3.3 Preservation and Conservation of the Environment
Preservation and conservation of the environment are essential to protect Earth's ecosystems and combat the harmful effects of climate change. Innovative solutions such as Negative Emission Technologies, Green Technology sectors, and global environmental cooperation led by the United Nations play crucial roles in restoring and maintaining ecological balance.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the trend of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere and its harmful consequences.
- Define Negative Emission Technologies and explain how marine microalgae help remove carbon dioxide via photosynthesis.
- Identify the applications of Green Technology across various sectors including solar technology, green buildings, zero carbon emission, biodiesel, and hybrid cars.
- Describe the role of the United Nations (UN) in tackling global environmental challenges through international conferences, agreements, and regulations.
Graph of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide & Negative Emission Technologies Flowchart
The rising trend of atmospheric carbon dioxide (2006–2019) alongside how marine microalgae remove atmospheric carbon dioxide via photosynthesis.
Short Explanation
What are Negative Emission Technologies?
Negative Emission Technologies are technologies that remove carbon dioxide content from the atmosphere.
As atmospheric carbon dioxide increases due to human activities, it intensifies the greenhouse effect and accelerates global warming. To combat this, scientists use Negative Emission Technologies, which capture and extract carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.
Marine Microalgae and Photosynthesis
Marine microalgae are microscopic organisms living and reproducing abundantly in seawater. They absorb and reduce carbon dioxide levels from the atmosphere through the natural process of photosynthesis. Microalgae plants are engineered and used as large-scale cultivation systems in Negative Emission Technologies.
Concept of Eco Currency
Preserving and conserving the global environment requires balanced management of natural resources. Eco currency has been proposed as a universal medium of exchange in commercial and environmental transactions to encourage sustainable practices and maintain environmental balance.
Sectors of Green Technology
Green Technology is implemented across multiple sectors to promote sustainability and lower carbon emissions.
1. Solar technology
Harnessing clean solar energy to generate electricity and power systems.
2. Green buildings
Designing energy-efficient, eco-friendly buildings that reduce waste and resource consumption.
3. Zero carbon emission
Initiatives and technologies aimed at entirely preventing net greenhouse gas releases.
4. Biodiesel
Renewable biological fuel alternative derived from biological sources to replace conventional fossil fuels.
5. Hybrid cars
Energy-efficient transportation combining internal combustion engines with electric propulsion to lower emissions and fuel use.
Role of the United Nations (UN) in Addressing Global Environmental Issues
The UN strengthens international cooperation and coordinates joint efforts through key actions.
| UN Action | Purpose |
|---|---|
| International conferences and agreements | Finds solutions to global climate change by sponsoring international conferences and multilateral agreements. |
| Clean drinking water | Secures adequate supplies of clean drinking water globally. |
| Ozone layer protection | Protects the ozone layer by banning harmful chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) responsible for ozone layer thinning. |
| Hazardous chemical bans | Bans the use of hazardous chemical substances, such as toxic DDT pesticides. |
Key UN Conventions and Agreements
The Rio Conference (UNCED), 1992
Addressed overarching global environmental issues.
Kyoto Protocol, 1997
International agreement targeted at reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.
Paris Agreement, 2016
Aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the rise in global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Try to Answer First
Answer in your mind, then press “Check Answer”.
What are Negative Emission Technologies?
What biological process allows marine microalgae to reduce carbon dioxide levels in Negative Emission Technologies?
State one international agreement sponsored by the United Nations to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing general Green Technology (which reduces or prevents emissions) with Negative Emission Technologies (which actively extract and remove existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere).
- Assuming marine microalgae clean water instead of absorbing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis in Negative Emission Technologies.
- Confusing the specific goals of major UN agreements, for example mistaking the Kyoto Protocol for the ban on DDT or confusing the Rio Conference with the Paris Agreement.
Concept Misunderstandings
Green technologies and Negative Emission Technologies are the exact same thing.
Green technology is a broader term encompassing sustainable practices that minimise or eliminate environmental damage, while Negative Emission Technologies specifically refer to methods that actively remove carbon dioxide already present in the atmosphere.
The Paris Agreement only aimed to ban chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
The Paris Agreement focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C; the elimination of CFCs is a separate UN effort aimed at protecting the ozone layer.
Summary
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide has shown a consistent upward trend since 2006, worsening global warming and climate change.
- Negative Emission Technologies combat this trend by removing atmospheric carbon dioxide using photosynthetic organisms like marine microalgae.
- Sectors embracing Green Technology include solar energy, green buildings, zero carbon emission, biodiesel, and hybrid cars.
- Global governance by the United Nations includes milestone treaties like the Rio Conference, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement.
- The UN also bans toxic substances like CFCs and DDT to ensure international cooperation toward global environmental conservation and sustainability.
Short Activity
A. Objective Quiz
1 Which organism is commonly cultivated in Negative Emission Technologies to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
2 What is the primary objective of the Paris Agreement established in 2016?
B. Fill in the Blanks
3 Negative Emission Technologies are technologies that remove content in the atmosphere.
4 The United Nations helps protect the ozone layer by banning the use of , which causes the thinning of the ozone layer.
C. Drag and Drop: Match Each Convention to Its Purpose
Drag each international convention or agreement to its correct purpose or description. On a phone, tap an answer first, then tap a matching box. Tap the Answer Choices area to return a selected item.
C. Match Each Convention to Its Purpose
Write the correct international convention or agreement next to each purpose.
| Scope and Purpose | International Convention / Agreement |
|---|---|
| 1. Sponsored by the UN to address global environmental issues comprehensively. | |
| 2. International agreement specifically aimed at reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. | |
| 3. Aims to curb emissions and limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C. | |
| 4. A proposed universal currency aimed at maintaining the balance of the environment. |
Answer choices: Rio Conference (1992) • Kyoto Protocol (1997) • Paris Agreement (2016) • Eco currency
