A number of factors contribute to changes in the global climate. The effects of such change on temperature, weather and sea-levels are discussed in this lesson.

This lesson deals with the vital contribution of the OSi Geographical information System (GIS) and its related geospatial information to the process of climate change analysis. It outlines the causes of climate change and the reasons why such change is now considered to be a serious challenge to the global future. The relevance of geospatial data is emphasised.

The Earth’s climate has always been changing. However, scientists have now concluded that there is a 95% probability that the global warming of the last 50 years is due to man-made greenhouse gases (GHGs). This is because the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect has been enhanced by these emissions.

This lesson examines the over-use of fossil fuels and how this may enhance the the greenhouse effect. It also looks at the use of the earth’s non-renewable resources and considers how greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may be reduced.

Agriculture’s most significant contributions to global greenhouse gases are due to methane (8.6%) and nitrous oxide (5.5%). In fact agriculture is the most significant source of these gases. While agriculture itself contributes relatively little to CO2 levels, changes in land use make a much greater contribution (12%).

Severe flooding events in recent years have highlighted the importance of maps that show the likely extent of flooding for a given rise in water level. OSi generates maps from a database that is constantly being updated with data from total stations, GPS receivers, lidar, 3D scanners etc.

What is biodiversity and why is it in the news? This lesson outlines the concept of biodiversity and summarises the steps that are being taken locally and globally to enhance biodiversity in rural and urban environments.

Soils can now be classified using the World Reference Base (WRB) for soil resources. It draws on ideas from the USDA, Russian and other systems. This system recognises 32 basic reference soil groups. Globally, the WRB system can be used as a benchmark.

Ireland’s target, following the Paris Agreement in 2015, is to have 40% renewable electricity by 2020, increasing to 70% by 2030. There are separate targets for the other energy sectors: transport and heat. The purpose of all the agreements and targets is to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The best climate models indicate that a rise of more than 1.5°C would have severe climate consequences.

This lesson describes how domestic energy requirements can be greatly reduced by making better use of solar heating, by using high quality insulation and by exploiting the thermal capacity of internal structures.

Sustainability is a critical concern for social, economic and environmental reasons. The lesson focuses on the processes involved in the production of cement. It describes the measures taken by CRH to control energy use and atmospheric emissions such as dust and greenhouse gases.

Energy is a defining feature of modern life. Whether as individuals, communities or economies we depend on convenient, reliable and affordable energy. With growing world population and economic development, more energy is required but we must fi nd more sustainable ways of producing it.