EVS PRESENTATION

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Earth’s atmosphere is slightly warmer than what it should be due to direct solar heating because of a mild case of greenhouse effect…• The ground is heated by visible and (some) infrared light

from the Sun. • The heated surface emits infrared light. • The majority of Earth’s atmosphere (N2 and O2) are not good

greenhouse gas.• The small amount of greenhouse gases (H2O, CO2) traps

(absorb and re-emit) the infrared radiation, increasing the temperature of the atmosphere…

The primary components of Earth’s atmosphere, N2 and O2 do not have absorption in the IR wavelength range, therefore, do not have a significant role in setting the surface temperature of the planet…

Greenhouse gas are efficient in absorbing IR light…The most important greenhouse gases are: H2O – Water vapor. CO2 – Carbon Dioxide CH4 – methaneThe most abundant greenhouse gas in Earth’s atmosphere is

water vapor. Most of the greenhouse heating of Earth’s atmosphere is due to Water vapor absorption of IR radiation emitted by Earth, and then transferring the energy to the surrounding air molecule

Shorter high energy wavelengths hit the earth’s surface. Incoming energy is converted to heat. Longer , infrared waves hit the greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere emit infrared waves back

towards earth.

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) – Source: Fossil fuel burning, deforestation Anthropogenic increase: 30% Average atmospheric residence time: 500 years

Methane (CH4) – Source: Rice cultivation, cattle & sheep ranching, decay from landfills,

mining Anthropogenic increase: 145% Average atmospheric residence time: 7-10 years

Nitrous oxide (N2O) – Source: Industry and agriculture (fertilizers) Anthropogenic increase: 15% Average atmospheric residence time: 140-190 years

Summary

Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and prevent it from escaping to space.

Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are very good at capturing energy at wavelengths that other compounds

Greenhouse Effect & Global Warming

• The “greenhouse effect” & global warming are not the same thing.

– Global warming refers to a rise in the temperature of the surface of the earth

• An increase in the concentration of

greenhouse gases leads to an increase in the the magnitude of the greenhouse effect. (Called enhanced greenhouse effect)

– This results in global warming

Ways to reduce carbon footprint

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Car

Drive better - Studies have shown up to 30% of the difference in miles per gallon (MPG) is due to driving habits alone.  You could save more than a ton of CO2 per year by:  - Accelerating slowly and smoothly  - Driving the speed limit  - Maintaining a steady speed  - Anticipating your stops and starts

Maintenance - Keep your car tuned up and running efficiently.  

More Maintenance - Replace your air, oil and fuel filters according to schedule.  

Tires - Keep your tires properly inflated (just this can save 400-700 pounds of CO2 per year) 

Make your next vehicle a fuel-efficient one

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Travel

A lot of our emissions come from just being inefficient or not deliberate with our daily decisions.  Every day think about how you could reduce the miles you drive and pretty soon you’ll start identifying lots of opportunities:

Combine your trip with another.  Carpool - Just once a week saves 20%.Check out your transit options - It may not work for you every time, but use it when it does.What about your bike? - Get in shape, too!  Only a mile? - Walk.Think it through - Do you need to take this trip at all?  Get it on the Internet.  Optimize - Save this trip for later and combine with another.  Telecommute - Work from home occasionally.

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Air Travel

Think about the trip - Can you combine it with another or get more done on one trip?  Train - For some trips the train may be a good choice for you.Fly nonstop - Nonstop flights are better than connecting flights (for many reasons).  When you get there - Do some research ahead of time to find better ground travel options (shuttles, transit, trains, etc.) at your destination.  Lodging - Ask your hotel about their environmental commitment and steps they’re taking to reduce, offset.While you’re away - Turn your stuff off.  Turn down your thermostat and your water heater; turn off your electronics (even smarter: unplug them to protect from electrical storms).  What’s the point of things being on with no one there?

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Home

Programmable thermostat – Costs about $50 or less and will save you that much or more in the first year. Weather-stripping and Caulking – Costs almost nothing while reducing your energy use, reducing drafts and improving comfort.  

Lighting – Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) have that cool curly shape and save more than 2/3rds of the energy of a regular incandescent. 

Heating and Cooling - Keep your heating and cooling system(s) tuned.  When it’s time to replace, do your research and ask for ENERGY STAR.

Insulation – Weatherstripping, caulking and insulation work together to save you energy, improve the comfort of your home, make it quieter and help you save money.  

Water-Conserving Showerheads & Toilets – You can reduce water and heating costs, even in your bathroom. To save even more water, turn the faucet off when brushing or shaving. 

Appliances – Always pay attention to the total lifetime cost, including energy—not just the price tag.  Look for the ENERGY STAR label

Bigger isn’t always better - Just get the size you need

Electronics – Likewise, look for ENERGY STAR. If you’re going away or not using an item for awhile, unplug it to prevent energy loss from electricity usage on standby.

Windows – These can be expensive, but when it’s time to replace them, make sure they are ENERGY STAR rated. 

Solar – We love solar, but make sure you reduce your energy load first to keep your costs down.

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Wedding

Knowledge – There is a surprising amount to learn when it comes to planning a wedding. Though primarily a resource for training green wedding planners, 

(New Wedding Planet is a great site for new couples to learn the ins and outs of planning everything from cake design to the elements of traditional or cultural ceremonies.) Invitations – Utilize recycled or post-consumer waste paper

for all your invitations, thank you notes, place cards, etc. Or cut out the paper waste altogether by choosing to go digital and putting Save the Dates, maps, and reception cards on your wedding website.

Flowers and Food – Same idea for both: make it local, organic and seasonal. Almost all caterers and florists can help you with this, and you can get educated by going to your farmer’s market and asking what will be in season.

Décor – Let the natural beauty of your outdoor wedding shine or consider using potted plants to adorn your indoor event – guests can take them home and transplant them, as opposed to wreaths of cut flowers that only survive a day or two. by reusing floral arrangements from your ceremony at the reception.

Transportation – The biggest carbon footprint from any event is the transportation. Try holding the wedding in a location central to most guests

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Office

Enable your power management - so your computer and monitor shut down.  

Consider using PC energy-saving technology - The system monitors/minimizes computer and printer energy usage. 

Do you need to print?- Consider saving a file on your computer, in a flash drive or emailing it.  

Double-side print - Saves paper too. Can you carpool or transit or bike to work?     Open up - If you have windows you can open, use them to

intelligently save energy. Turn ‘em off - Only use the lights you need.  If you’re using your

computer you may not need your office lights on too. Occupancy sensors - Shut off lights in unused rooms.  Better, get

your building to install occupancy sensors. Bring your lunch - Or walk to the local eatery instead of driving.

Overall summary10 things a individual can do

1. Change Your Light bulbs2. Unplug Your GadgetsCompletely powering off your gadgets isn't just good for your devices, it's good for the planet. What's even better is unplugging your chargers when they're not in use3. Take Public Transit or CarpoolOne car uses less gas than two and much less than three. Similarly, riding the bus or train to work helps to slash down the number of cards on the road.

4. Choose a Laptop Over a DesktopLaptops, unlike desktop computers, are designed to be energy-efficient, because battery life is a major factor to laptop design. a laptop can be up to 80% more energy-efficient than a desktop5. Filter Your Own WaterBuying packaged drinking water leads to rise in plastic consumption.If you live in most western countries, tap water is perfectly suitable for consumption, especially if you use a filtration pitcher.

6. Adjust Your Curtains and Thermostat Simple adjustments to moderate the temperature in your house. turning off your thermostat while you're not in your home can save you 15% on your energy bill.7. Buy Local FoodPurchasing foods that are both in season and grown locally can drastically cut down the carbon emissions of the vehicles used to transport your winter watermelon across the country8. Plant a Tree Trees provide shade and oxygen while consuming carbon dioxide

9. Print or Digital, Be Mindful Reading the NewsIf you subscribe to a print paper, be sure to recycle your paper every day. If online news is your preferred medium, chose an unplugged laptop or e-reader, rather than a plugged-in device for the majority of your browsing time.10. Chose Energy-Efficient Kitchen Appliancesmicrowaving your food is faster and often uses less energy than the stove

COCA-COLA CASE STUDY

Coca-Cola teamed up with the Carbon Trust to establish how consumers can be empowered to cut their personal environmental impact.

The ultimate goal: how to stimulate behavioural change among global consumers, in terms of the products and services they consume, in order to minimise the carbon emissions these emit, and reduce their personal and collective contribution to climate change.

Context is critical - Providing the environmental context for typical consumer lifestyle choices can help inform their decision making process.

Behaviour change is a challenge - The intense emotional attachment to certain (high carbon) lifestyle choices are difficult to change. In order to influence change, brands need to stress the secondary or tertiary direct benefits to consumers' health, wealth and quality of life.

Simple measures can add up - Brands have a clear role to play to help motivate consumers to make changes by illustrating that event small changes when combined contribute to a significant impact.

WHAT COCA COLA WANTED TO DO

Establish how to harness the power of the Coca-Cola brand to inform, educate and empower individual consumer to reduce their personal carbon footprint.

WHAT COCA COLA DID

 Teamed up with the Carbon Trust to develop a robust concept and methodology for a Personal Carbon Allowance and identify the ingredients for success.

WHAT COCA COLA ACCOMPALISHED Developed a robust methodology, identified the

opportunities and challenges of this approach and created the evidence needed for the Coca-Cola Company to move forward with confidence and credibility, recruit other brand leaders to support this ambitious new drive towards global sustainability and develop a coherent communications strategy.

Actions Taken

"Together we considered the concepts and public education campaigns that have been understood and embraced by consumers.  Nutritional Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) - the system which sets an ideal standard for daily calorie and nutrient consumption - provided us with a possible blueprint for action."

"We agreed that, by calculating a Personal Carbon Allowance for individual consumers on a daily basis, we could establish a meaningful target.  Then we needed to develop and test the best ways of communicating this concept in order to trigger behavioural change."  Said Ulrike Sapiro, Environmental Sustainability Director of the Coca-Cola Company.

Based on this premise a three-phase feasibility study was mapped out by the Carbon Trust. 

Phase 1

Develop the concept of a carbon GDA - Guideline Daily Allowance (GDA), using existing national consumption data sets for UK consumers to calculate the daily amounts used for everyday events. Then assess an appropriate reduction factor to encourage reductions in 2011 on a trajectory towards the UK's 80% reduction target by 2050.

Phase 2

Test the personal carbon allowance concept as a 'carbon GDA' with consumers

Assess whether the carbon GDA concept helps consumers make more informed decisions

Collect qualitative data from consumers experience living with carbon GDAs Develop and test options for communicating the carbon GDA.

Phase 3

Review the findings and develop a series of recommendations for shaping related policy decisions in future.

Result

After extensive analysis, eight lifestyle segments were identified where consumers had the influence to alter their habits. These were commuting, personal daily travel, electricity, gas, food and drink consumption, holidays, and emissions from leisure and lifestyle activities. Further analysis by the Carbon Trust revealed that the average consumer is responsible for 23.1kg of embodied CO2e emissions per day from these lifestyle segments. 

"A host of complex issues were considered as part of this process, such as the merits of a global versus country-specific allowance, the need for carbon emissions to be gradually reduced over time and the fact that the reduction rate necessary varies depending on the consumers' individual life style as well as their stage of life. After crunching the numbers a daily PCA of 19.9kg CO2e was agreed. Now we were ready to test the idea." 

RESPONSE FROM THE POPULATION “I think the idea of having a carbon GDA would be

very beneficial on the whole and I believe that the majority of people would appreciate the guidance so they have the choice to alter their lifestyles a little more.”

“Importantly, it also revealed that most people view climate change as an issue of such magnitude and complexity that it is beyond their personal sphere of influence.  They simply do not see how altering their own every day habits can have a significant impact on a challenge of this scale.”

CARBON OFFSET

INTRODUCTION

Carbon offsetting is a mechanism by which the impact of the emission of a ton of GHGs is neutralised through the implementation of an action elsewhere that will consume or reduce emissions by an equivalent ton of GHGs.

The idea of offsetting emissions by investing in projects elsewhere is a fundamental component of the Kyoto Protocol.

HOW IT WORKS

Carbon offsets are a form of trade. When you buy an offset, you fund projects that

reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Carbon offsets let you pay to reduce the global

GHG total instead of making radical or impossible reductions of your own.

GHG emissions mix quickly with the air and, unlike other pollutants, spread around the entire planet.

Sources of carbon offsets

The CDM identifies over 200 types of projects suitable for generating carbon offsets, which are grouped into broad categories.

These project types include renewable energy, methane abatement, energy efficiency, reforestation and fuel switching.

Renewable energy

These commonly include wind power, solar power, hydroelectric power and biofuel.

Methane collection and combustion

An example of a project using an anaerobic digester can be found in Chile.

In order to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF)

Avoided deforestation is the protection of existing forests.

Reforestation is the process of restoring forests on land that was once forested.

Afforestation is the process of creating forests on land that was previously unforested, typically for longer than a generation.

Soil management projects attempt to preserve or increase the amount of carbon sequestered in soil.

Other means

Energy efficiency1. Cogeneration plants2. Fuel efficiency projects3. Energy-efficient buildings

Destruction of industrial pollutants Purchase of carbon allowances from emissions

trading schemes

Carbon offsets are voluntary. People and businesses buy them to reduce their carbon footprints or build up their green image.

Carbon offsets can counteract specific activities like air travel and driving or events like weddings and conferences.

In corporate sense

Because carbon offsets are voluntary, generous purchases can help strengthen a company's environmental image.

Some companies make real efforts to modify their operations, create fewer GHG emissions and offset the rest.

But businesses can also conceal lax environmental standards with highly promoted carbon offsets. Environmentalists call this type of deception greenwashing.

Hypothetical Situation

Consider the following example of a hypothetical and admittedly oversimplified situation. Houses A and B can reduce their energy consumption by 1 tCO2e each. The reduction would require an investment of Rs 10,000 in each.House C has a reduction option of 4 tCO2e but because of the older equipment will require a greater investment of Rs 20,000. Unfortunately the owner does not have these funds available at the present time.

The Three Options

Do nothing, we should not be spending money on GHG reduction.

Each individual should do what they can. House A and House B should spend Rs 10,000 each for a total GHG reduction of tCO2e of 2.

House A and House B should contribute Rs 10,000 each towards funding the modifications in House C to for a total GHG reduction of tCO2e of 4.

In A Nutshell

Offsetting and carbon trading ensure that investments materialize the largest GHG reductions at the lowest possible cost.

So, Option C , is the correct method for carbon offsetting and trading.

This is Carbon Offset in a nutshell.

Thank You !

Credits :-Pragya SharmaShruti SundaramSanaya KansaraSmeet GalaKushal BhedaRohan Raisoni