Co2 or Carbon Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide is composed of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. The most common way to reference it is by the use of its chemical formula CO2. In the Earth’s atmosphere we can find a concentration of approximately 0.04%. CO2 is causing the greenhouse effect.

• Chemical Formula: CO2
• Molecular Weight: 44.01
• Boiling Temperature at 1 atm (1 BAR): no boiling
• Solid state CO2 -78.2° C (195° Kelvin)

CO2 is in general used for:

• Refrigeration (dry ice)
• Fire fighting, fire extinguishers
• carbonated beverages

Critical Point: 31° C (304° Kelvin) and 73 atm (BAR) of pressure.
CO2 in the Atmosphere: about 360 ppm (parts per million) carbon dioxide gas. In 1960 this value was at 315 ppm. This equals to 14.28%.
What produces CO2: 1 hour of television = 250g CO2; using 3.78 liters (1 gallon) of gasoline = 9.071 kg
The CO2 atom has a linear shape.
One pound of CO2 has a volume of 0,23 cubic meters (8.2 cubic feet)

The image on the right shows just how much CO2 is already in our atmosphere. The colors range from blue through yellow to green. Blue means little CO2 and green means a lot of CO2 is present in the atmosphere.

This pie chart shows us from where all the CO2 is coming. The big piece, 46% are coming from the energy production. 24% are coming from CFCs Chloroflourocarbon, use as an aerosol propellant), 18% from the deforestation and 9% from agriculture. The last 3% are attributed to other factors.

Clover absorbs CO2

In Viamont, Portugal, a project called ExtEnSity has been started about 30 years ago which is of very high interest concerning the CO2 reduction in the air. About 400 Ha of Clover have been planted since the beginning of the project. Each Ha of Clover absorbs 5 tons of CO2 per year.

Until 2012 a total of 3000 Ha of Glover will be planted.
The Project ExtEnSity has been initiated in 2003 and will continue untill 2008. Clover traps nitrogen so there is no need for using fertilizers.
A reduction of Portugal’s “European emissions debt” is expected.

Every plant absorbs cO2, but Clover does absorb exceptionally large amounts of it.

CO2 and Temperature relation

The “Vostok” investigation has proven the direct connection between CO2 concentration and temperature.

To be able to analyze the temperature in the past the Deuterium isotope was analyzed.

Abstract:
Air trapped in bubbles in polar ice cores constitutes an archive for the reconstruction of the global carbon cycle and the relation between greenhouse gases and climate in the past. High-resolution records from Antarctic ice cores show that carbon dioxide concentrations increased by 80 to 100 parts per million by volume 600 +/- 400 years after the warming of the last three deglaciations. Despite strongly decreasing temperatures, high carbon dioxide concentrations can be sustained for thousands of years during glaciations; the size of this phase lag is probably connected to the duration of the preceding warm period, which controls the change in land ice coverage and the buildup of the terrestrial biosphere.

CO2 Contribution to Global warming by country

The “Vostok” investigation has proven the direct connection between CO2 concentration and temperature.

To be able to analyze the temperature in the past the Deuterium isotope was analyzed.

During 1990 and 1999 a study of the emissions of CO2 has been done for the industrialized countries. The results of the studies have been integrated into a world map to easily visualize the data. What is of great interest is that the technologically most advanced country of the world is as well the largest carbon dioxide contributor.

CO2 Contribution to Global warming by country

Chart on right:
A comparison of fuel economy and emission standards around the world.
This chart represents the world carbon dioxide emissions by country between 1990 and 2025. China and the United States are the “big winners”.

The World Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Country 1990 – 2025:

The following countries where analyzed:

• Australia and New Zealand – 1990 250 million tons to become 500 million tons in 2025
• Brazil – 1990 220 million tons to rise to 500 million tons
• Canada – 1990 300 million tons of co2 to increase to 700 million tons in 2025
• China – in 1990 at 2200 million tons per year and going to pass 8000 million tons per year in 2025
• India – in 1990 at 480 million tons of CO2 and estimated to be at 2000 million tons of CO2 by end of 2025
• Japan – more or less stable 1000 million tons of CO2 throughout the period 1990 – 2025
• Mexico – in 1990 at 380 million tons of CO2 slowly up towards 480 million tons in 2025
• Russia – in 1990 at 1800 million tons of CO2, down to 1500 tons in 2002 but expected to rise to 1900 tons of CO2 by 2025
• South Korea – a slow upslope from 280 million tons of CO2 in 1990 to be 600 million tons in 2025
• United States – in 1990 at a staggering 5000 million tons of CO2 and on a steep increase to reach 7700 million tons of Carbon Dioxide by 2025

Human beings need Water:

Several Buddhist monks are walking over a terraced waterfall.

If man was gesture water would be his history.

A beautiful river, it’s water perfectly reflecting the skies, is lowly flowing down a wide valley, disappearing on the horizon.

If water is a dream, water is the direction.

Arctic night sky, an Ice shelf on which an Igloo has been built, in the distance some rolling hills, some with trees, a valley cutting the hills and the sky is filled with boreal lights ranging the full rainbow spectrum.

If men is a village, water is the world.

High up on the mountains, dark heavy rocky constellations, the view directed slightly downwards and towards the horizon, the skies filled with cloud formations. Far away at the horizon a snow covered mountain can be observed.

If men are remembering water is the memory.

Beautiful image of a very big waterfall, its origin at the end of an abyss like drop of.

If men are alive then water is that life.

Paris at night. A large fountain with many jets of water, creating a slightly misty atmosphere through which one can observe the illuminated Eifel tower.

If men are children then water is Paris.

Children playing on a grass field, being irrigated by two jets of water.

If men step the water, it will splash them.

A wooden bridge leading over a hot spring. The water surface invisible, hidden under the fog created by the hot water evaporations.

Take care of that water just like it does and did take care of you.

An astonishing waterfall formation, terraced levels, the water decending between rich green vegetation over the various steps.

It jumps, it dunks…

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Humungous waterfall, mist and spray filling the air and partially hiding the horizon. Skies filled with grey clouds, it looks like it’s going to rain…

It flies, it washes…

Rough seas, a windy day. The turquoise water is agitated, building up its waves. A sandy beach with some large rocks at its end is being washed by this natural beauty.

Water that comes and goes…

A deep cut valley, water descending from high above, having made its way through these hard rocks. The mist is filling the air. Green, rich vegetation besides the rivers bed.

River, mist…

Sweet Flowers are receiving finest pure water droplets.

Rain, Fog…

Seaside, pure salty water, slight waves, transparency. At the horizon some Islands. Clear skies and few clouds…

Cloud, Source, Ice, Sea…

A mountain lake in a zone of little vegetation.

Water, mud in the way…

The Grand Canyon, source of life for millions of people. The water having cut its way through the tough rocks with patience and persistence.

Water sculpting landscapes…

Indian Summer in Virginia. A watermill in the background, old, but still working. It’s water wheel being turned by the patient persistence of the flowing water.

Water that moves mills…

A child jumping backwards into the floods of crystal pure water. What a joy. Will we be able to do this for much longer?

Water giving thirst when being named…

Iced landscape. Small water surface in the foreground. Pointy rocks separating the water surface from the sea. A beautiful rainbow reaching down onto the water surface.

Water that can with fire…

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Moved seas, a unique rock in the middle, its centre having been pierced by the consistency of the water masses, creating a huge arc.

Water that makes holes in rock…

A very high snow covered mountain, surrounded by blue skies and few clouds. How much water is held within this mountain, pure clean water?

Water that you are in the skies…

Woman standing on rocky seashore with her arms spread up into the misted air, looking towards the horizon.

As on earth…

Coaxial view of a tunnel wave. In the background the coast line, beach and vegetation.

It jumps, it dunks…

Breathtaking waterfall, the highest one on earth. Two persons descending in free fall, with parachutes on their backs. The air is full of mist, the ground hard to see.

It flies, it washes…

Another immense waterfall. Its dimensions are hard to make out. It looks like it is covering the whole scene, arriving at the abyss, disappearing in the deep.

Water that comes and goes…

The Niagara Falls. A sight seeing boat approaching the misty floods. How much water is flowing down these cliffs. It seems as if never-ending. But is it really?

River, Mist…

Huge mountains, a large valley separating them. The valleys bottom is invisible, hidden by clouds and fog. On the left a mountain goat going about it’s business. The mountain on the right is snow covered, touching perfect blue skies.

Rain, Fog…

Cloud, Source, Ice, Sea…

A seagull flying over slightly moved seas. It’s freedom is god given. The water masses below it represent its life support. We must not take that away…

The Original Power Point Presentation of this theme was created by ALFredo
alfmar20@hotmail.com

Plastic bags are a danger for the environment:

- The news National Geographic 2 of September, 2003

Less than 1% of the bags are recycled. It is more expensive to recycle a plastic bag than to produce a new one.

- The Christian Science Monitoring Journal

- Jared Blumenfeld (Director of the Department of the Environment in San Francisco)

A 1975 study demonstrated that transoceanic ships throw 8 million pounds of plastic into the sea every year. The reason why our garbage disposals werent flooded by plastic is because its majority finished in the ocean.

- National Academy of Sciences of the United States (NAS)

Puis
The bags are dragged away

towards different places of our earth

and towards our seas, lakes and rivers

The bags find their route towards the sea in the water-drainages and the gutter pipes

-CNN.com/technology Nov. 16th, 2007

Plastic bags have been found floating north of the Arctic Circle near Spitzbergen and even much more to the south, in the Falklands Islands region.

- British Antarctica Survey

The plastic bags represent more than 10% of the trash that arrive at the coasts of the United States Coasts.

- Program of Monitoring of Remainders of the Navy

The plastic bags are photodegradable: with the passing of time they are decomposed into small and toxic petrol-polymers

- CNN.com/technology Nov. 16th, 2007

which will finally contaminate grounds and the waterways

- CNN.com/technology Nov. 16th, 2007

Consequently, microscopic particles can enter the nutritional chain and comprise it.

- CNN.com/technology Nov. 16th, 2007

The effect on Wildlife could be catastrophic

- WWF report 2005

Birds get trapped without hope to free themselves

- WWF report 2005

Nearly 200 different marine life species, including whales, dolphins, seals and turtles die because of the plastic bags

- WWF report 2005

They die after ingesting the plastic bags which they accidentally identify as food

- WWF report 2005

So
What will we do?

If we used a fabric stock market reusable shopping bag, we could save 6 plastic bags per week

That means 24 plastic bags saved per month

Or, 288 plastic bags saved per year

Or, 22176 plastic bags saved during an average human live

If only one out of every five persons in our country would do this, we could save

Spain =1.330.560.000.000
Germany=1.995.840.000.000
France=1.330.560.000.000
United States=6.209.280.000.000

plastic bags during our lives.

Bangladesh prohibited plastic bags

- MSNBC.com on March 8th, 2007

China prohibited free plastic bags

- CNN.com/asia January, 9th 2008

Ireland was first in Europe to apply a tax on plastic bags in the year 2002. Doing this they have been able to reduce the consumption by 90%.

- BBC News, August 20th 2002

In 2005 Rwanda prohibited the use of plastic bags

- Associated Press

Israel, Canada, East India, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Taiwan and Singapore prohibited or are in the process of prohibition of the use of plastic bags

- PlanetSave.com February 16th, 2008

On March 27th 2007 San Francisco converted into the first United States City to prohibit the use of plastic bags

- NPR.org (National Public Radio)

Oakland and Boston are considering the prohibition of plastic bags

- The Boston Globe, May 20th, 2007

Plastic bags are made of polyethylene: a thermoplastic obtained by the distillation of crude oil

- CNN.com/technology, November 16th, 2007

Reducing the use of plastic bags reduces our dependency of crude oil from abroad

China saves 37 million barrels of crude each year thanks to the prohibition of plastic bags

- CNN.com/asia, January 9th, 2008

It is possible

From here on down a recopilation of the text of the “letter”:

A letter written in the year 2070

We are in the Year 2070
I’ve just turned 50 but my appearance is of an 85 year old person. I have serious kidney problems because I drink to little water. I believe that I’ve little time left.
Today I’m one of the oldest persons in our society!!

I remember when I was 5 years old.
Everything was different.
There were many trees in the parks, the houses had nice gardens and I was able to enjoy a bath or take a long shower.
Today we use hygienic tissues humidified in mineral oil to clean our skin!

In the past women showed their beautiful hair.
Today we have to shave our heads to keep them clean without the use of water.
Back then my father washed his car with the water which came out of the water house.
Today the children cant believe that water ever was used in such a way.

I remember that there were many Announcements that said:
DONT WASTE WATER,
Only that nobody cared; everybody thought that water would never finish.
Today all the rivers, dams, lakes and other water sources are irreversibly contaminated or used up.

Huge deserts replace the landscape which is all around of us.
Gastrointestinal infections, skin diseases and diseases of the urinary evacuation system are the main causes of death.

The industry is paralyzed and unemployment is dramatic. The desalination factories are the main source of employment and they pay you with potable water instead of wage.

The assaults for a can of water are common in the deserted streets. The food is 80% synthetic.

In the past the ideal amount of water as indicated to drink was eight glasses per day for an adult person. Today I only can drink half a glass.

The clothes are wear and tear, which increases the amount of trash; we had to return to old fashioned wells and septic tanks like in the last century because the networks of sewers cannot be used due to the lack of water.

The appearance of the population is horrible; bodies become weak, wrinkled by the dehydration, plenty of sores in the skin by the ultra-violet rays that do not have the ozone layer that filtered them in the atmosphere.

Because of the dryness of the skin a young person of 20 years appears to be 40.
The scientists investigate, but there is no possible solution.
Water cannot be made; oxygen also is degraded by lack of trees. This degradation of oxygen has diminished the intellectual coefficient of the new generations.

The morphology of sperm of many individuals was altered. As a consequence many children are born with insufficiencies, mutations and deformations.

The government even makes us pay for the air we breathe, 137 m3 per day by adult inhabitant.
The people who cannot pay are excluded from the “ventilated zones”, that are equipped with gigantic mechanical lungs that work with solar energy. They are not of good quality, but it is possible to breathe.
The average age of humans is 35 years.

In some countries some vegetation spots with their respective river are left and are strongly watched over by the army.
The water became a very coveted treasure, more than gold or diamonds.

Here however, there are no trees because it almost never rains, and when a precipitation gets registered, it is of acid rain.
The years seasons severely are transformed by atomic testing and from the polluting industries of the 20th century.
It was strongly advised then to watch the environment but nobody followed that advice.

When my daughter asks me to tell her how it was when I was young, I describe the beauty of the forests.
I speak to her of rain, the flowers, of how pleasant it was to take a bath and be able to fish in the rivers and the lakes, to drink all the water that you wanted.
And about how healthy people were then.

She asks me:
- Dad! Why isnt there any more water?
Thats when I feel this node in my throat grow

I cannot but feel guilty, because I belong to the generation that ended up destroying the environment or simply did not take into account all those many warnings.

Now our children are paying a very high price

Sincerely I believe that life on Earth within very little will no longer be possible because the destruction of the environment arrived at an irreversible point.

Oh, how much I would like to return back and to make that all the humanity had understood that…
… when still we could have done something to save our planet Earth!
With this post I want to wake up YOUR consciousness about the situation of our worlds resources.
This is not a game! Today this is our reality. So, do something for your children, if you dont have any children jet, maybe some day you will. Dont leave them to disaster Inherit life.

Slide Author: Ria Ellwanger in collaboration with: Lopez Chavez Ariel Alahin
riaellw@globo.com, alainlopez909@hotmail.com
Text: Magazine “Crnica de los Tiempos, April 2002.
Music: An Inconvenient Truth Images: Getty Images