Anthropogenic Climate Change
Global Temperature is Increasing
How We Know This Measured data Natural indicators Observation Ice Weather Wildlife
Natural Forcing Source: IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) - “Radiative forcing is a measure of the influence a factor has in altering the balance of incoming and outgoing energy in the Earth- atmosphere system and is an index of the importance of the factor as a potential climate change mechanism. In this report radiative forcing values are for changes relative to preindustrial conditions defined at 1750 and are expressed in Watts per square meter (W/m 2 )” - IPCC
Source: “High-resolution carbon dioxide concentration record 650,000–800,000 years before present” -Compilation of CO 2 records and EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica) Dome C temperature anomaly over the past 800 thousand years - Changes in past atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were determined by measuring the composition of air trapped in ice cores from Antarctica -atmospheric carbon dioxide is strongly correlated with Antarctic temperature throughout eight glacial cycles
Source: United States Global Change Research Program (2009)
Anthropogenic Forcing s Source: NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Greenhouse Gases CO 2, N 2 O, CH 4, H 2 O, CFCs, O 3 Energy absorption – Larger gases vibrate when struck – Think about ozone CO 2 absorbs infrared emitted from Earth’s surface Bouncing around of energy keeps surface warm Net positive forcing of 1.6 W/m 2 Varying atmospheric lifespan
Source:
Source: Greenpeace
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency