Waste Management

• REDUCE
• REUSE
• RECYCLE 

1. In 2010 each person in the UK produced 452 kg of waste
2. Waste management in the UK is improving 
3. EU targets want 50% of household waste to be recycles by 2020

Landfill

• Cheap way of getting rid of waste
• Releases CO2 and methane, however new technologies that allow gases to be captured can be used 
• Can pollute groundwater, can be specially lined to prevent this
• Waste valuable materials that can be reused or recycled

Composting

• Organic material can be composted by individuals or on a larger scale, 38% of household waste is organic material 
• Household composting reduces cost
• Sustainable as reduces the amount going to landfill
• Has to be managed properly, sorted so that no metal is involved

Recycling 

• Quicker and cheaper than making materials from scratch 
• Uses less energy, 20 times less when making aluminium cans
• Reduces demand for new materials 
• Relies on individuals and some people don't bother 
• Initial investment is required 
• Often is transported abroad to be recycled, in 2005 55% of paper was sent to China

Energy Recovery 

• Burning of materials that can't be recycled to produce heat or electricity 
• Produces CO2 but reduces fossil fuels 
• The Energy Recovery Facility in Sheffield provides heat for 140 building in the city centre 

Reduce and Reuse

• Can be done by individuals  eg reducing the amount of junk mail you receive or by businesses by reducing the packaging on items
• Plastic bottles are easily reused by cans are not 

Urban Regeneration

Gentrification
Gentrification is when wealthier people move into a run down area and regenerate by improving their housing, by adding double glazing, loft conversions and inside bathrooms.
The positive effects of this are that the house prices increase and the area becomes a more affluent area, with more business coming into the area.
The negative effects of this are that the less wealthy residents can not afford to live in this area anymore and the old business and services are forced to shut down to make way for the new services that are required.
E.g. Southville, Bristol 

Partnership schemes
Partnership schemes involve local councils working with businesses and local communities to come up with a regeneration plan for an area.
E.G. Millennium Project, Bristol Harbourside.

Property-Led Regeneration 
Involve building or improving property in an area to change its image and improve the local environment.
These changes encourage further investment and the return of people and business.
E.G. London Thames Gateway.

Responses to global warming

International
Kyoto Protocol aimed to reduce emissions

1. International agreement form in 1997 between 90 countries with the aim to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
2. The agreement divided the countries into two groups, developed and developing
3. The developed countries agreed to cut emissions by 5 between 2008 and 2012
4. Developing countries didn't have to cut emissions but they had to monitor and report their emissions
5. There was the introduction of carbon credits, if they use less they can sell credits if the use more they have to buy credits

 Problems:

• Four countries with high emissions USA, Australia, China and India didn't join the agreement 
• Australia, India and China have now joined the agreement but USA still haven't
• Countries have failed to meet their targets

This ended in 2012 and in 2009 they agreed the Copenhagen accord, which allows each country to set it's own targets with no penalties given.

National 
Changing the energy mix of a country

• The energy mix is the mix of energy 
• Replacing fossil fuels with nuclear power and renewable energy will reduce greenhouse gases and could reduce climate change
• In UK by 2020, 40% of emission reductions will be achieved by changing the energy mix
• More offshore wind farms are being built
• UK government is encouraging small scale renewable energy projects

but..

• There needs to be more investment in nuclear power and renewable energy before these sources can reach all our energy needs
• Environmental problems with nuclear power

Using new techniques to cut emissions from Power stations

• Carbon capture and storage is a new technology that aims to reduce emissions from power stations
• CCS involves capturing carbon dioxide and transporting it to places where it can be stored safely e.g. in deep geological formations
• CCS has the potential to reduce emissions from power stations by 90%

but..

• The technology is still at developmental stage
• CCS uses fuel and increases the cost of energy 
• Risk of carbon dioxide leaking

Encouraging energy conservation at home 

• This will reduce domestic fuel consumption
• In UK around 15% of emissions reductions by 2020 will be achieved by making homes more energy efficient 
• Government strategies in UK will be providing energy efficiency grants  
• Financial incentives for people who generate their own electricity
• Homes being sold need a energy performance certificate that shows how energy efficient the home is and how efficient it can be 

but..

• Energy saving improvements can have a high initial cost
• Difficult to work out energy efficient some houses are
• Regulations restricting the improvements that can be made to listed buildings

Reducing emissions for transport

• In UK 20% of emission reductions by 2020 by reducing emissions from transport 
• Strategies include encouraging people to buy lower emissions vehicles 
• Financial incentives are offered to encourage people to buy electric and hybrid cars

but..

• There are still lots of older cars with higher emissions on the roads
• Producing hybrid and electric cars use lots of complex technologies, which use lots of energy and produce emissions 

Local
Recycling waste

• Recycling waste helps reduce climate changes because it usually requires less energy
• Reduces landfill waste
• Recycling prevents the release of 10-15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year 

but..

• Transporting products can create transport emissions

Using cars less 

• Reduces transport emissions 
• Average car produces 2.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year in the UK

but..

• People prefer using cars as they feel safer, and it's faster and more convenient

Buying local 

• Reduces transport emissions 
• Eating seasonal products reduces the need for heated greenhouses

but..

• Many people like having a variety of foods all year round 

Choose energy efficient appliances 

• Reduces fuel consumption 
• Many new appliances are 50% more efficient than older models 

but..

• Throwing away old appliances create lots of waste
• Making new appliances uses energy
• People may be reluctant to spend money on new appliances 

Impact of global warming on the UK

1. Climate will change: 

• Temperature will increase by 3.9'c by 2080
• Winter rainfall will increase by up to 35% in parts
• Summer rainfall will decrease by up to 49% in Southern England

     2. Sea level rise: expected to rise by 13-76cm by 2095, London will be at threat of flooding
     3. Droughts may increase: more frequent and intense
     4. Patterns of agriculture will change

• Temp increase and a longer growing season will increase productivity of some crops eg asparagus 
• Types of farming may shift northwards 
• New crops adapted for warmer climate eg grapes
• Reduced rainfall will increase need for irrigation and water storage schemes

     5. Habitats will change: this can affect ecosystems and lead to species extinction

Millionaire cities, mega cities and world cities

Millionaire cities: Cities with a million people or just over

• In 1950 there were 83 millionaire cities
• In 1997 there were 285
• In 2005 there were 336

Mega cities: Cities with over 10 million people, population density of over 2,000 per km^2 

• Most in developed world 1980's
• By 1995 25% of worlds mega cities were in developed world
• In 2003 just 4% of the worlds population lived in mega cities 

World cities: A world city dominates beyond it's national border: LONDON. A city that acts as a major centre for: 

• Finance
• Trade and business
•  Politics
• Culture
• Science
• Information gathering 
• Publishing and mass media 
• Retail

British Climate

Cool temperate western maritime 

• 4 seasons; coldest in winter, hotter in summer and then cools down through autumn 
• 5' in January and 20' in August 
• Winds are mostly warm south westerlies, cold north winds are also common
• High rainfall all year round 

 There are five main air masses that affect the UK

• Artic maritime: forms over the Artic ocean, brings very cold and wet air
• Polar continental: forms over Siberia, brings cold dry air, can bring snow if the air picks up moisture from the North Sea
• Tropical continental: forms over Africa, brings warm, dry air
• Tropical maritime: forms over Atlantic ocean, brings warm wet air
• Polar maritime: forms over North Atlantic ocean, brings cold, wet air

Depressions

• LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM often below 1,000 mb
• A depression is an area of relatively low atmospheric pressure and is recognised on a weather map by a system of closed isobars with pressure decreasing towards the centre
• Isobars will be close together producing a steep pressure gradient, creating strong winds that flow anticlockwise
• Most depressions that affect the UK form over the Atlantic Ocean where the two air masses polar maritime and tropical maritime meet, where cold dense air meets warm light air
• At the polar front the warm air rises above the cooler dense air and as it does this condensation occurs resulting in a band of clouds and precipitation along the front
• Can occur all throughout the year

Anticyclones

• HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM 
• Represented on a weather map by a closed system with pressure increasing on isobars towards the centre
• Move slowly and remain stationary over an area for days or even weeks 
• The air in an anticyclone subsides, warming as it falls, producing a decrease in humidity and a lack of cloud and dry conditions
• Winds are weak and flow gently in a clockwise direction in northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere
• In winter: cold daytime temps, very cold nighttime temps, clear skies some radiation fogs 
• In summer: hot daytime temps, warm nighttime temps, clear skies, morning mists, thunderstorms may occur

Hurricane Katrina

29th August 2005
Hit the South-East coast USA
strengthened from a cat 1 to a cat 5

Social Impacts 

• 1836 killed
• 300,000 homes destroyed 
• 3 million people without electricity
• Bridges collapsed
• Water supplies damages, 5 dead from waterbourne diseases 
• 18 schools in New Orleans destroyed 

Economic Impacts

• 230,000 jobs lost
• Total damage $300 billion
• 30 oil platform in Gulf of Mexico destroyed 
• Many ports damaged, disrupting the shipping industry

Environmental Impacts

• Sea turtle breeding beaches damaged 
• Flooding caused oil spills
• Flooding of salt marshes caused loss of habitat 

Responses before:

• National Hurricane Centre tracks and predicts hurricanes
• 26th August, NHC issued a hurricane warning 

Responses during/after

• Emergency centres set up
• Coastguard, police, fire and army rescued 50,000
• Charities collected $4 billion

Criticisms 
-Emergency shelters weren't properly prepared
-Wide spread looting in New Orleans
-Not enough transport to help Evacuate