on
resources that are linked to climate. More...
•
5.3 Africa
is found to be particularly vulnerable to climate change, because of existing pressures on itsecosystems and
its low capacity to adapt.
On all continents, water supply and the threat to
coastal areas will be an issue. Overall future
impacts are expected to be negative, although some
positive effects are also expected initially, such
as an increase in agricultural productivity at
high latitudes accompanying a moderate warming, or
decreased heating needs in cold regions. More...
•
5.4 Impacts
will depend on the magnitude of the temperature
increase. For instance, some crops at mid- to high
latitudes will have higher productivity if
local temperature increases by 1-3 °C, but will be
negatively affected beyond that (see
Table). If higher temperatures persist after the
21st century it could result in very large impacts.
For instance, the large sea-level rise that would
result from the melting of the Greenland and
Antarctic ice
sheets would have major repercussions on coastal
areas. The cost associated with the effects of climate
change is projected to increase over time with
rising temperatures. More...
•
5.5 A
projected increase in the severity and frequency of
droughts, heat waves, and other extreme weather
events is expected to cause major impacts over the
course of this century (see
Table). More...
•6.
How do people adapt to climate change?
•
 6.1 Humans
need to adapt to
the impacts of climate change, for instance through technological solutions such
as coastal defences and changes in consumption
habits. Humans are already adapting to climate
change, and further adaptation efforts
will be necessary during coming decades. However,
adaptation alone is not expected to be able to cope
will all projected effects since the options
diminish and the costs increase with rising
temperatures.More...
•
6.2 Vulnerability
of human populations to climate change and its consequences can be affected by other
factors, such as pollution, conflicts, or epidemics
such as AIDS. An emphasis on sustainable
development can help human societies reduce
their vulnerability to climate change. However,
climate change itself can become an impediment to
their development.More...
•
6.3 Mitigation
measures that aim to reduce greenhouse gases emissions can help avoid, reduce or delay
impacts, and should be implemented in order to
ensure that adaptationcapacity
is not exceeded. More...
•7.
What are the current trends in greenhouse gas
emissions?
•
•Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown markedly since pre-industrial
times, with a 70% increase from 1970 to 2004 alone
(see Figure).
Over this period, emissions from the transport and
energy sectors have more than doubled. Policies put
in place in some countries have been effective in
reducing emissions in those countries to a certain
degree, but not sufficiently to counteract the
global growth in emissions.
•Without
additional measures to mitigate climate change, global green house gas emissions will continue to
grow over the coming decades and beyond. Most of
this increase would come from developing countries,
where per capita emissions are still considerably
lower than those in developed countries. More...
•8.
What actions can be taken to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions?
•
8.1 Mitigation
measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have a certain cost. However, they also
constitute an economic benefit by reducing
the impacts of climate
change, and the costs associated with
them. In addition, they can bring economic
benefits by reducing local air pollution and
energy resource depletion.
•If
the benefits of avoided climate change are taken into account and a “carbon price” is
established for each unit of greenhouse
gas emissions, this could create
incentives for producers and consumers to
significantly invest in products,
technologies and processes which emit less greenhouse
gases. The resulting mitigation
potential is substantial and could offset
the projected growth of global emissions
over the coming decades or reduce emissions
below current levels.
•Mitigation
measures could contribute to stabilizing the
concentration of greenhouse gases in theatmosphere by
2100 or later. To achieve low stabilization
levels, stringent mitigation efforts are
needed in the coming decades. This could
reduce global GDP by
up to a few percent. More...
•
8.2 Changes
in lifestyle and behaviours that favor
resource conservation can contribute to climate change mitigation. More...
•
8.3 Mitigation
measures can also have other benefits for
society, such as health cost savings
resulting from reduced air pollution.
However, mitigation in one country or group
of countries could lead to higher emissions
elsewhere or effects on the global economy. More...
•
 8.4 No
one sector or technology can address the
entire mitigation challenge. All sectors
including buildings, industry, energy production,
agriculture, transport, forestry, and waste
management could contribute to the overall
mitigation efforts, for instance through
greater energy efficiency. Many technologies
and processes which emit less greenhouse
gases are already commercially available
or will be in the coming decades. More...
•
8.5 In
order to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in theatmosphere,
emissions would have to stop increasing and
then decline. The lower the stabilization
level aimed for, the more quickly this
decline would need to occur. World-wide
investments in mitigation technologies, as
well as research into new energy sources,
will be necessary to achieve stabilization.
Delaying emission reduction measures limits
the opportunities to achieve low
stabilization levels and increases the risk
of severe climate
change impacts. More...
•9.
How can governments create incentives for
mitigation?
•9.1 A
wide variety of policy tools can be applied
by governments to create incentives for
mitigation action, such as regulation,
taxation, tradable permit schemes, subsidies,
and voluntary agreements. Past experience
shows that there are advantages and
drawbacks for any given policy instrument.
For instance, while regulations and
standards can provide some certainty about
emission levels, they may not encourage
innovations and more advanced technologies.
Taxes and charges, however, can provide
incentives, but cannot guarantee a
particular level of emissions. It is
important to consider the environmental
impacts of policies and instruments, their
cost effectiveness, institutional
feasibility and how costs and benefits are
distributed.
•Although
the impact of the Kyoto protocol’s first
commitment period 2008-2012 on global carbon
emissions is expected to be limited, it has
allowed the establishment of a global
response to the climate problem as well as
the creation of an international carbon
market and other mechanisms that may provide
the foundation for future mitigation
efforts. More...
•
9.2 Switching
to more sustainable development paths can make a major contribution to climate changemitigation.
Policies that contribute to
both climate change mitigation and sustainable development
include those related to energy efficiency,
renewable energies, and conservation of
natural habitats. In general, sustainable
development can increase the capacity for adaptation and
mitigation, and reduce vulnerability to the
impacts of climate change. More...
• Current
warming trends are unequivocal. It is very
likely that greenhouse gases released by human activities are responsible for
most of the warming observed in the past
fifty years. The warming is projected to
continue and to increase over the course of
the 21st century and beyond.
•Climate change already has a measurable impact on many natural and
human systems. Effects are projected to
increase in the future and to be more severe
with greater increases in temperature.Adaptation measures
are already being implemented, and will be
essential in order to address the projected
consequences. There is, however, a limit to
adaptation; mitigation measures will also be
needed in order to reduce the severity of
impacts.
•Mitigation
measures that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can help avoid, reduce or delay many
impacts of climate
change. Policy instruments could create
incentives for producers and consumers to
significantly invest in products,
technologies and processes which emit less greenhouse
gases. Without new mitigation policies,
global greenhouse gas emissions will
continue to grow over the coming decades and
beyond. Rapid world-wide investments and
deployment of mitigation technologies, as
well as research into new energy sources
will be necessary to achieve a stabilization
of the concentration of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere.
•Additional
research addressing gaps in knowledge would
further reduce uncertainties and thus
facilitate decision-making related to climate
change.
___________________________________________ Contact Details
T : +27 (0)11 783 1964
M : +27 (0)83 877 0844
F : +27 (0)86 547 3225
E : info@carbongroup.co.za
Office Address:
4 Essenwood Avenue, Dalecross 2196,
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Postal Address:
PO Box 651673, Benmore 2010,
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
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