What is CO2? Carbon Dioxide: two oxygen molecules bonded to a single carbon molecule.

Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced naturally through the carbon cycle

Carbon cycle Carbon is a basic building block of living organisms Carbon cycle Carbon is a basic building block of living organisms. Trees, grasses, and other plants absorb carbon as they grow. When these plants decay, or are burned, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere. Deforestation and the conversion of wild lands for human use are also adding enormous volumes of carbon to the atmosphere.

Natural sources of CO2 occur within the carbon cycle where billions of tons of atmospheric CO2 are removed from the atmosphere by oceans and growing plants, also known as ‘sinks,’ and are emitted back into the atmosphere annually through natural processes also known as ‘sources.’

Carbon Dioxide is also released through human activities like the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas and wood).

When in balance, the total carbon dioxide emissions and removals from the entire carbon cycle are roughly equal. Since the Industrial Revolution in the 1700’s, human activities, such as the burning of oil, coal and gas, and deforestation, have increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. In 2005, global atmospheric concentrations of CO2 were 35% higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution.

WE’RE CURRENTLY OUT OF BALANCE 350 PPM IS THE NUMBER! The latest research shows that the current levels of carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere correspond with periods in our past when the Earth was much warmer, and sea levels were hundreds of feet higher than they are now. WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 389 PPM

HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US? Glaciers everywhere are melting and disappearing fast—and they are a source of drinking water for hundreds of millions of people. .

HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US? Mosquitoes, who like a warmer world, are spreading into lots of new places, and bringing malaria and dengue fever with them. Drought is becoming much more common, making food harder to grow in many places. .

HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US? Sea levels have begun to rise, and scientists warn that they could go up as much as several meters this century. If that happens, many of the world’s cities, island nations, and farmland will be underwater.

HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US? The oceans are growing more acidic because of the CO2 they are absorbing, which makes it harder for animals like corals and clams to build and maintain their shells and skeletons.

HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT US? The Arctic shows us the clearest message that climate change is occurring much more rapidly than scientists previously thought. In the summer of 2007, sea ice was roughly 39% below the summer average for 1979-2000.

Could Just One Degree Warmer Change the World? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_ZQRIsn2pA&feature=related

HOW DOES THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR IMPACT CLIMATE CHANGE? The healthcare sector ranks as the #2 energy user after the food service industry. Inpatient care facility is the health sector’s largest energy consumer and obviously the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) producer. Hospitals use approximately twice the energy as office buildings of the same size, and roughly twice the amount of comparable European hospitals. The high energy intensity of fossil fuel generated power used by medicine to heal is having the unintended consequence of causing additional illness and disease that must then be cured.

What can Healthcare Institutions Do? Maintain an electric energy management program Use less energy usage, for example, by purchasing products with more recycled content Improve energy efficiency by investing in innovative projects that use alternative fuels   Gradually replace the use of conventional energy with clean, renewable energy that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions

What Can Frontline Workers Do? Use microfiber mops and rags which reduce water usage Purchase Energy Star products: The Energy Star program promotes energy efficiency practices that protect the environment through intelligent product design and practices. Energy Star is a service of the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of Energy. What other ways could you help reduce energy consumption?