ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT

1. Indonesia (Haze)

   • Palm oil+ paper pulp companies illegally set fire to clear land.
     • 2015 episode: 300 companies, 80 individuals arrested,2.1 mill hectares of land burned,21 deaths, 500k with respiratory prob & $9 billion in losses 2) Highest PSI- 3,300 in Central Kalimantan province 3) Highest losses in manufacturing, agricutlure & forestry
       • Reprecussions: revoking forest concessions, stiffer penalties> take 3 years to solve it.
     • Most of forests is peatland-stores large amt of carbon>exude strong Co2 emissions
   • Current Policy: US$7 to clear a hectare by burning, $150 with tractors 2) Only small-scale farmers can burn 2ha of land by burning

2. Battery Technology>trend towards short-term storage+delayed transmission of electricity 2) Multi-juction solar celss developed in Germany,bladeless wind-turbines in Spain

3. Climate Change

   • Consequence: Heatwaves>rashes,cramps,hypothermia, malnuttrition etc 2)Malnutition caused half of worldwide deaths of children under 5
   • Most vulnerable areas: South Asia,Latin America,Carribean,Pacific islandsHorn & equitorial Africa

4. Paris Climate Change Deal>robust mechanism for cooperation>goal to stop temperatures from increasing by 2 deg above pre-industrial levels 2)hybrid system of individual country emissions & broad principles (transparency & no free-riding) 3) Pledges subj to measurement,reporting,verification,legally-binding 4) short-term maximalist or long-term pragmatic approach ?

   • WHY Copenhagen '09 failed>mistrust betw countries,large emitters felt excluded 2) Legacy of Kyoto Protocol> division of Annex One developed & Non-Annex One developing countries>affects financing of mitigation &adaptation actions 3) IMPT : UNFCCC-obligates industrialsed nations to assist,despite developing bein econ well off or largest emitters

5. North/South Pole

   • Artic,Antartic Peninsula+global hotspots>warming at double average rate esp Pine Island
     • SO much fresh water pushed into North Pole affectin regulation of global temp by ocean
       • Polar Tourism: 40k tourist in 15/16,50% increase from 4 yrs ago 2) a quarter will not set foot due to 1994 treaty> need for some regulations in Artic waters
   • Oceans
     • Reduction of phyoplankton (microscopic plants at bottom of ocean food chain)> by warming of oceans (1.2 deg) cuases mixing of surface water & nutrient rich deeper waters to slow > vertical mixing is impt as upper zones has the sufficient light for photsynthesis OVERALL: affects food security in India,Sri Lanka Bangladesh,Kenya,Somali>affect fish markets of US, Europe & Japan

6. Food

   • Sweet potatoes contain natural flavonoids,water-soluble oigments> cause color changes over a wide-range of pH when exposed to air. NOT linked to presence of Agent Orange in soil
   • Decline of pollinators eg wild bees,butterfies-key hundreds of billions of dollars worth of crops (choc,veg,coffee) 2) Headed towards extinction-due to change in modern-day farming>not enuf diversity for pollinators to use as food,pesticide use,habitat loss,parasites,global warming (UN scientific mega-report)

7. Sustainable Living

   • Germany>Autobahn bicycle>100 km highway connectin 10 western cities, 4 universities in the Ruhr industrial region 2) Pioneered in Netherlands,Denmark
   • Soil Quality>improvin soil structure by increasin organic matter BENEFITS 1)rainwater flows easily>alleviatin surface run-off,flooding 2) stabilises soil>reducin erosion>decreases silt>less dredgin,filtration costs>carbon sequstration (storage) HOW ) Suitable understory plants>dropped leaves,twigs form protective layer on top of soil 2) Using biochar>stabilize carbon 3) Pyrolysis facility creatin biochar usin leaves,branches from tree trimmings
   • Effect of urbanisation: Vegetation turned into paved surfaces> >evaporation decreases>incoming energy from sun is stored b4 released at night>increasin local temp.>urban heat island effect

8. Mangrove Deforestation 2) Mangrove ecosystems: coastal protection,biodiverse,large amts of carbon

   • oil Palms,Rice plantations, aquaculture(fish farming & other creatures) 2) SEA mangrove deforestation rate of 0.18% from 2000-2012, highest in Myanmar,Malaysia,Cambodia,indonesia 3) REASONS: few safeguards importance of rice production as food security 3) SIDE_EFFECT: Drainage of carbon-ricj peatlands>haze

9. Energy Production

   • Volcanic power in Indonesia: Due to current situation: seimically-active isla> 40% of world;s geothermal energy reserves 2) Current installation capacity: enough power for just 1.4 milll hseholds outof total 255 mill> less than 5% of geothermal estimated potential> behind geothermal leaders of US, Phillipines 2) Massive red tape>29 permits from diff agencies,govts required 3) New Law passed in '14 delisted geothermal exploration as mining activity which denied it access to protected forests (2/3 of reserves), 1% royalty to be given to local administration for any geothermal plant in their area> new aim to have 7.2k megawatts by 2025