Weather vs.

Climate

• Weather refers to atmospheric conditions that occur locally over short periods of time-from minutes
to hours or days. Familiar examples include rain, snow, clouds, winds, floods or thunderstorms.

• Climate, on the other hand, refers to the long-term regional or even global average temperature,
humidity and rainfall patterns over seasons, years or decades.

What is Global Warming?

• Global warming is the long-term heating of Earth's climate system observed since the pre-industrial
period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases
heat- trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere

• Dr Sarah Cornell is an environmental scientist and one of the researchers behind the report for the
Stockholm Resilience Centre.

She's described some of the big changes which could happen with a 2°C temperature rise - which is the
globally accepted amount, according to the Paris climate agreement.

A rise in global temperatures causes weather systems to be unpredictable and inconsistent, which
would put cacao growing at risk. "It is about the really intricate pattern of temperature, water flow, light
intensity, the nutrients already available in the soil," says Dr Cornell.

Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice
on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering
sooner.

Periodic modification of Earth's climate brought about as a result of changes in the atmosphere.

Climate is often defined loosely as the average weather at a particular place, incorporating such
features as temperature, air pressure, precipitation, humidity, and windiness.

CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Solar variability - The luminosity, or brightness, of the Sun has been increasing steadily since its
formation.

Volcanic activity - can influence climate in a number of ways at different timescales.

Tectonic movements - of Earth's crust have had profound effects on climate at timescales of millions to
tens of millions of years.

Orbital variations - The orbital geometry of Earth is affected in predictable ways by the gravitational
influences of other planets in the solar system.
Greenhouse gases - are gas molecules that have the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat
energy) emitted from Earth's surface and reradiating it back to Earth's surface, thus contributing to the
phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect.

Human activities - Recognition of global climate change as an environmental issue has drawn attention
to the climatic impact of human activities.

Human activities:

Generating power

Generating electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels causes a large chunk of global emissions.

Manufacturing goods

Manufacturing and industry produce emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels to produce
energy for making things like cement, iron, steel, electronics, plastics, clothes, and other goods.
The manufacturing industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions
worldwide. Mining and other industrial processes also release gases, as does the construction
industry.

Cutting down forests

Cutting down forests to create farms or pastures, or for other reasons, causes emissions, since
trees, when they are cut, release the carbon they have been storing. Each year approximately 12
million hectares of forest are destroyed. Since forests absorb carbon dioxide, destroying them
also limits nature's ability to keep emissions out of the atmosphere. Deforestation, together
with agriculture and other land use changes, is responsible for roughly a quarter of global
greenhouse gas emissions.

Using transportation

Most cars, trucks, ships, and planes run on fossil fuels. That makes transportation a major
contributor of greenhouse gases, especially carbon-dioxide emissions. Powering buildings
Globally, residential and commercial buildings consume over half of all electricity. As they
continue to draw on coal, oil, and natural gas for heating and cooling, they emit significant
quantities of greenhouse gas emissions.

Producing food

Producing food causes emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases in
various ways, including through deforestation and clearing of land for agriculture and grazing,
digestion by cows and sheep, the production and use of fertilizers and manure for growing
crops, and the use of energy to run farm equipment or fishing boats, usually with fossil fuels.

Consuming too much

Your home and use of power, how you move around, what you eat and how much you throw
away all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Our lifestyles have a profound impact on our
planet.
Temperatures Will Continue to Rise

Because human-induced warming is superimposed on a naturally varying climate, the

temperature rise has not been, and will not be, uniform or smooth across the country or over
time.

Threats to Biodiversity

Climate change poses risks to the survival of species on land and in the ocean.

Forest fires, extreme weather, and invasive pests and diseases are among many threats related
to climate change. Some species will be able to relocate and survive, but others will not.

Not enough food

Changes in the climate and increases in extreme weather events are among the reasons behind
a global rise in hunger and poor nutrition. Fisheries, crops, and livestock may be destroyed or
become less productive.

More health risks

Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. Climate impacts are already
harming health, through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement,
pressures on mental health, and increased hunger and poor nutrition in places where people
cannot grow or find
SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Mitigation - reducing climate change - involves reducing the flow of heat- trapping greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere, either by reducing sources of these gases or enhancing the "sinks"
that accumulate and store these gases (such as the oceans, forests and soil).

SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE Adaptation - adapting to life in t a changing climate - involves
adjusting to actual or expected future climate. The goal is to reduce our vulnerability to the
harmful effects of climate change. Cutting carbon is the only long-term solution for avoiding
climate impacts. In the short-term, we need to adapt. That means everything from discouraging
development in high- risk areas, to planning for water scarcity, to building more resilient cities
and communities.

SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Keep fossil fuels in the ground. Fossil fuels include coal, oil and gas - and the more that are
extracted and burned, the worse climate change will get. All countries need to move their
economies away from fossil fuels as soon as possible.

Invest in renewable energy. Changing our main energy sources to clean and renewable energy
is the best way to stop using fossil fuels. These include technologies like solar, wind, wave, tidal
and geothermal power.

Infrastructure Upgrade-Buildings worldwide contribute around one third of all greenhouse gas
emissions.
SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Innovations

New processes and technologies in landscape planning, soil analysis, irrigation, and even
alternative proteins such as plant-based meat are making agriculture and land use more
sustainable.

Switch to sustainable transport.

Petrol and diesel vehicles, planes and ships use fossil fuels. Reducing car use, switching to
electric vehicles and minimizing plane travel will not only help stop climate change, it will reduce
air pollution too.

Reduce how much people consume.

Our transport, fashion, food and other lifestyle choices all have different impacts on the climate.

Adoption of a Plant-Rich Diet

The case for a plant-rich diet is healthy. Bringing about dietary change is not simple because
eating is profoundly personal and cultural. For individuals to give up meat in favor of options
lower on the food chain, those options should be available, visible, and tempting.
Saltwater intrusion, rising sea levels and dropping freshwater levels have greatly impacted the
island, aggravated even more by typhoon Haiyan. The coastal communities in the typhoon
affected areas built a number of 3R interventions (retention, recharge and reuse of water)
designed to recharge the shallow groundwater levels in the coastal areas where drinking water
is drawn from.

With 6o NGO and GO workers from all over the Philippines the functionality of the measures
was assessed and debated. Main takeaway, the structures are simple, effective and reduce the
impact of the climate hazards people experience.