Staying Cool

Background Information

• Warmth from the Sun passes through the atmosphere of the Earth. The Earth absorbs some of the heat, but reflects some back. 'Greenhouse gases' in the atmosphere trap some of this reflected heat, acting like a blanket to keep the Earth warm. However, scientists believe that increased emissions of greenhouse gases are causing too much heat to be trapped, increasing global temperature - the greenhouse effect is working too well. Carbon dioxide is the main cause of worry as it makes up a significant part of the atmosphere. Burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) is the major source of CO₂ pollution.
• Not all scientists agree on the extent of human influence on climate. Studies are generally based on computer models, and the Earth's climate is notoriously complicated to predict. This has led some scientists to suggest that worries are unfounded. However, the number of scientists who doubt the existence of a problem of global warming has been falling over the years as more and more evidence points in that direction.
• A study by Dr. John Harries and a team from the British Space Centre in 2001 compared recent satellite readings with data from 27 years ago and found that less heat is now escaping into space. This suggests that the greenhouse effect has increased, at a rate in line with rising greenhouse gas production.
• The 15 EU Member States have stated that they will ratify the Kyoto Climate Treaty by the start of June 2002, despite the United States government's refusal to do so.
• In order to help reduce CO₂ emissions, the UK Government set a target of 10% electricity generation from renewable sources by the year 2010. Renewable energy generation results in very low levels of carbon dioxide.
• Installing low energy light bulbs and proper insulation, and turning off electrical appliances when they are not needed, could save about £200 on the average UK family's annual fuel bill.
• In Britain, transport produces 25% of total CO₂, the main gas implicated in climate change, and its share of this total has been growing. Transport is also responsible for most of the emissions of local pollutants in urban areas which damage health and cause other undesirable local effects (dirty buildings, noise etc).
• Burning petrol or diesel in car engines also produces other pollutants such as Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter (PM10). These are local air quality pollutants, causing problems for those with breathing difficulties.
• The Mayor of London announced recently (February 2002) that he was planning to introduce 'congestion charging', a £5.00 daily fee to be allowed to drive a motor vehicle in central London. However he also announced that vehicles powered by clean fuels (electricity, LPG or 'hybrids') would be exempt from the charges.