This presentation talks of the (ab)use of plastics in the modern-day world, creating issues for us, and environment as a whole. The much-evident phenomena of global warming is also a consequence of this, along with several other factors. How? It is discussed in this presentation...

1. PLASTICS AND GLOBAL
WARMING
Pratima Pandey
Objective – To create awareness about Global
Warming and (Ab)use of Plastics

2. Familiar sight..?
500 billion plastic bags distributed annually
worldwide , and less than 3% of those bags recycled.
They are typically made of polyethylene and can take
up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit
harmful greenhouse gases. (Time, 2007)
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3. Plastics - Why so popular?
Why So Popular?
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4. How Plastics are Harmful?
Contd.
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5. How Plastics are Harmful?
Human health
hazard
Phthalates, a chemical used to make
plastics pliable, may have hormone
disrupting effects on unborn baby
boys; also linked to obesity and
diabetes in men ( CBC News (2008),
URMC Press(2007))
Enters food chain as it is
ingested by sea and land
animals
For more negative health
effects, see
http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/
Contd.
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6. How Plastics are Harmful?
Plastics in land fills emit greenhouse gases
For more on GW,
which trap heat and contribute to Global click here!
Warming (GW)
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7. Is there a way out?
3 R Mantra from Green Peace
Contd.
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8. Is there a way out?
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9. References
• Australian Retailers Association (2008), http://www.noplasticbags.org.au/home/default.aspx
,accessed April 6, 2009.
• BBC (2004), http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3666474.stm, accessed April 6, 2009.
• CBC News (2008), http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/06/04/f-phthalates.html, accessed
March 17, 2009
• Khaleej Times (2009)
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=middleeast&xfile=data/middlee
, accessed April 6, 2009.
• Guardian (2009) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/16/plastic-bags-india-delhi-ban
, accessed April 6, 2009
• National Geographic
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects.html,
accessed April 6, 2009
• Time (2007)
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/article/0,28804,1602354_1603074_160317
, accessed April 5, 2009
• URMC Press Room (2007), http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/PR/news/story.cfm?id=1405,
accessed March 17, 2009
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10. Thank
You
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11. What is Global warming?
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12. Global Warming and Consequences
• Ice melting - includes mountain glaciers, ice
sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland,
and Arctic sea ice
• Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the Decline of
the 7 April 2009 penguins on Antarctica (from
32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years)
• Movement of butterflies, foxes, and alpine
plants have moved farther north or to higher,
cooler areas
• Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased
across the globe, on average.
• Sea level rise became faster over the last
century
(So: National Geographic)
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13. Global Warming and Natural
Disasters
Risk factors: City growth, climate change,
environmental degradation
(So: International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, UN Agency ,
reported to BBC, September, 2004 )
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14. Global warming – A Reality –
World speaks…
“We now know without a doubt that global
warming is threatening us with higher
temperatures, more drought, more wildfire, more
flooding, and more erosion of our coastal
communities…the overwhelming scientific
evidence has proven this over and over again. We
must act now with the rest of the world to curb
emissions” Barack Obama,
02/14/13 President, can make a difference!
Each one US 14

15. Effects of global warming
Why go far…Just recall the last
time we remarked or discussed
about the climate change in our
area?
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16. To Know More about GW..
Important Sources of
Information
•http://www.stopglobalwar
ming.org/sgw_learnmore.a
sp
•http://environment.about
.com/od/faqglobalwarmin
g/f/greengases.htm
•http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Greenhouse_gas
•http://environment.natio
nalgeographic.com/enviro
(Co: www.globalwarming.org.in ) nment/
•http://www.globalwarmin
g.org.in/global-warming-
facts.php
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