Global Climate Change http://video.pbs.org/video/2365212163/
Overview Introduction to Climate Change Causes of Global Climate Change Debate over Global Climate Change Effects of Climate Change Melting Ice and Rising Sea Level Changes in Precipitation Patterns Effects on Organisms Effects on Human Health Effects on Agriculture Addressing with Global Climate Change
Terminology Greenhouse Gas Positive and Negative Feedback - Homeostasis Infrared Radiation Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gas Gas that absorbs infrared radiation Positive Feedback Change in some condition triggers a response that intensifies the changed condition Infrared Radiation Radiation that has a wavelength that is longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves Greenhouse Effect Increase of heat in a system where energy enters (often as light), is absorbed as heat, and released sometime later
Evidence for Climate Change - Temperatures
Evidence for Climate Change - Phenologic
Effect on Organisms – Hardiness Zones © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Wildfire in California
Hypothesis and Model Development
Greenhouse Gases
Factors Associated with Climate Change Increased concentration of CO2 (right) Burning fossil fuels in cars, industry and homes Deforestation Burning of forests Increases in other greenhouse gasses
Radiative Forcing Radiative Forcing (RF) is the measurement of the capacity of a gas or other forcing agents to affect that energy balance, thereby contributing to climate change. Put more simply, RF expresses the change in energy in the atmosphere due to GHG emissions.
Pollutants That Cool the Atmosphere Atmospheric Aerosols Both human and natural sources Tiny particles (or sulfur) that remain in troposphere for weeks or months Sulfur-laden layer in the atmosphere reduces the amount of sunlight reaching earth Complicates models of climate change © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Actions Adaptation v. Mitigation Sea Level Rise
Changing Patterns of Precipitation
Ecological Effects
krill
Mitigation Reducing Emissions Sequestration Geoengineering
Ocean Acidification
International Agreements