Climate & Climate Change Ch. 21 Part 2

Here’s what you researched & presented as a evidence to support the statement that climate is changing… 1.snow & ice coverage (sea ice, ice sheets… Antarctica & Greenland, alpine/mountain glaciers) 2.atmospheric (air) temperature 3.sea-surface temperature & sea-level change 4.extreme/more intense weather events (droughts, floods, blizzards, hurricanes, etc.) 5.species health (ex. coral bleaching, extinctions, polar bear starvation), skeletal/shell composition in marine organisms 6.species distribution/range (mosquitoes/insects, birds, crop locations) 7.phenological trends (ex. timing of bud-burst/plant blossoming, leaf fall, migration patterns/timing, hibernation patterns, crop growing-seasons) 8.ice core data 9.tree ring data Evidence for Climate Change

Possible Effects of Climate Change recreation loss skiing snowboarding

decreased river flow salmon declines hydropower loss drinking water shortages Possible Effects of Climate Change

decreased recharge – lower ground water tables Possible Effects of Climate Change

decreased planetary albedo Possible Effects of Climate Change

changes in ocean conveyor belt thermo-haline circulation Possible Effects of Climate Change

affects to indigenous peoples Hunting transportation Possible Effects of Climate Change

decrease in: ‒resting and birthing place for seals and walrus ‒hunting and breeding grounds for polar bears ‒foraging grounds for arctic fox, whales, caribou, & other mammals Possible Effects of Climate Change

coastal flooding – destruction of wetlands – damage to towns/cities coastal erosion Possible Effects of Climate Change

droughts – crop losses – Increased forest fires – flooding when it finally does rain due to soil hardening increasing the amount of runoff Possible Effects of Climate Change

floods – more landslides – more runoff more pollution Possible Effects of Climate Change

economic losses Possible Effects of Climate Change

Projecting Climate In the Future climate models – computer programs that use past & current data to: project what future climate might be like figure out why climate is changing

The IPCC

2007 Conclusions Warming of the climate system is unmistakable Very high confidence that the effect of human activities since 1750 is one of warming Human-caused warming over last 30 years has likely had a visible influence on many physical and biological systems Continued GHG emissions at or above current rates would cause further warming and induce many changes in the global climate system during the 21 st century that would very likely be larger than those observed during the 20 th century.”

Consensus? Do we know enough about the drivers of climate to know what causes change? Are we underestimating the Earth system’s complexity? Can models accurately simulate the complex climate system? Are there processes that will limit warming naturally?

On the other hand… Arctic sea ice melting faster than predicted. Fossil fuel emissions exceeded most IPCC projections. Are assumptions about global energy use are too optimistic? How quickly can developing countries reduce GHG emissions? Calculations don’t include unexpected melting in Greenland and Antarctica.

What next? What can we do?

Billions of tons of carbon emitted per year

Produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. Reduce vehicle use. Improve energy-efficiency in buildings. Develop carbon capture and storage processes. Triple nuclear power. Increase solar power. Decrease deforestation/plant forests. Improve soil carbon management strategies. What next? What can we do?

Some Individual Actions… Use mass transit, bike, walk, roller skate Tune up your furnace Unplug appliances or plug into a power strip and switch it off Buy water-saving appliances and toilets; installing low-flow shower heads. Caulk, weather-strip, insulate, and replace old windows Buy products with a U.S. EPA Energy Star label