An Analysis of the Impact of Increased Climate Change on Building Merchant Industry, Its Effect on the Marketplace and the Future Strategies of E.H. Smith Introduction One of the frightening environmental concerns is the build-up of carbon-dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere that has resulted from heavy use of fossil fuels. This carbon dioxide blankets traps the sun's radiation, which leads to an increase in the earth's average temperature. In the UK, climate change is likely to give rise to warmer temperatures, wetter winters and drier summers, as well as higher sea levels resulting in flooding of coastal areas (Boyd et al 1998). As an article (Habitat International 1995) states "the building industry, together with the materials industries which support it, is one of the major global exploiters of natural resources, both physical and biological". The department of trade and industry (DTI) says that just to maintain existing stock the industry "produces about half of UK carbon emissions and single biggest action is in improving energy efficient in new and existing stock". Buildings consume 40% of energy and produce 40% of CO2 emissions (DTI 2004) to reduce the high level of CO2. EU and UK government have introduced tougher energy efficiency standards, this will be felt by builders merchant; the latter stand to gain from an increase in demand for insulation materials but will also have to bear additional costs. The Key Impacts of building merchant industry on climate change are the cement sector alone accounts for 5% of global man-made CO2 emission (Piltz 2005), highest impact is the mining/manufacture of materials and chemicals, transport of heavy materials such as cement is energy-intensive, but most building materials tend to be sourced from close-by facilities. The chemical processes and use of fuel/electricity account for the major portion of the sector's CO2 emissions. The effect of CO2 emissions (climate change) on the UK Builders merchant industry and E H Smith Ltd The key impacts of climate change on Building industry; Weather related impacts: flooding, coastal erosion, subsidence, drainage systems require new building techniques and materials to withstand adverse weather conditions; influences the choice of site. Cost of finance/insurance: Insurance sector beginning to factor impacts of climate change into premiums. Sector has yet to put systems into place to discount climate-change related risk mitigation, but could be pushed to do so through building industry initiatives. Businesses will be interrupted from wetter winters (Kruse 2004) With the new sustainability approach in effect, it creates great opportunities for the builder's merchant industry.
Since measurements began in 1958 -- and it can be assumed to have been the case since the industrial revolution -- emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has risen steadily as a result of the burning of fossil fuels (Quay, pp 2344). Although there is much argument over the implications of increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, there are several points that almost all scientists would agree on: firstly, carbon dioxide acts to absorb radiated heat; if present in our atmosphere will do just that to some extent. Second, the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is rising. Third, the temperature of the planet is rising - although the amount of this increase and the causes of this rise are subject to disagreement (Philander, pp 193).
Half of the estimated emissions were produced in the last 25 years alone. Well past the date when governments and corporations became aware that rising greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of coal and oil which is causing dangerous climate change. Many of the same companies are also sitting on substantial reserves of fossil fuel which if they are burned puts the world at even greater risk of dangerous climate change. Climate change experts said the data set was the most ambitious effort so far to hold individual carbon producers, rather than governments, to account for. 90 companies on the list of top emitters produced 63% of the cumulative global emissions of industrial carbon dioxide and methane between 1751 to 2010, amounting to about 914 gigatonne CO2 emissions, according to the research. All but seven of the 90 were energy companies producing oil, gas and coal. The remaining seven were cement manufacturers.
The use of fossil fuels has greatly increased the amount of atmospheric and oceanic CO2 to a point where it’s ruining the natural flow of the world; the earth’s temperature is rising. As a result, the polar ice caps are melting causing the seas to rise. With only a 1 meter increase in sea level the United States alone could lose over 10,000 square miles of land, and thousands of houses will be destroyed. The effects will be just as prominent around the world: many islands will become submerged, 17% of Bangladesh will be underwater, and tens of thousands of people will be displaced (“Global Warming” 3).
In the article “Counterpoint: Cooling Off” by Dr. Amy Witherbee, a Professor at University of Arkansas, she shares the concerning statistic “Carbon dioxide has increased 30%, methane has increased more than 100%, and nitrous oxide has increased about 15%” (Witherbee). This is concerning because these dangerous gases called greenhouse gases cause many problems and are a hazard to our planet. One of the biggest issues facing the world today is climate change; to address this issue, we must lower greenhouse gas levels and use cleaner energy sources.
Stern, N. (2006). ‘Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change’, Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK.
One of the most compelling and difficult environmental problems society faces today is climate change. People do not realize how much the environment has changed for the worse in the last ten years, until they are told that the last two decades of the 20th century have been the hottest in the last 400 years, according to climate studies (Conserve Energy Future). Today, the carbon dioxide levels have reached 396.81 parts per million (ppm). “Carbon dioxide (CO2) has also increased over the last 100 years-- from about 300 ppm to 370 ppm. Interestingly, the majority of these additions have occurred in the last 50 years, when temperature increases have been the slowest” (geocraft).
Climate change is one of the most controversial issues of our century. Climate change is more than just a scientific concern, but it is also an economic concern. Climate change deals with more than just an increase in Earth’s temperature. It also deals with the issues of amount of rainfall, winds, length of seasons, and also extreme weather conditions such as droughts and flooding. Some of the most economic risk include “damage to coastal property and infrastructure from rising sea levels and increased storm surge, climate-driven changes in agricultural production and energy demand, and the impact of higher temperatures on labor productivity and public health” (Bloomberg 1).
The Web. 27 Nov. 2011. http://www.feem.it/Feem/Pub/Publications/WPapers/default.htm>. Nordhaus, William D. "Economic Aspects of Global Warming in a Post-Copenhagen Environment. "
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon dioxide is the primary gas emitted through human activities and is the most important human contributed greenhouse gas (Overview of greenhouse, 2014). Carbon dioxide is naturally occurring in Earth’s atmosphere. The passing of carbon dioxide through the atmosphere, oceans, soil, plants, and animals is what is known as the carbon cycle. This carbon cycle is important to sustaining life here on Earth. Carbon dioxide is important to life on earth because it is the main component of many biological compounds, minerals, and exists in various forms in the atmosphere (Carbon Cycle, 2014). Humans are disrupting this carbon cycle however by adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and by removing natural absorbers of carbon dioxide, like forests to remove the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is where the greenhouse effect comes into play, since the industrial revolution there has been an increase in the human-related emission of carbon dioxide mainly due to the burning or combustion of fossil fuels for energy. Other contributors include certain industrial processes, the differen...
Humans and animals breathe out Carbon Dioxide, often referred to as the greenhouse gas, as a waste product. Plants take in this CO2 and use it to make food. This is called photosynthesis. During this process oxygen is released which is then breathed in by humans and animals. This procedure is repeated over and over and a natural balance is obtained. However this natural balance is disrupted by human activity. People of the world are putting more than 5.5 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. 75% of this is caused from the burning of fossil fuels. These fuels are burnt all the time to run factories, power plants and vehicles. The main sources of CO2 emissions are electric utilities, residential buildings, industry and transportation. The other 25% is induced by the destruction of the world's forests. The reason for this is that there are less trees and plants to take in the CO2 but there is just as many, if not more, humans and animals to breathe it out.
The emission of green house gasses due to human activity contributes the most in increasing global warming. Today, fossil fuels are used as a source of energy for transportation, electricity, industrial process and to increase human comfort in this era. Over the last decade humans have created mass amount of industries. These industries have been burning fossil fuels such as coal, which release carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; carbon dioxide absorbs heat that raises the temperature of the earth. More than 80% of carbon dioxide comes from tr...
The use of green materials is better for the environment because they have a positive impact on the planet. Looking at our environment today we see a place that has been facing a massive climate change. Scientists have been concerned over global warming for decades. The ongoing increase of the earth’s temperature is believed to be caused by the greenhouse effect (“Global Warming” 27). Building with green materials produces significantly lower greenhouse gas emission. Specifically, wood as a material for building products, requires considerably less energy than other building products such as steel and concrete. Wood product manufacture results in fewer greenhouse gas and other air-polluting emissions (“Green Building Benefits”). Green building also results in waste reduction. In the United States, construction and demolition creates a huge amount of solid waste. Green building limits the waste prod...
Hardy, J. T. Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Solutions. New York: J. Wiley, 2003. Print.
Buildings consume a variety of materials in their construction. Green design reduces the dependence on resource intensive products and materials. Today, there are an increasing number of products available made from efficient, earth-friendly, or recycled materials. In a green building, consideration is also given to the construction process itself. Materials that minimize waste or can be recycled, help contribute to an efficient and environmentally sensitive construction process.
Stern, Nicholas. “The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change,” Report for Her Majesty's