1. Climate Change (4) Dr. Alycia Lackey Bio 103 – Saving Planet Earth
April 2017
Murray State University

2. http://climatecommunication. yale

3. This class

4. Scott Pruitt, head of EPA, on climate change

5. http://climatecommunication. yale

6. To what extend do you agree or disagree
To what extend do you agree or disagree? The climate change we are currently seeing is largely the result of human activity.
Survey of 16,000 adults online

7. https://reutersinstitute. politics. ox. ac

9. 2016 results of public perceptions of climate change
2016/

13. Vulnerability Discuss in small groups:
For which characteristics is your community vulnerable?
Socioeconomic status, gender, race/ethnicity, age, employment loss, residential property, renters, occupation, family structure, medical services, social dependence, special needs
What areas of the United States or other parts of the world would be most vulnerable to climate/weather changes? Why?

15. Climate Change Debate Contributing to Doubt - Exxon
3.5 min

16. Comparisons from climate models
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Natural conditions (natural forcings) – Estimated with modeling
Natural + Man-made effects (natural and anthropogenic) – Actual observations
Figure SPM.6 | Comparison of observed and simulated climate change based on three large-scale indicators in the atmosphere, the cryosphere and the ocean: change in continental land surface air temperatures (yellow panels), Arctic and Antarctic September sea ice extent (white panels), and upper ocean heat content in the major ocean basins (blue panels). Global average changes are also given. Anomalies are given relative to 1880–1919 for surface temperatures, 1960–1980 for ocean heat content and 1979–1999 for sea ice. All time-series are decadal averages, plotted at the centre of the decade. For temperature panels, observations are dashed lines if the spatial coverage of areas being examined is below 50%. For ocean heat content and sea ice panels the solid line is where the coverage of data is good and higher in quality, and the dashed line is where the data coverage is only adequate, and thus, uncertainty is larger. Model results shown are Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) multi-model ensemble ranges, with shaded bands indicating the 5 to 95% confidence intervals. For further technical details, including region definitions see the Technical Summary Supplementary Material. {Figure 10.21; Figure TS.12}

17. Comparisons from climate models
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Natural conditions (natural forcings) – Estimated with modeling
Natural + Man-made effects (natural and anthropogenic) –
Actual observations
Figure 2.5. Comparison of observed continental- and global-scale changes in surface temperature with results simulated by climate models using either natural or both natural and anthropogenic forcings. Decadal averages of observations are shown for the period (black line) plotted against the centre of the decade and relative to the corresponding average for the Lines are dashed where spatial coverage is less than 50%. Blue shaded bands show the 5 to 95% range for 19 simulations from five climate models using only the natural forcings due to solar activity and volcanoes. Red shaded bands show the 5 to 95% range for 58 simulations from 14 climate models using both natural and anthropogenic forcings. {WGI Figure SPM.4}
 IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp.
IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report

18. Projections from climate models International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Ilinri at English Wikipedia [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
Today

19. Projections from climate models International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Ilinri at English Wikipedia [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
If we do nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they will continue to increase drastically
Today

20. Projections from climate models International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Ilinri at English Wikipedia [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
If we do nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they will continue to increase drastically
If we try to stabilize current emission rates, greenhouse gases will increase more moderately
Today

21. Projections from climate models International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Ilinri at English Wikipedia [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
If we do nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they will continue to increase drastically
If we try to stabilize current emission rates, greenhouse gases will increase more moderately
Today
If we drastically reduce greenhouse gases, they will stabilize

22. Changes in Temperature at the End of the 21st Century
Projections from climate models - IPCC
Changes in Temperature at the End of the 21st Century
Global Average Temperature Increase
0.5°C, 0.9°F
4°C, 7°F
If we drastically reduce greenhouse gases
If we do nothing to reduce greenhouse gases
IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp.
-3.6°F
3.6°F
9°F
20°F

23. Changes in Precipitation at the End of the 21st Century
Projections from climate models - IPCC
Changes in Precipitation at the End of the 21st Century
If we drastically reduce greenhouse gases
If we do nothing to reduce greenhouse gases
IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp.

24. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
IPCC Forecasts
Water
Decreases in mid-latitudes and semi-arid low latitudes
Increases in moist tropics and high latitudes
Ecosystems
Species shift their range toward poles
Extinctions including loss of coral reefs
Coasts
Increased damage from storms
Millions impacted by coastal flooding
Health
More sickness and death from heat waves, floods and droughts
Changes in disease vectors, for example mosquitoes
Malnutrition due to famines
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

25. Dealing with Global Climate Change
Mitigation: Reduce the problems
Limiting greenhouse gas emissions to moderate global climate change
Adaptation: Figure out how to live with the problems
Learning to live with environmental changes and societal consequences brought about by global climate change
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

26. The less we reduce the problems,
the more we have to adapt
The more we reduce the problems,
the less we have to adapt

27. Dealing with Global Climate Change – Mitigation Reduce the problems
Locate/invent alternative fuels to fossil fuels ( =reduce emissions )
Increase efficiency of cars and trucks
Carbon capture and storage
Plant and maintain trees to naturally sequester carbon
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

28. Dealing with Global Climate Change – Adaptation Learn to handle the problems
Avoiding & limiting effects of rising sea levels on coastal populations
Move inland
Construct dikes and levees
Adapt to shifting agricultural zones
Change planting / harvesting times
Change crop varieties used

29. International Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emission
Paris Agreement
Originated in 2015
Went into effect in 2016
In April 2016, China and US agreed (they represent 40% of global emissions)
194 parties have signed the treaty
Goal is to reduce emissions to keep global warming “well below 2 degrees C”

30. Three Steps to a Carbon Neutral Future
Implement improvements in energy efficiency and terrestrial biological sequestration (plant trees).
Transition to more renewable energy while increasing CO2 sequestration
Complete commitment to renewable energy sources without carbon emissions (solar, wind)

31. What can YOU do? Conserve energy
Heat & cool your home less
Turn off lights, electronics, appliances
Fix leaks, insulate home
Switch to more energy efficient technologies
Light bulbs
Energy Star products
Switch to renewable energy sources
Send less to the landfill
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Compost
Switch to more fuel-efficient, low-emissions vehicle
Maintain your car and tires
Reduce your car commute
Tell other people!