Outline. What is Climate? Causes of Climate Change. Greenhouse Gases. Impacts of Climate Change. Physical. Ecological. Societal

Transcription

1 CLIMATE CHANGE

2 Outline What is Climate? Causes of Climate Change Greenhouse Gases Impacts of Climate Change Physical Ecological Societal International Environmental Policy U.S. Environmental Policy What can we do?

3 Climate Change Common terms that are often used incorrectly Climate vs. Weather Atmospheric events over a whole region, or globally, that are long-term (e.g., seasons, years, or decades). Local atmospheric events that are short-term (e.g., minutes, hours, or days). Climate Change vs. Global Warming All climate phenomena resulting from increased greenhouse gases. Increasing average global temperature.

4 The Greenhouse Gas Effect Greenhouse gasses are not all bad! Without GHGs, Earth would be a very cold, uninhabitable place. The problem for life on Earth is when the concentration of GHGs rises too high and/or too quickly.

5 Greenhouse Gases ppm as of July 2017 Source: NASA JPL

6 Ice cores! The ice in Antarctica and Greenland is compressed snow. As each layer of snow fell and then was compressed into ice, the air, chemicals, and particles caught within the snow were trapped. Winter and summer snow have different chemistry and texture, which looks like bands within the ice core. The ice cores are cataloged and stored at the National Ice Core Laboratory. Below: Antarctica deep ice core drilling

7 Greenhouse Gases Industrial Revolution (Started in the 1850s) Replaced manual labor with machines Used fossil fuels for production of tools, textiles, agriculture, and for transportation Increased concentrations of fossil fuels in the atmosphere

8 Greenhouse Gases Electricity production Electricity generation by burning coal or natural gas Agriculture Crops, livestock, and deforestation Industry Energy generation and byproducts of manufacturing Transportation Cars, ships, trains, and planes Other Energy Energy used to extract, refine, & transport fossil fuels Buildings Direct use of natural gas, wood, or coal for heating and cooking Transportation 14% Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector Buildings 6% Other Energy 9% Industry 21% Electricity 26% Agriculture, Land Use, Forestry 24% Source: IPCC

9 Emissions per Person, by Country

10 Effects of Climate Change Changes in weather patterns Heat waves Drought Intensification of storms Ecological affects Deforestation Ocean acidification Shifting habitats Societal impacts Displacement Water scarcity Interruption of food production Public health Global Aedes aegypti

11 Physical Effects How do greenhouse gasses relate to the strength and patterns of our weather events? Winds and ocean currents are generated by heat. Warm air and water rise (less dense). Cold air and water sink (more dense). This heating and cooling is what drives our weather. So, trapping more heat in the system changes our climate. It becomes more energetic, because heat is energy.

12 Changes in Precipitation Events Warmer air is able to hold more moisture More moisture means more rainfall per storm The challenge: We don t have global rainfall intensity data from the Earth s ancient past, so we can only use the data we have and predict how intense future storms may get. We use multiple mathematical models based on what we know about the physics of Earth s systems, combined with the data we have collected over the last years.

13 Melting Ice in Polar Regions Arctic Ice (North Pole) Less sea ice is forming and more of it is melting - less habitat for Arctic species Indicates warmer air and ocean temperature Greenland Ice Sheet and Antarctic Ice Sheet (South Pole) Land ice melting sea level rise, changes in ocean temperatures and salinity Source: NASA JPL

14 Ecological Problems

15 Effects on Society Physical events Heat waves Magnified air pollution Flooding Mudslides Infrastructure damage

16 Water Scarcity

17 Displacement Sea level rise floods low lying regions Storms and wildfires destroy homes and property Persistent lack of water forces migration

18 Public Health Shifting range of suitable habitat for diseases like malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease Extreme heat events lead to heat related health dangers Increased extreme weather events (e.g., flooding, hurricanes) impact infrastructure that is meant to protect public health Global Aedes aegypti

19 International Policy

20 International Policy

21 International Policy

22 International Policy United Nations Development Program 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action Strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards... Integrate measures into national policies... United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

23 United States Policy EPA Entrusted with setting carbon pollution standards Clean energy standards Renewable energy industry Preparing for climate change impacts Land loss, environmental economic losses America s Pledge States, cities, businesses, universities, and individuals across the U.S. that have banded together to continue fighting climate change and protect public health They also want to be sure the U.S. is not left behind economically as the rest of the world continues to develop and invest in renewable technology Will uphold the U.S. Paris commitment

24 United States Policy U.S. policy has been based on scientific results NASA Launch satellites and collect Earth data Climate modeling NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Collect weather data (rain gauges, radar stations, etc.) They run the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather modeling, storm forecasts (often use satellite data) Issue weather warnings USGS (United States Geological Survey) Collect river flow data Collect groundwater level and quality data Research papers Scientists use the data collected by these government agencies to conduct research. The findings are then used by the government to discuss policy changes and regulations.

25 Keeping it below 2 C of change 0.99 C above the mean temperature

26 How can society prepare? The big question is - how do we adapt to our changing climate? Improve infrastructure (updating dams and levees) Add coastal defenses (natural barriers protect from storm surge) Water conservation, and new technologies (desalinization, irrigation technology) Renewables solar and wind Electric cars, invest in public transportation infrastructure Improved weather forecasts and early warnings

27 What can you do? Awareness Education about daily activities that contribute to climate change Knowing your carbon footprint Action At home, at school, in transportation Find ways to reduce carbon footprint every little bit helps Advocacy Spread knowledge on the topic!

28 References IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M.Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA Fischer, E., U. Beyerle, and R. Knutti Robust spatially aggregated projections of climate extremes. Nature Climate Change 3:

29 References o98e2qnerm1mh77c2ehsz882z.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Rise-in-energy-consumption-since-indus-rev.png