Exam favourite!! The earth s surface has warmed by 0.75 C since the 1900s and about 0.4 C since the 1970s

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2 Climate change is believed by many to be the most important problem we face on a global scale as all areas of the world could be affected The earth s surface has warmed by 0.75 C since the 1900s and about 0.4 C since the 1970s Carbon pollution is the main cause of human induced climate change The UK is responsible for 3% of global carbon emissions, even though it has only 1% of the world s population!! Rising ocean temperatures may cause increasing frequency and magnitude of hurricanes Not only is our climate at risk through climate change, but also our economic prosperity Changes in the climate will affect ecology and wildlife and could lead to the spread of diseases such as malaria in to new areas Exam favourite!! AQA AS: Unit 1 Energy Issues Things you need to know: - Types of energy (renewable / non-renewable) - The potential for sustainable energy supply and consumption -Energy conservation designing homes and workplaces OCR AS: The Energy Issue Things you need to know: - Renewable resources - Sustainable energy balancing social economic and environmental needs Edexcel AS: The World at Risk Things you need to know: - Strategies to manage global warming: -Efficiency of homes and buildings - Alternative energy

3 The Greenhouse Effect The enhanced Greenhouse Effect Incoming short-wave radiation Most outgoing long-wave radiation Is radiated back into space Natural greenhouse gases absorb outgoing radiation Incoming short-wave radiation Less and less heat escapes Increase in greenhouse gases due to human activity Carbon dioxide emissions balanced by carbon dioxide absorbed by trees Some outgoing radiation Is returned to earth Carbon dioxide levels rise constantly More heat is trapped by greenhouse gases Finite resources: Fossil fuels : Oil Coal Gas The plant and animal remains that form fossil fuels are called hydrocarbons. They contain carbon taken up by photosynthesis and then passed through the food chain millions of years ago. When burnt, the carbon in the fossil fuels reacts with oxygen and is released as carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas. More than 30 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted globally each year by burning fossil fuels. Renewable resources: Not only are fossil fuels increasing greenhouse gases, they are also in increasingly short supply. They took millions of years to form, but we are rapidly using them up. This means that in order to continue to produce energy, we need alternatives. These include: Recyclable resources: Inexhaustible resources: Hydro power Wind Wave Biomass Solar Geothermal Tidal Not only are these resources renewable, they also release far less carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere.

4 litres At Slapton Ley Field Centre we have to try and balance the needs and comfort of our guests whilst trying to meet the needs of the environment. Guests want somewhere that is warm and comfortable to stay, we need to provide this at minimal environmental cost. With increasing numbers of visitors, we still consume vast amounts of energy, but have managed to reduce our contribution to greenhouse gases by switching to more eco-friendly alternatives. Slapton Ley Oil Use Decreased by 38% due to Biomass Boiler for Whitegates & Mercer Variations due to: seasonal weather, visitor numbers, controlling zones, behaviour in staff houses. Chantry Hill Uplands Windfall Middlegro unds

5 Our Buildings Whitegates has solid walls on the ground floor with a timber frame above with insulation. Like the other buildings it has over 250mm thick loft insulation. The Chell building was built to a modern high specification in It has a block & render wall with cavity wall insulation, is double glazed and has 250mm thick loft insulation to increase energy efficiency and keep heat in. The Mercer Building was built in 1984 with a modern timber frame and insulation. The original single glazing has been replaced with double glazing and like Chell the building has 250mm thick loft insulation above the classrooms, although loft insulation is more limited above the accommodation block as bedrooms are built in to the roof. Uplands is a Georgian Building built with solid stone walls up to 2 thick. The original Single glazing has been replaced with double glazing and over 250mm thick loft insulation has been added. Middlegrounds was built in 1907 with solid stone walls up to 2 thick. The building has been made more energy efficient with over 250mm thick loft insulation and the addition of double glazing.

6 We ve had solar panels at the Field Centre since October 12 th 2006 The South west receives more solar radiation than anywhere else in the UK so is ideal for installing solar panels The solar panels cost 27,304 to put in place, however there are often grants available for installing green initiatives. The field centre received 12,250 towards this from the Energy Saving Trust. Between 3 rd August 2009 and 3 rd August 2012 the solar panels have captured 64269KWh of energy which is enough to boil 401,681 kettles! Since we started monitoring solar power production in 2009 the panels have saved 38722kg of carbon a similar amount of carbon to that produced by a car travelling 130,000 miles! Our solar panels are south facing which helps to maximise their productivity by receiving as much sunlight as possible. They would be even more efficient if the roof of the soils lab was at a steeper angle.

7 Solar Panels Our solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells, photo meaning light and voltaic electricity. Light strikes each photovoltaic cell, some is absorbed and the energy is transferred to a semiconductor such as silicon, which knocks electrons in the silicon loose. If two different types of silicon are used, the electrons may move in opposite directions away from each other, which creates a current which can then be drawn off and used.

8 Conventional radiators Underfloor heating As conventional radiators use convection to move heat around a room, the ceiling has to be over heated in order to make the lower half of the room a comfortable temperature. Under-floor heating is more efficient, as it produces radiant heat, heating objects (and you) directly from the floor. This can reduce energy use by at least 15%. Most of the energy for the under-floor heating in the Chell building is sourced from deep below the ground. The temperature of the earth underground tends to remain more constant than air temperature, so it is a more reliable source of heat that can be absorbed and concentrated to heat buildings. Underneath the building are three 100m deep bore holes extending down in to the rock beneath Chell to source the heat. The heat generated from under the ground is used to heat up water pipes below each room and provide underfloor heating. The ground-source pump is also used alongside an oil boiler to help heat water for the showers in Chell.

9 Groundsource heating system The underlying concept is similar to a refrigerator in reverse, using coiled pipes, buried in trenches. Heat from the ground is absorbed by a refrigerant in the pipes which is then improved by evaporation and compression to concentrate the heat. Domestic water can be heated up to 50 C, which can then be further heated using an emersion heater. It cost 16,756 for the underfloor heating system The 17 kwh pump to keep the whole system moving cost 14,096 It cost 20,680 to install the three boreholes 100m below ground level

10 The wood pellet boiler is a recent addition to the field centre. This provides most of the hot water required by the radiators and water supply in Mercer, Whitegates and Middlegrounds. The water is heated in the boiler by the burning of wood-pellets, and is then transported around the centre in a highly insulated underground pipe. The boiler is highly efficient, as water only tends to loose about 10 C in heat as it moves through the system. Water usually leaves the boiler at around 80 C, returning at around 70 C. The wood-pellets are sourced from sustainable sources, where wood is replanted. Since 2007 our oil consumption at the Field Centre has decreased by 35%, largely due to the wood-pellet boiler. The wood pellet boiler cost 64, to include the 100 kwh boiler, hot water tank and connecting pipe work. Wood pellet boilers make economic as well as environmental sense. On average they can save up to 868 per annum when compared to an oil equivalent Grants are often available to help with green energy. We received funding from the Eon community fund, AONB sustainable development fund and the Centre for Sustainable Energy to help install our wood-pellet boiler. The pellets are made from dry shavings or wood dust, by-products of other wood industries that could otherwise go to waste.

11 Biomass energy wood-pellet boiler

12 We print on both side of our paper to reduce paper and ink use. We also try to print in A3 whenever possible. Recycling rain water Push button taps and showers Ways YOU can get involved Whilst you re here: -Use our recycled rain water stations for cleaning muddy wellies and walking boots - Make use of the composting toilet, saves up to 8 litres per flush! When you re back home: -Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth - Have a quick shower rather than a bath What we re doing -Encouraging you to think about how much water you use with push-button taps and showers. This also ensures taps don t get left on - Harvesting rain water for grey water use (such as flushing toilets in the Chell building) and for you to wash muddy shoes - Using eco-flush buttons on toilets, to minimise the amount of water used per flush Composting toilet

13 What we re doing -Providing fresh local ingredients for you to enjoy during your stay including meat from Durrant s butchers and potatoes from Start Farm. -Providing recycling facilities for you to compost food waste and recycle plastic bottles and drinks cans from your packed lunch - Recycling food waste produced in the dining room. Our food waste is sent to an anaerobic digester near Plymouth where it takes only 69 days to decompose instead of years if left in landfill. Garden compost and food waste bins Ways YOU can get involved Whilst you re here: - Don t put more food on your plate than you can eat to reduce food waste - Buy food from local shops and suppliers during your stay, give chain stores and food outlets a miss! - Compost fruit peelings from your packed lunch at our recycling centre When you re back home: - Create your own compost bin in your garden -Visit your nearest farm shop for the best of local produce