The Science of Climate Change April Charter for Compassion

Transcription

1 The Science of Climate Change April 2016 Charter for Compassion David Poister Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science St. Norbert College

2 The Science The Response

3 Forms of Electromagnetic Radiation: Ultraviolet (UV): shortest wavelength, highest energy Visible (VIS): longer wavelength, lower energy Infrared (IR): longest wavelength, lowest energy

4 SUN Incoming solar energy: 20% UV 80% VIS EARTH ATMOSPHERE

5 SUN UV Incoming solar energy: 20% UV 80% VIS VIS EARTH ATMOSPHERE

6 SUN UV Most of the incoming UV is absorbed in the stratosphere by ozone (O 3 ) and oxygen (O 2 ). VIS EARTH ATMOSPHERE

7 SUN UV Solar energy at earth s surface: 60% reflected 40% absorbed VIS EARTH ATMOSPHERE

8 SUN UV Solar energy at earth s surface: 60% reflected 40% absorbed VIS Reflected: VIS/UV EARTH ATMOSPHERE

9 SUN UV Solar energy at earth s surface: 60% reflected 40% absorbed VIS Absorbed energy: supports photosynthesis warms the earth s surface Reflected: VIS/UV EARTH ATMOSPHERE

10 EARTH ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE EARTH

11 The earth emits energy as longer wavelength IR radiation. EARTH ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE EARTH

12 The earth emits energy as longer wavelength IR radiation. IR radiation is absorbed by gasses in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) EARTH ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE EARTH

13 The earth emits energy as longer wavelength IR radiation. IR radiation is absorbed by gasses in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) EARTH ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE EARTH

14 The earth emits energy as longer wavelength IR radiation. IR radiation is absorbed by gasses in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) The IR radiation is then reemitted in a random direction EARTH ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE EARTH

15 The earth emits energy as longer wavelength IR radiation. IR radiation is absorbed by gasses in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) The IR radiation is then reemitted in a random direction NET EFFECT - Only some of the energy emitted by the earth leaves the atmosphere: GREENHOUSE EFFECT ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE EARTH

16 GREENHOUSE EFFECT: Increases the earth s average temperature from 5 F to 59 F ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE EARTH

17 Major Greenhouse Gasses GAS % contribution to greenhouse warming Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) 55% Methane (CH 4 ) 17 % Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 15% Ozone (O 3 ), tropospheric 8% Nitrous Oxide (N 2 O) 5%

18 A picture about ice cores

19 Long-term variation in temperature and carbon dioxide based on a deep Antarctic Ice Core (Vostok station). SOURCE: Climate and Atmospheric History of the past 420,000 years from the Vostok Ice Core, Antarctica, by Petit J.R., Jouzel J., Raynaud D., Barkov N.I., Barnola J.M., Basile I., Bender M., Chappellaz J., Davis J. Delaygue G., Delmotte M. Kotlyakov V.M., Legrand M., Lipenkov V.M., Lorius C., Pépin L., Ritz C., Saltzman E., Stievenard M., Nature, 3 June 1999.

20 Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

21 Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

22 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

23 Figure SPM.1a Observed globally averaged combined land and ocean surface temperature anomaly IPCC 2013

24 Greenhouse gas sources IPCC 2013

25 Figure SPM.1b Observed change in surface temperature IPCC 2013

26 Albedo Effect

27 Figure SPM.3 Multiple observed indicators of a changing global climate IPCC 2013

28 Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

29 Muir Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

30 Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

31 Figure SPM.3 Multiple observed indicators of a changing global climate IPCC 2013

32 Figure SPM.3 Multiple observed indicators of a changing global climate IPCC 2013

33 Figure SPM.4 Multiple observed indicators of a changing global carbon cycle IPCC 2013

34 Figure SPM.2 Observed change in annual precipitation over land IPCC 2013

35 Figure SPM.7a Global average surface temperature change All Figures IPCC 2013

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37 The Science The Response

38 A very Faustian choice is upon us: whether to accept our corrosive and risky behavior as the unavoidable price of population and economic growth, or to take stock of ourselves and search for a new environmental ethic. E. O. Wilson

39 National CO 2 Emissions from Fossil-Fuel Burning, Cement Manufacture, and Gas Flaring: Source: US EPA: Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data (www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html)

40 Source: US EPA's Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (2014). (

41 You can: Take steps to minimize your carbon footprint Influence public opinion regarding climate change

42 You can: Take steps to minimize your carbon footprint Influence public opinion regarding climate change Bob Inglis, R South Carolina

43 CLIMATE CHANGE 2014: IMPACTS, ADAPTATION, AND VULNERABILITY Developing countries, on the whole, are more vulnerable to climate change than developed countries.

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45 Contiguous United States: <1 m above sea level: 0.4 % of land area 1.2 % of population 3.7 million people Source: Benjamin H Strauss, Remik Ziemlinski, Jeremy L Weiss and Jonathan T Overpeck. (2012) Tidally adjusted estimates of topographic vulnerability to sea level rise and flooding for the contiguous United States. Environmental Research Letters 7,

46 Vietnam: <1 m above sea level: 5 % of land area 11 % of population 9.9 million people Source: IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Fourth Assessment Report, Working Group II report. Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.

47 The Science of Climate Change April 2016 Charter for Compassion David Poister Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science St. Norbert College