The Car Industries Response Towards Climate Change Issues

The Car Industries Response Towards Climate Change Issues Introduction Climate change is currently a very important issue. A large number of scientists and industry experts are of the opinion that, if the damage that humanity is causing to the earth's environment goes on unchecked, there will be a drastic shift in the climate towards a more inhospitable environment. (see appendix 1 for more information) This report aims to analyse the responses of some companies in the automobile market to the environmental problems faced by the industry and to determine if they are making enough of an effort to combat the damage they, and their products, are causing to the environment. This report will be looking at Toyota, Mercedes Benz, BMW and Ford and using the pyramid of social responsibility model and the stakeholder theory to determine these organisations positions on environmental issues. How Organisations respond to Climate Change Issues. Countries, individuals and organisations are responsible for emissions. Recently, governments have come up with a 'carbon footprint' scheme to encourage individuals to cut their carbon emissions. The Kyoto Protocol was created in 1997, but went into force in Febuary 2005 with the aim of dropping CO2 emissions by 5.2% of the 1990 levels by 2012. (Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4269921.stm) Some countries are more worried

  • Word count: 3160
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Business and Administrative studies
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Climate Change revision

________________ Geo Skills & Challenges Part I ________________ These changes occurred due to natural causes. Natural causes of climate change are grouped into two categorises, internal and external factors. External Factors Solar Output: The amount of energy released from the sun changes over time. The concentration of sunspots can indicate the amount of solar energy emitted. The more spots there are; the more energy is given off and the warmer our climate is. (0.1% 1980’s) Orbital Patterns: The shape of the earth’s orbit around the sun changes over time. It changes from being virtually circular to being elliptical and back again every 95,000 years. Cold periods in our past have tended to occur during periods of circular orbits. Internal Factors Volcanic Activity: Volcanic eruptions can release large quantities of ash into the atmosphere. This ash acts like a blanket and blocks out the sun, reducing the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth. To confuse matters... volcanoes can also release massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,

  • Word count: 2527
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Geography
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Climate change + Solutions

Brian Lockyer EGS - Practical 8 Climate change is a concept that has generated much controversy in recent times, the many competing theories as to why climate change is occurring is no longer meaningful and we are now at a stage where unless serious measures are introduced to combat the causes of climate change human kind as a civilisation could be wiped out forever. As a UCT student and a South African citizen I firmly believe that climate change has mainly been induced by the developed world, however, despite this fact, the responsibilities of combating global change do not primarily lie in the hands of the developed world. Successfully overcoming such a huge problem such as climate change requires the cooperation and willingness of the entire world. There comes a time where we have to accept responsibility for our actions. That time is now. It is not too late to correct the mistake we have made, however we need less talk and more action. The policies of mitigation and adaption which traditionally have been the main two policies in combating climate change have proved to be limiting in their effectiveness (Parry, 2009:1-2). For example, achieving current mitigation targets will not prevent major environmental impacts, as in order for mitigation to have any effect in reducing global damage global emission cuts of 80 percent are necessary (Parry, 2009:1). According to

  • Word count: 660
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Geography
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Climate change

Climate Change: True or False? Climate change has become a main part of today's media and global warming has become a major talking point for many of us. There seems to be much advertised evidence to support the theory of climate change and also there is information on how it is going to affect our lives. Also there is evidence to support the fact that climate change is not as bad as it is made out to be. From an article I have read called 'Instant Expert: Climate Change' I have gained much evidence to support the theory of climate change and some of the causes. Some of the theories that are believed to lead to climate change are the burning of fossil fuels which releases billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year and carbon dioxide is known to trap the Sun's radiation and in turn heat up the planet. This is believed to cause an increase of 2-5°C and this very small temperature rise could have catastrophic effect on crop growth, drought, ice caps melting, weather changes and the destruction of some habitats. However there is evidence from 'An Experiment That Hints We Are Wrong on Climate Change' that suggests that the Earth is not warming up as quickly as it is made out to be. It claims that there has been no overall change in air temperature since 1999 and that even though the sea-ice in the Arctic has diminished since 1978 it has grown by 8% in

  • Word count: 543
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Geography
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Climate Change

Climate Change Over recent years it has become evident how quickly our climate is drastically changing. Evidence of this is supported by ever growing, extreme weather conditions. Scientific research has concluded that increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (), methane (), nitrous oxide (), and a few other gases are to blame for the sudden change in our climate. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is probably the most important greenhouse gas produced by human activities, primarily through the combustion of fossil fuels. Currently, there is more CO2 in the atmosphere than there has been in the past 600,000 years. The term 'greenhouse effect' was first used by Atmospheric scientists in the early 1800s. At that time, it was used to describe the naturally occurring functions of lucid gases in the atmosphere. In recent decades, we often hear about the greenhouse effect in somewhat negative terms. Effects of the climate change theory are already starting to become visible. Examples include accelerating glaciers, the vast shrinking ice caps, changes in plant and animal behaviour, longer and more severe tropical storms worldwide. As sea levels are slowly, gradually rising people living on low-lying islands and coastal cities face loosing their homes for good. In December 2005, a small community living in the Pacific island chain of Vanuatu became the first in the world to be formally

  • Word count: 954
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Miscellaneous
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Climate Change

U.K Climate Change and its Effects The threat of climate change will have impact in the following areas of life in the British Isles: • Sea level rises • Flooding • Ocean currents • Health • Agricultural • Wildlife However there may be new opportunities offered by a warmer climate. However, the overall effect of climate change for the world is NEGATIVE. Rising Sea Levels Sea level will rise by between 10cms and 90cms this century depending on how we reduce CO2 emissions. The coastline of Britain could change dramatically. Low lying areas could be invaded by the sea e.g. East Anglia Ocean Currents The Gulf Stream brings warmth to the UK and north-west Europe and is the reason we have mild winters. The average annual temperature of north-west Europe is about 9C above the average for our latitude. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, the temperature and density of the sea water in the North Atlantic will change with dramatic consequences. The gulf stream may stop or be greatly reduced. This would mean that less heat is brought to north-west Europe - harsher winters and mild summers. Flooding The UK has experienced devastating floods throughout the last five years, which have affected thousands of people and caused millions of pounds worth of damage. Last Summer's floods shocked the country - Large town were cut off or under

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  • Word count: 741
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Geography
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Climate change

Climate Change presentation Climate Change in relation to energy In relation to the UK case study, i will take a main example of climate change in relation to energy of "The Low Carbon Transition Plan." * Main ideas of The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan. Transforming the country into a cleaner, greener and more prosperous place to live is at the heart of our economic plans for 'building Britain's future' and ensuring the UK is ready to take advantage of the opportunities ahead. * The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan plots how the UK will meet the 34 percent cut in emissions on 1990 levels by 2020, set out in the budget. * We have already reduced emissions by 21 percent - equivalent to cutting emissions entirely from four cities the size of London. The objectives are, by 2020: * More than 1.2 million people will be in green jobs. * 7 million homes will have benefited from whole house makeovers, and more than 1.5 million households will be supported to produce their own clean energy. * Around 40 percent of electricity will be from low-carbon sources, from renewables, nuclear and clean coal. * We will be importing half the amount of gas that we otherwise would. * The average new car will emit 40 percent less carbon than now. Main Carbon Emissions * The 3 types of fossil fuels that are used the most are coal, natural gas and petroleum. When fossil fuels are combusted,

  • Word count: 1641
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Geography
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Australia's Contribution to Environmental Law and Climate Change.

AUSTRALIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND CLIMATE CHANGE BY SARAH BONE INTRODUCTION: Climate change is considered to be among the most serious threats to the sustainability of the world's environment, the health and well being of its people, and the global economy. Therefore it is essential that relevant government authorities take the appropriate actions in order to prevent further climate alteration. This paper will focus upon the attempts made by the Australian Government to ameliorate the impacts of climate change by committing the nation to a number of international instruments. These active tools include instruments such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Protocol, all of which are aimed at solving the problem of climate change. It is hoped that this paper will explore the international obligations associated with the application of these instruments in relation to Australia's commitments and contributions. Instruments for environmental and natural resource management can be defined as administrative mechanisms adopted by government agencies to influence the behaviour of those who value the natural environment, make use of it, or cause adverse impacts as a side effect of their activities1. In response to climate change, the

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Law
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Assess the extent to which business practice is likely to be affected by government policy in response to climate change.

British studies Assignment 4 3. Assess the extent to which business practice is likely to be affected by government policy in response to climate change. 8 April 2010 As global warming is starting to become a threat to everyone, the Kyoto Protocol is created in 1997 to set rules for the United Nations Framework Convention aimed to flight global warming, trying to reduce 5% of greenhouse gas by 2012 compared to 1990. After the protocol is made many countries have take action adding new policies and legislation to businesses, public sector and mainly on energy intensive industries. The government also build couple non profit organisation aim to "provide specialist support to help business and the public sector cut carbon emissions, save energy and commercialise low technologies." (www.carbontrust.co.uk) for example organisation like carbon trust, Department of Energy and Climate Change, carbon footprint and many more. In this paper I am going to relate the climate change government policy on businesses that is mainly related to the manufacture industry and see the affect it brings on these businesses. I will show both negative and positive policies that will affect the business relating it to the current situation. The climate change policy started from Kyoto Protocol in 1997 which is an international policies aim to reduce 5% of greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 in

  • Word count: 2233
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Business Studies
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Climate change notes

Climate change notes FACTORS THAT AFFECT CLIMATE CHANGE . Atmosphere: A layer of gases that surrounds a planet or moon 2. Weather: Condition of the atmosphere in a specific place at a specific time (describes wind, temp, moisture) 3. Climate: Characteristic weather patterns within a region averaged over a long period of time (Temp, wind velocity) 4. Earth has experienced many climate changes in the past EARTH AND THE SUN . Sun’s energy is the most important factor affecting climate on Earth (winds, rain etc) 2. The amount of radiation produced by the sun varies and a regular solar cycle (sunspot cycle) occurs every 11 years 3. When the number of sunspots is high, the Sun emits higher amounts of solar radiation. 4. Earth rotates tilted (23.5º) on an axis every 24 hrs 5. the combination of Earth’s annual orbit and its tilted axis produces the seasons Revolution: the time it takes for an object to orbit another object . it takes earth 365.24 days to make a complete revolution around the sun CHANGES IN EARTH’S ORBIT . Earth’s orbit, tilt and rotation change in repeating cycles 2. (1) Eccentricity: every 100 000 years, Earth’s orbit changes from circular to elliptical 3. Elliptical orbit means more solar energy for Earth which affects length of seasons 4. (2) Tilt: Earth’s tilt changes every 41000 years by about 2.4º 5. The greater the tilt,

  • Word count: 699
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Geography
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