What are the effects of climate

change?
 Weather

• Weather refers to conditions like rain,

temperature and wind over hours to
days

• LOOK out the window now. What is

the weather like?

!"#
 Climate

• Climate refers to average

weather conditions over
a long period of time (30+
years)
• THINK about what the
weather is normally
like on your birthday?
- Is it normally dry or
wet / hot or cold?

!"#
 Climate change

● Climate change is a statistically

significant change in the state of
the climate (average weather)
that persists for an extended
period of time (decades or
longer)
○ ASK an elder what the
weather was normally like
30 years ago, in your
birthday month? Has it
changed?

!"#
1°C or 2°C warmer sounds small?

● 1°C or 2°C - might not sound like much,

but think about what happens when
your body temperature is increased by
1 or 2 degrees?
● You would immediately fall sick and
get a fever
 Global Warming
• More greenhouse gases trap more heat in the atmosphere,
leading to global warming
• Since 1880, global temp has increased by almost 1°C
• How much this rises depends on how much more
greenhouse gas is released
• Temp could rise by almost 5°C by 2100 (IPCC, AR5).
However, countries around the world agreed to keep this
below 2°C
• Humans have added so much greenhouse gas to the
atmosphere, that even if all emissions stopped today, the
planet would still continue to warm for decades to come
 Global warming & the water cycle

• Global warming intensifies the water cycle

• Higher temps increase evaporation of
water from sea, lakes, rivers
• Warmer air holds more water vapour,
resulting in more intense rainstorms. This
can lead to flooding
• More floods where water runs off into
rivers and streams, does little to dampen
the soil. This and increased temps can
lead to drought
• Weather patterns across the world are
effected over time
• This results in CLIMATE CHANGE
 The greenhouse effect
• Sunlight passes through the atmosphere to
earth
• At earth’s surface it’s reflected back through the
atmosphere to space
• However! After it is reflected, greenhouse
gases can trap heat in the atmosphere
• We call this process the greenhouse effect; as
it is similar to a greenhouse
• Greenhouse gases act like a big blanket around
the earth, trapping heat
What are greenhouse
gases?

Any gases that cause the

“greenhouse effect!”

Imagine… a car on a cool but sunny day…

 Greenhouse gasses
• Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun
in the atmosphere, after it is reflected
from earth
• Greenhouse gases occur naturally in the
atmosphere
• Without them, the earth would be very
cold – about minus 18°C ! All water on
earth would freeze, the oceans would
turn to ice and life as we know it would
not exist
 What Is Climate Change?
Climate change is a change in the average temperature and cycles of weather over a long
period of time.

Since 1880, scientists have kept 1.5

Temperature Anomaly (°C)

thermometer-based records of the

Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute

global surface temperature. 1.0

What is happening to the global

for Space Studies (GISS)

0.5
temperature?
The planet is becoming warmer; 0
the climate is changing.
-0.5

188
188
189
190
191
192
192
193
194
195
196
196
197
198
199
200
200
201
0
8
6
4
2
0
8
6
4
2
0
8
6
4
2
0
8
6
Year
 What Causes Climate Change?
Carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4) and water
vapour (H2O) are greenhouse
gases that are found in the
atmosphere.
H2O
Energy travels from the Sun
CO2 to the Earth as short wave
CH4 radiation. It does not interact
CH4 strongly with the greenhouse
CO2
gas molecules so it reaches
the Earth’s surface.
CH4
CO2

H2O

CH4

CO2
 What Causes Climate Change?
The Earth’s surface emits
long wavelength radiation.
This does interact with the
greenhouse gas molecules.

H2O The greenhouse gas

CO2
molecules absorb some of the
energy, trapping it in the
CH4 atmosphere.
CH4
CO2 This process keeps the Earth
warm and is essential for life.
CH4
CO2

H2O

CH4

CO2
 What Causes Climate Change?
The higher the proportion
of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere, the more
radiation is absorbed.

H2O This causes a rise in the

CO2
CO2 CO2 CO2 temperature of the Earth
CO2 and is known as the
CH4 CH4 CO2 greenhouse effect.
CH4
CO2 This increase in temperature
CO2 CO2 CO2
drives climate change.
CH4 CH4
CO2
CO2
CO2
H2O

CH4 CO2
CH4 CO2
CO2 CO2
 What Causes Climate Change?
Climate change can be caused gradually by natural processes or suddenly by
large events, such as a massive meteorite strike or volcanic activity.
However, the rapid climate change we are experiencing now is due to three
main human activities:
Ø Burning fossil fuels for heating and cooking,
generating electricity and powering vehicles
releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Ø Deforestation (destruction of forests) releases

carbon dioxide and reduces the number of trees
able to capture carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere.
Untitled by © Sam Hobson / WWF-UK licensed under CC BY
Ø Reduction of biodiversity creates an unstable
ecosystem. Nature loss leads to
ecosystems that are less able to
capture carbon from the atmosphere
and less resilient to rising
temperatures.

Deforestation for future agriculture plantation-Tahuamanu

Province, heading to Centro Poblado de Alerta - Madre de Dios
Region, Peru by © Nicolas Villaume / WWF-US licensed under CC BY
 Human activity

• Over the last 100 years, since the

industrial revolution, greenhouse
gases have rapidly increased in the
atmosphere
• This is due to human activities
which release greenhouse gases
• Electricity from coal or diesel
generators and industry or pollution
from factories contribute the most
Hazards and
impacts
Climate change, hazards & impacts

• Climate Change is exacerbating a range of weather

related hazards around the world
• Climate change makes some hazards more frequent
• Climate change makes some hazards more intense
• These hazards impact people around the world

• The same hazard can have different impacts for

different people – see Let’s Act to find out more
 Scientists project:

● Temperature increase (0.3 – 4.8°C by 2100)

● Heat waves - more often and last longer
● Extreme precipitation events (rain, snow)
- more often and more intense
● Precipitation increases in wet regions
● Precipitation decreases in dry regions
● Increase in tropical cyclone wind speeds
● Decreased snow / ice extent
● Rising sea level
● Warming and acidification of oceans

Source: IPCC 2014, AR5

!"#
 Why Is Climate Change a Problem?
Over millions of years, species become adapted to survive in the conditions in
which they live. A stable climate supports this process and allows living things
to thrive. If the climate changes quickly, organisms don’t have enough time to
adapt to new conditions and may no longer be able to survive.

Bushfire Aftermath On Kangaroo Island by © Brad Fleet / Newspix licensed under CC BY

 Why Is Climate Change a Problem?
Climate change disrupts weather patterns and causes extreme weather
events to become more common. These include hurricane activity,
droughts and floods.
As the global temperature has increased, so has the number of reported
natural disasters.
Number of Reported Natural Disasters

600

Data source: EM-DAT International Disaster Database

500

400

300

200

100

0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
Year
 Why Is Climate Change a Problem?
Rising temperatures are 250

Sea Level Change (mm)

causing sea levels to 200
increase.
150
The rising water can

Data source: NASA (GISS)

100
cover coastal areas,
destroying habitats and 50
displacing whole 0
populations from low-
-50
lying areas.
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
Year

Rising sea levels are driven by two main processes:

1. Ice Melt: When the atmosphere and ocean get warmer, ice sheets and
glaciers melt, resulting in the addition of fresh water to the ocean.
2. Thermal Expansion: As ocean water gets warmer, it expands, causing
sea levels to rise.
 Why Is Climate Change a Problem?
The increase in global temperatures is causing a reduction in sea ice.
This causes problems for animals that depend on the ice to hunt, mate and sleep.

Untitled by © Shutterstock / Ritesh Chaudhary / WWF licensed under CC BY

 Why Is Climate Change a Problem?
The bright surface of the ice reflects 80% of the sunlight that hits it back into
space. This keeps the polar regions cool and moderates the global climate.
When the area of sea ice is reduced, less sunlight is reflected back into space.
This causes more ocean warming and reduces the sea ice even further.
This feedback drives faster climate change.
The orange line on the
picture marks the Russia
average minimum sea
ice coverage from 1981
to 2010. The white ice
shows the minimum sea Greenland
ice coverage in 2020.
The difference between
the two exceeds one
million miles.
Alaska
 Why Is Climate Change a Problem?
No matter how fast we act, the global temperature is set to continue rising as
a result of greenhouse gases that are already in the atmosphere. The
problems that we are already experiencing are going to worsen.

Untitled by © Marcio James / WWF–Brazil Untitled by © Marcio James / WWF–Brazil Melting ice, Antarctica by © Wim van Passel / WWF
licensed under CC BY licensed under CC BY licensed under CC BY

Acting quickly to keep the temperature rise to minimum is extremely

important for humans and wildlife.

How much difference do you think a 0.5°C increase in global temperature

can make?
Why Is Climate Change a Problem?
Coral Bleaching Species Loss
9…
100 20 1
2…
1.5°

Percentage Coral…
8 C

Percentage Species
1 2°
80 15 6 C
7…
10 8
6
60 4
5

Loss
40 8
0

20

es
ts
ct

an

at
se

pl

br
in
0

rte
1.
2

ve
5
Temperature Rise (°C)
Bleached coral, Maldives by Untitled by © Ola Jennersten
© naturepl.com / Peter Scoones / WWF licensed under CC / WWF-Sweden licensed under CC BY
BY

Drought Rise in Sea Level

Sea Level…
410
420 49
millio 60 50
…

n 56 cm million

Million People
400 55 48 48

Affected
50 cm 46…
380
46
45
360 35…
40 1. 44 1.
2 2
5 5
340 Temperature Rise (°C) Temperature Rise
(°C)
320 1.
2
5
Dried up fishing pans in Liuwa plain
Temperature Rise
(°C)
National Park by © Jasper Doest / WWF licensed under CC BY Climate change adaption Wadden sea by © Claudi Nir / WWF licensed under CC BY
 Here are some climate
& weather events impacted
by climate change

Can you guess which hazards & impacts they

might relate to?
 Changing seasons

Rainy season Crops may die

HAZARDS

IMPACTS
CHANGINE SEASONS

may be delayed Farmers may

in some regions need to change
Spring might crops
come earlier in Incomes are lost
other regions Transportation is
Seasons may interrupted
become more Financial losses
intense Water availability

!"#
 Drier & longer droughts

Water Less or no crops

DROUGHT

HAZARDS

IMPACTS
shortage Animals may die
Wind erosion Less water
supply
Desertification Incomes are lost
Increased risk Financial losses
of wild fires People become
sick
Migration

!"#
 Increased temperatures &
heat waves

Heat stroke People get sick

HIGH TEMP & HEAT
WAVES

HAZARDS

IMPACTS
Water shortage or die
Increased Animals get sick
malaria Crops may die
Dengue Water shortage
Sea level rise Food shortage
Damaged forests

!"#
 Melting glaciers & polar ice

Flooding in
POLAR ICE
MELTING GLACIERS &

Sea level rise

IMPACTS
HAZARDS
Less ice to low lying
coastal areas
reflect
sunlight, leads Coastal areas
to increased & cities
warming threatened
Loss of wildlife
/ biodiversity

!"#
 Sea level rise

Sea level has Coastal erosion

SEA LEVEL RISE

IMPACTS
HAZARDS
risen 17 cm in the Higher risk of
last 100 years. storms leading to
In the last 10 coastal flooding
years, it has risen Salt water
twice as fast as in intrusion in
the previous 90 coastal areas –
years impacts drinking
water and health
risks such as
diarrhoea

!"#
 More intense rainfall &
increased likelihood of floods

Vector-borne
Flooding

HAZARDS

IMPACTS
FLOODS

diseases (esp.
malaria and
Flash dengue fever)

floods Water-borne
diseases (esp.
diarrhoea)
Landslide Extreme floods
and population
Erosion displacement

!"#
 Extreme winds
& stronger storms

People die
EXTREME WINDS &

Severe
STORMS

IMPACTS
HAZARDS
wind Animals die
Storm Loss of
surge income
Flooding Financial
losses

!"#
 Who Can Fix It?
Governments can make laws and policies that reduce the amount
of greenhouse gas emissions.

Businesses can change their processes to run more sustainably.

We can all make choices in our own lives that reduce our carbon footprint
(the impact our actions and purchases have on climate change).

We can also use our voices to let businesses and governments know that
we want them to act quickly to reduce their impact on climate change.
 What can we do?

Climate Change Mitigation: Action taken to stop climate change by

reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere

Take a look at ‘Let’s ACT!’ section of the

Climate
unit to Change
find outAdaptation:
more aboutAction
whattaken
YOU to deal
can dowith climate change
impacts and reduce the effects on lives, livelihoods and ecosystems
 Sustainable Development Goals
Some of the goals are to do with the state of our planet.
However, one of the most important things about the SDGs is the fact that they are
all connected. All the goals need to be realised together for us to achieve a future
in which every person born anywhere in the world has a healthy happy life.