Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Climate is the average weather at a given point and time of year, over a long period
(typically 30 years).
We expect the weather to change a lot from day to day, but we expect the climate to
remain relatively constant.
The key question is what is a significant change – and this depends upon the underlying level of
climate variability
Global warming
Global warming –is a phenomenon of climate change
characterized by a general increase in average
temperatures of the Earth, which modifies the weather
balances and ecosystems for a long time. It is directly
linked to the increase of greenhouse gases in our
atmosphere, worsening the green house effect.
0.6oC
warmin
g past
century
Ocean current
Solar Variation
Forest fire
Volcanic Eruptions
When a volcano erupts it throws out large
volumes of sulphur dioxide (SO2), water
vapour, dust, and ash into the atmosphere.
Ocean current
The oceans are a major components of climate system.
Ocean currents move vast amounts of heat across the
planet.
Fire forest
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in a area of
combustible vegetation that occurs in the
countryside or a a wilderness area.
Artificial factors
Human Activities
Solar Radiation
Human activities
There is strong evidence that the climate change over the last half-century has been
caused largely by human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels, including
agriculture, deforestation, Coal mining and etc.
HUMAN CAUSES
Deforestation
Mining
Fossil fuels
Waste Disposal
Overconsumption
Industrial processes
Intensive Farming
Deforestation
The exploitation of forests has a major role in climate change. Trees help regulate the climate
by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. When they are cut down, this positive effect is lost and
the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere
Intensive farming
Another cause of global warming is intensive farming, not only with the ever-increasing
livestock, but also with plant protection products and fertilizers. In fact, cattle and sheep
produce large amounts of methane when digesting their food, while fertilizers produce nitrous
oxide emissions.
Waste disposal
Waste management methods like landfills and incineration emit greenhouse and toxic gases -
including methane - that are released into the atmosphere, soil and waterways, contributing to
the increase of the greenhouse effect.
Fossil fuel
The massive use of fossil fuels is obviously the first source of global warming, as burning coal,
oil and gas produces carbon dioxide - the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere - as
well as nitrous oxide.
Mining
Modern life is highly dependent on the mining and metallurgical industry. Metals and minerals
are the raw materials used in the construction, transportation and manufacturing of goods. From
extraction to delivery, this market accounts for 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
Overconsumption
Finally, overconsumption also plays a major role in climate change. In fact, it is responsible for
the overexploitation of natural resources and emissions from international freight transport,
which both contributes to global warming.
Water vapour
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Greenhouse gases
Effect of greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gases trap the infrared heat that is
trying to escape back into space.
Solar radiation
51% of solar radiation absorb by earth. 20%
scattered by the clouds 19% absorb by clouds
and atmosphere and 6% scattered by
atmosphere, 4% reflected by surface.
shrinking glaciers
thawing permafrost
loss of biodiversity due to limited adaptability and adaptability speed of flora and fauna
the need for adaptation in all areas (e.g. agriculture, forestry, energy, infrastructure,
tourism, etc.)
Earth-orbiting satellites and other technological advances have enabled scientists to see
the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its
climate on a global scale. This body of data, collected over many years, reveals the
signals of a changing climate.
The heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-
19th century.2 Their ability to affect the transfer of infrared energy through the
atmosphere is the scientific basis of many instruments flown by NASA. There is no
question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in
response.
Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the
Earth’s climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas levels. Ancient evidence can also
be found in tree rings, ocean sediments, coral reefs, and layers of sedimentary rocks. This
ancient, or pale climate, evidence reveals that current warming is occurring roughly ten
times faster than the average rate of ice-age-recovery warming.
The climate statement – which covers until July 2019 - was released as part of a high-
level synthesis report from leading scientific institutions United in Science under the
umbrella of the Science Advisory Group of the UN Climate Summit 2019. The report
provides a unified assessment of the state of Earth system under the increasing influence
of climate change, the response of humanity this far and projected changes of global
climate in the future. It highlights the urgency and the potential of ambitious climate
action in order to limit potentially irreversible impacts.
“Climate change causes and impacts are increasing rather than slowing down,” said
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas
Over the five-year period May 2014 -2019, the rate of global mean sea-level rise has
amounted to 5 mm per year, compared with 4 mm per year in the 2007-2016 ten-year
period. This is substantially faster than the average rate since 1993 of 3.2 mm/year. The
contribution of land ice melt from the world glaciers and the ice sheets has increased over
time and now dominate the sea level budget, rather than thermal expansion.
Shrinking Ice:
Antarctic February minimum (summer) and September maximum (winter) sea-ice extent
values have become well below the 1981-2010 average since 2016. This is in contrast to
the previous 2011-2015 period and the long term 1979-2018 period. Antarctic summer
sea ice reached its lowest and second lowest extent on record in 2017 and 2018,
respectively, with 2017 also being the second lowest winter extent.
More than 90 % of the excess heat caused by climate change is stored in the oceans.
2018 had the largest ocean heat content values on record measured over the upper 700
meters, with 2017 ranking second and 2015 third.
The ocean absorbs around 30% of the annual anthropogenic emissions of CO2, thereby
helping to alleviate additional warming. The ecological costs to the ocean, however, are
high, as the absorbed CO2 reacts with seawater and changes the acidity of the ocean.
There has been an overall increase in acidity of 26% since the beginning of the industrial
revolution.
Extreme events:
More than 90 % of the natural disasters are related to weather. The dominant disasters
are storms and flooding, which have also led to highest economic losses. Heatwaves and
drought have led to human losses, intensification of forest fires and loss of harvest.
Heatwaves, which were the deadliest meteorological hazard in the 2015-2019 period,
affecting all continents and resulting in numerous new temperature records. Almost every
study of a significant heatwave since 2015 has found the hallmark of climate change,
according to the report.
The largest economic losses were associated with tropical cyclones. The 2017 Atlantic
hurricane season was one of the most devastating on record with more than US$ 125
billion in losses associated with Hurricane Harvey alone. On the Indian Ocean, in March
and April 2019, unprecedented and devastating back-to-back tropical cyclones hit
Mozambique.
Wildfires
According to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, over the period 2015
to 2017, 62 of the 77 events reported show a significant anthropogenic influence on the
event’s occurrence, including almost every study of a significant heatwave. An increasing
number of studies are also finding a human influence on the risk of extreme rainfall
events.
Climate action is just what the doctor ordered. And we mean that quite literally. Medical
professionals have increasingly been sounding the alarm about the risks and
consequences of continually burning fossil fuels.
2. HOME
There’s really no place like home. But for many living in coastal communities, sea-level
rise could lead to an unwanted (and sudden) move.
3. FOOD
No two people in this world are exactly the same. But there’s something that we all do,
regardless of our culture, language, or personality. We all eat. So it’s hard to ignore the
impacts of climate change on food.
1.On biodiversity
The increase of temperatures and the climate upheavals disturb the ecosystems, modify
the conditions and cycles of plant reproduction. The scarcity of resources and climate
change are changing life habits and migratory cycles of animals. We are already
witnessing the disappearance of many species - including endemic species - or,
conversely, the intrusion of invasive species that threaten crops and other animals.
2.On oceans
Because of global warming, permafrost and ice are melting massively at the poles,
increasing the sea level at a rate never known before. In a century, the increase reaches 18
cm (including 6 cm in the last 20 years). The worst case scenario is a rise of up to 1m by
2100.
3.On humans
Human beings are not spared by these upheavals. Climate change is affecting the global
economy. It is already shaking up social, health and geopolitical balances in many parts
of the world. The scarcity of resources like food and energy gives rise to new conflicts.
For decades now, meteorologists and climatologists around the world have been watching
the effects of global warming on the weather phenomena. And the impact is huge: more
droughts and heat waves, more precipitations, more natural disasters like floods,
hurricanes, storms and wildfires, frost-free season, etc.
Producing clean energy is essential, but reducing our consumption of energy and water
by using more efficient devices (e.g. LED light bulbs, innovative shower system) is less
costly and equally important.
3.Sustainable transportation
Promoting public transportation, carpooling, but also electric and hydrogen mobility, can
definitely help reduce CO2 emissions and thus fight global warming.
4.Sustainable infrastructure
In order to reduce the CO2 emissions from buildings - caused by heating, air
conditioning, hot water or lighting - it is necessary both to build new low energy
buildings, and to renovate the existing constructions.
.The problem that climate change represents is therefore very wide and has an effect on a
very broad range of human activities.
However, in spite of the importance of the historical and global parameters, it appears as
if the cause of the rise in temperature of our planet is first and foremost technological
(because of man-made carbon emissions) and that a technological solution would
consequently be needed.
After all, within the history of technology and science, every once in a while, a notable
breakthrough allows for the betterment of the human condition. Agriculture, electricity,
steam engines, atomic science, biotechnology, etc., mark our timeline.
These breakthroughs have enriched the life of many, for the sake of ‘human’ needs,
complementing rather than overcoming the previous techniques and technologies. An
example of this complementary use is the ‘Green Revolution’ in which mechanized
agriculture played a major role in the 1960s to the 1990s, and that even saw countries
such as Mexico overproducing and therefore exporting some new types of wheat. These
past and contemporary techniques and technologies therefore play a major role in easing
our lives. It would therefore be logical to await for the next techno-scientific generation
to revolutionize our routines.