Portal:Environment

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edit   The Environment Portal The natural environment comprises all naturally occurring surroundings and conditions in which living things grow and interact on Earth. These include complete landscape units that function as natural systems without major human intervention, as well as plants, animals, rocks, and natural phenomena occurring within their boundaries. They also include non-local or universal natural resources that lack clear-cut boundaries, such as air, water and climate. The concept of the natural environment can be distinguished by components: Complete ecological units that function as natural systems without massive human intervention, including all vegetation, animals, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere and natural phenomena that occur within their boundaries. Universal natural resources and physical phenomena that lack clear-cut boundaries, such as air, water, and climate, as well as energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism, not originating from human activity. As human population numbers increase and as humans continue to evolve, human activity modifies the natural environment at a rapidly increasing rate, producing what is referred to as the built environment. The potential of the natural environment to sustain these anthropogenic changes while continuing to function as an ecosystem is an issue of major worldwide concern. Key environmental areas of interest include climate change, water supply and waste water, air pollution, waste management and hazardous waste, and land use issues such as deforestation, desertification, and urban sprawl. More about the environment... edit   Selected article A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any motor vehicle that can be recharged from any external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the electricity stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive the wheels. PEV is a subcategory of electric vehicles that includes all-electric or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles, (PHEVs), and electric vehicle conversions of hybrid electric vehicles and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. Examples of mass production PEVs available in the several markets as of early 2011 include the Tesla Roadster, i MiEV, Th!nk City, REVAi, the hybrid converted Prius+, the BYD F3DM, Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and several neighborhood electric vehicles. There are also several demonstration vehicles undergoing trial programs including the Mini E, Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid, BYD e6, Smart ED and Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid. edit   Did you know... ...that many countries which signed the Kyoto Protocol actually increased the greenhouse gas emissions, contrary to the treaty? And for that, the 15 january 2011, a representer of the country had to stick there head in a hole of sand in Cancun, Mexico? ...that tidal power is a form of hydropower that exploits the rise and fall in sea levels due to tides in order to generate electricity? ... that the idea of atmospheric gases trapping the Suns heat to produce the greenhouse effect was put forward by Joseph Fourier in the 1820’s? ...that in 2004, the worldwide energy consumption of the human race was 15 TW (= 1.5 x 1013 W) with 86.5% from burning fossil fuel? edit   Current events Not being updated at present October 27, 2011 – Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era, a book by Amory B. Lovins, analyzes the possibility of converting the United States to almost total reliance on renewable energy sources. (NYT) September 29, 2011 – Renewable energy in the UK hits record high reaching 9.6% of electricity production. (The Guardian) September 29, 2011 – The Belo Monte Dam project in Brazil halted after ruling that it risked damaging fish stocks. (The Guardian) May 30, 2011 -- In 2010 the energy-related CO2 emissions were highest in the history 30.6 Gt. According to IEA, the global energy CO2 -emissions should be equal or less than 32 Gt in 2020 to fulfil the agreed 450 Scenario. (IEA) April 10, 2011 -- The Japan Atomic Energy Agency raises the severity of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents to level 7, the highest on the International Nuclear Event Scale. edit   Selected biography Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller (July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983) was an American visionary, designer, architect, poet, author, and inventor. Throughout his life, Fuller was concerned with the question "Does humanity have a chance to survive lastingly and successfully on planet Earth, and if so, how?" Considering himself an average individual without special monetary means or academic degree, he chose to devote his life to this question, trying to find out what an individual like him could do to improve humanity's condition that large organizations, governments, or private enterprises inherently could not do. edit   Selected picture Recycling is the reprocessing of materials into new products. Recycling prevents useful material resources being wasted, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, compared to virgin production. edit   Selected organization The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific intergovernmental body tasked to evaluate the risk of climate change caused by human activity. The panel was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), two organizations of the United Nations. The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President of the United States Al Gore. One of the main activities of the IPCC is to publish special reports on topics where it supports the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is essentially the document behind the Kyoto Protocol. It bases its assessment mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific literature. The IPCC is only open to member states of the WMO and UNEP. The stated aims of the IPCC are to assess scientific information relevant to: Human-induced climate change, The impacts of human-induced climate change, Options for adaptation and mitigation. The IPCC does not carry out research, nor does it monitor climate or related phenomena. A main activity of the IPCC is publishing special reports on topics relevant to the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty that acknowledges the possibility of harmful climate change; implementation of the UNFCCC led eventually to the Kyoto Protocol. The IPCC bases its assessment mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific literature. The IPCC is only open to member states of the WMO and UNEP. IPCC reports are widely cited in almost any debate related to climate change. National and international responses to climate change generally regard the UN climate panel as authoritative. The summary reports (i.e. Summary for Policymakers), which draw the most media attention, include review by participating governments in addition to scientific review. edit   Selected quote edit   Related categories Environment Environmentalism • Environmental Science • Environmental social science • Environment by country • Environmental law • Environmental economics • Conservation • Waste management • Environmental books • Environmental films • Environmental history • Environmental songs • Sustainability • Pollution • Environmental sayings • Environmental awareness days • Environmental technology • Renewable energy • Lists of environmental topics edit   Main topics Natural environment Acid rain • Biodiversity • Climate change • Conservation • Desertification • Ecosystems • Environmental economics • Environmental law • Environmental science • Environmentalism • Environmental technology • Global warming • Greenhouse gas • Lists (Books, Dates, Issues) • Ozone depletion • Recycling • Renewable energy • Soils retrogression and degradation • Sustainable development • Waste management edit   Related articles edit   Related portals Energy Sustainable development Science Extinction Ecology Biotechnology Water Global Warming edit   WikiProjects Climate change • Disaster management • Energy • Energy development • Environment • International development • Superfunds • Systems • Urban studies and planning • Water and sanitation edit   Associated Wikimedia

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