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?