air. air we cant see it… air nothing? ….but is air is not just emptiness
TRANSCRIPT
airair
airair
we can’t see it…we can’t see it…
airair ‘nothing’?‘nothing’?…….but is.but is
airair is not just is not just ‘emptiness’‘emptiness’
airair is an amazing is an amazing mix of gasesmix of gases
airair is a amazing is a amazing mix of gases!mix of gases!
very
gases in the gases in the come fromcome from
we share
the the airair lifelife
gases in the gases in the g i v e usg i v e us
we share
the the airair lifelife
we we share share
the the airair
we we share share
the the airair
it
depends
who you are
an educational initiative
we we share share
the the airair
it
depends
who you are
…b u t w h o a r e w e?
wewe share share
the the airair
…b u t w h o a r e w e?
wewe share share
the the airair
…b u t w h o a r e w e?
wewe share share
the the airair
…b u t w h o a r e w e?
wewe share share
the the airair
…b u t w h o a r e w e?
wewe share share
the the airair
…b u t w h o a r e w e?
wewe share share
the the airair
…b u t w h o a r e w e?
A living planet is a rare thing,
perhaps the rarest thing in the universe.
Kenneth Brower
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair
nitrogenoxygen
carbon dioxidemethane
& other trace gases
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair
“… the air itself is
a biological product …
a result of active exchange of
gases with living organisms.
The air is a protective skin,
a warming blanket,
an exchange &
water circulation
medium…
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair
…the composition
of the air seems to
violate the ordinary rules
of equilibrium chemistry.”
James Lovelock
GAIA – The practical science
of planetary medicine
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair
nitrogen79%
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair nitrogen
maintains our atmospheric pressure
nitrogen79%
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair
oxygen21%
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair
oxygen21%
oxygen allows plants & animals
to get energy from food
w h a t i s a i r?
wewe share share
the the airair
carbon dioxide280 ppm
(pre-industrial)
why is CO2 so important?
wewe share share
the the airair
carbon dioxide280 ppm
(pre-industrial)CO2 allows
photosynthesis& keeps planetary
temperature stable
wewe share share
the the airair
carbon dioxide370 ppm
(now – up by 1/3)
why is CO2 so important?
CO2 was very common when life first started
3.5 billion years ago
wewe share share
the the airair
carbon dioxide370 ppm
(now – up by 1/3)
CO2 was very common when life first started
3.5 billion years ago
where has the CO2 gone?
we we share share
the the airair
where has the CO2 gone?
we we share share
the the airair
where has the CO2 gone?
we we share share
the the airair
• over billions of years CO2
‘extracted’ from atmosphere
• carbon ‘stored’ as chalk,
limestone & fossil fuels
• result – an atmosphere for
life to evolve and prosper.
where has the CO2 gone?
we we share share
the the airair
CO2 ‘extraction’ today
we we share share
the the airair
CO2 ‘extraction’ today
we we share share
the the airair
CO2 ‘extraction’ today
we we share share
the the airair
n a t u r e c a n’t c o p e
Oceans & forests can’t
absorb all the CO2 from our
cars, planes, homes &
factories.
we we share share
the the airair
n a t u r e c a n’t c o p e
That’s why CO2 is increasing
in the atmosphere so fast
we we share share
the the airair
n a t u r e c a n’t c o p e
…and the earth is now
warming
we we share share
the the airair
climate change is happening
Glacier in Peru's Cordillera Blanca range, 1980
Photo: Bryan Lynas
Same place, 2002
Photo:Tim Helweg-Larsen, 2002
we we share share
the the airair
Fish barbecue in Tuvalu, Pacific.
Photo: Mark Lynas
climate change is happening
we we share share
the the airair
Fish barbecue in Tuvalu, Pacific.
Photo: Mark Lynas
climate change is happening
“Global climate, even in fifty years time, may be warmer than the earth has experienced in the past 12 million years….. changes of this speed and magnitude are unprecedented to our knowledge, aside from large meteorite impacts.”
* Peter Barrett, Antarctic Research Centre, New Zealand
we we share share
the the airair
s o w h a t c a n w e d o?
we we share share
the the airair
support a low-carbon
future
s o w h a t c a n w e d o?
wewe share share
the the airair
s o w h a t c a n w e d o?
…and leave
them a living planet
we we share share
the the airair
it
depends
who you are …and leave
them a living planet
s o w h a t c a n w e d o?