Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Edited by
TREVOR M. LETCHER
Laurel House, Stratton on the Fosse, Bath, United Kingdom
Elsevier
Radarweg 29, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, United Kingdom
50 Hampshire Street, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the
Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance
Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.
This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other
than as may be noted herein).
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our
understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become
necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using
any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods
they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a
professional responsibility.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability
for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or
from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
v
vi Contents
1 Introduction 397
13. Assessing the social and economic 2 Climate change science—The basics 398
impacts of sea-level rise at a global scale— 3 Climate change data and accountability 400
State of knowledge and challenges 4 Climate change litigation 407
A.T. Vafeidis, C. Wolff, and S. Santamaria-Aguilar 5 Climate change damages 415
6 The insurance coverage implications of climate
1 Introduction 351 change 420
2 Global vulnerability, impact and risk assessments— 7 Insurance market reaction and preparedness 431
Methods and data 354 8 Closing thoughts 434
3 Results of impact studies 355
4 Conclusions and ways forward 360 17. Game theory and climate change
References 361 David Mond
N.K. Binu College of Forestry, Kerala Bishwajit Kundu Bangladesh Jute Research
Agricultural University, Thrissur, India Institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Daniel G. Boyce Ocean Frontier Institute, Shilpi Kundu Cities Research Institute & School
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada of Environment and Science, Griffith University,
Andrea Bryndum-Buchholz Department of Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Sher-e-Bangla
Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Canada Trevor M. Letcher Laurel House, Stratton on the
Raktima Dey Fenner School of Environment Fosse, Bath, United Kingdom
and Society, Australian National University, Sophie C. Lewis School of Science, University of
Canberra, ACT, Australia New South Wales, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Julie L. Drolet Faculty of Social Work, Heike K. Lotze Department of Biology,
University of Calgary, Edmonton, AB, Canada Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Tobias Emilsson Department of Landscape Daniel P. Loucks Cornell University, Ithaca,
Architecture, Planning and Management, NY, United States
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Stanley Maloy San Diego State University,
Alnarp, Sweden San Diego, CA, United States
Florence Etienne Independent Researcher, John F. McEldowney School of Law, University
Vancouver, BC, Canada of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
Valeria A. Guinder Argentine Institute of Kian Mintz-Woo University Center for Human
Oceanography, National Scientific and Values and Princeton School of Public and
Technical Research Council, Bahı́a Blanca, International Affairs, Princeton University,
Argentina Princeton, NJ, United States; Department of
Rhosanna Jenkins Tyndall Centre for Climate Philosophy and Environmental Research
Change Research, University of East Anglia, Institute, University College Cork, Cork,
Norwich, United Kingdom Ireland
Thandi F. Khumalo Department of David Mond Mathematics Institute, University
Sociology and Social Work, University of of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
Eswatini, Kwaluseni Campus, Kwaluseni, Jane O’Sullivan School of Agriculture and Food
Eswatini Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia
Yuka Kobayashi Department of Politics and Campus, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
International Studies, SOAS, London, United Jeff Price Tyndall Centre for Climate Change
Kingdom Research, University of East Anglia, Norwich,
Adam D. Krauss Traub Lieberman Straus & United Kingdom
Shrewsberry LLP, Hawthorne, NY, United States Juliana Reu Junqueira Environmental Planning
Rajesh S. Kumar Indian Forest Service (IFS), Programme, School of Social Sciences,
New Delhi, India University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
ix
x Contributors
Elisabeth Lio Rosvold Department of Peace and A.T. Vafeidis Coastal Risks and Sea-Level Rise
Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Research Group, Institute of Geography,
Uppsala; Department of Economic History Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel,
and International Relations, Stockholm Germany
University, Stockholm, Sweden Steve Vanderheiden Department of Political
S. Santamaria-Aguilar Coastal Risks and Sea- Science, University of Colorado at Boulder,
Level Rise Research Group, Institute of Colorado, CO, United States
Geography, Christian-Albrechts University, Rachel Warren Tyndall Centre for Climate
Kiel, Germany Change Research, University of East Anglia,
Heike Schroeder School of International Norwich, United Kingdom
Development; Tyndall Centre for Climate Iain White Environmental Planning
Change Research, University of East Anglia, Programme, School of Social Sciences,
Norwich, United Kingdom University of Waikato, Hamilton, New
Silvia Serrao-Neumann Environmental Plann- Zealand
ing Programme, School of Social Sciences, Phillip Williamson University of East Anglia,
University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Norwich, United Kingdom
Zealand; Cities Research Institute, Griffith
C. Wolff Coastal Risks and Sea-Level Rise
University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Research Group, Institute of Geography,
Maria Shahgedanova Department of Geogra- Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel,
phy and Environmental Sciences, University Germany
of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
Haorui Wu School of Social Work, Dalhousie
M. Shaji College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultu- University, Halifax, NS, Canada
ral University, Thrissur, India
Preface
The evidence that our climate is warming ice sheets, unpredicted and exceptional
is overwhelming. This evidence comes not weather patterns, acidic oceans, dying coral
only from land and sea surface temperature beds, and fast increasing concentrations of
records but also from indicators such as the CO2 in the atmosphere. It is most likely that
coverage of Arctic sea ice—all of which, and the target of keeping global temperatures be-
much more, is discussed in this book and in low 1.5°C above the preindustrial age will be
related books: Climate Change 3rd edition breached and that we will have to accept a
(Letcher, 2020) and Managing Global Warming much warmer world and all that means.
(Letcher, 2019). Most scientists in the world Projections of our global warming indicate
now accept that anthropogenic activities that the temperature will exceed the 2°C
and specifically the emissions of greenhouse global average regarded by many scientists
gases are responsible for the major part of as the upper limit in temperature within the
the observed warming. May 9, 2013, was an next 50 years. If we do not take action to halt
auspicious day for the warming of the planet, this rise in temperature, we must expect the
when it was reported by both the National serious consequences of extreme weather:
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration droughts, floods, winds, and storms. The
(NOAA) and the Scripps Institute of Ocean- book is a urgent appeal to humans to take im-
ography that the daily mean concentration mediate action to reduce the amount of CO2
of CO2 in the atmosphere at Mauna Loa labo- that we are pumping into the atmosphere,
ratory exceeded 400 ppm (400 μmol mol 1 or which arguably can best be accomplished
400 10 6) for the first time in millions of by reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.
years. In June 2020, it was 417 ppm, with the We must strive to stop burning coal and oil
rate of increase accelerating each year. The in our power stations with the ultimate aim
fundamental aim of this book is to alert the of keeping most of the fossil fuel in the
public to these impacts so that adaptations ground and find new, renewable ways of
can be made to a world of increasing global producing electricity and propelling our
temperature. It is also a clarion call to do vehicles.
something about global warming and ur- The book contains 24 chapters and is di-
gently reduce our dependence on fossil fuels vided into 4 sections:
and embrace renewable forms of energy. This
• INTRODUCTION
book focuses mainly on the social and politi-
• PHYSICAL and BIOPHYSICAL
cal impacts of climate change.
IMPACTS
We are regularly bombarded in the
• SOCIAL IMPACTS
media by the evidence of the physical im-
• POLITICAL IMPACTS
pacts of climate change; hurricanes, torna-
does, flooding, wash-aways, record high The audience we hope to reach are: policy
temperatures, melting sea ice, glaciers and makers in local and central governments;
xi
xii Preface
students, teachers, researchers, professors, This book has the advantage that the chap-
scientists, engineers, and managers working ters have each been written by world-class
in fields related to climate change and future experts working in their respective fields.
energy options; editors and newspaper re- As a result, this volume presents a balanced
porters responsible for informing the public; picture across the whole spectrum of climate
and the general public who need to be aware change. Furthermore, the authors are
of the impending disasters that a warmer from both the developing and developed
Earth will bring. An introduction is provided countries, thus giving a worldwide pers-
at the beginning of each chapter for those in- pective of looming climatic problems. The
terested in a brief synopsis, and copious ref- 12 countries represented are: Australia,
erences are provided for those wishing to Bangladesh, Canada, Germany, Ireland, India,
study each chapter topic in greater detail. New Zealand, South Africa, Swaziland,
Many of the authors were not involved in Sweden, The United Kingdom, and the
recent assessments of the IPCC, and here United States of America.
they present fresh evaluations of the evi- The success of the book ultimately rests
dence testifying to a problem that was de- with the 34 authors and co-authors. As edi-
scribed by Sir David King as the most tor, I would like to thank all of them for their
severe calamity our civilization has yet to cooperation and their highly valued, willing,
face (David, 2008). and enthusiastic contributions. I would also
The IPCC assessments have produced two like to thank my wife for her patience while
basic conclusions: firstly, that the current cli- I wrote and edited this volume. Finally, my
mate changes are unequivocal, and secondly, thanks are due to Naomi Robertson of
that this is largely because of the emission of Elsevier whose expertise steered this book
greenhouse gases resulting from human ac- to its publication.
tivity. This book reinforces these two conclu- Trevor M. Letcher
sions and the chapters on “Indicators of Laurel House, Stratton on the Fosse,
Climate Change” and on the “Possible Bath, United Kingdom
Causes of Climate Change” are particularly
relevant. Furthermore, the section on References
“Modeling of Climate Change” further sup-
David, K.S., 2008. In: Letcher, T.M. (Ed.), Foreword to
ports these conclusions through simulations
Future Energy: Improved, Sustainable and Clean Op-
of past climate changes and projections of fu- tions for Our Planet, first ed. Elsevier, Oxford, ISBN:
ture climate. 978-0-08-054808-1.
The International System of Quantities (SI Letcher, T.M. (Ed.), 2020. Climate Change: Observed
units) has been used throughout the book, Impacts on Planet Earth, third ed. Elsevier,
and where necessary other units are given New York, USA, ISBN: 978-0-12-821575-3.
Letcher, T.M. (Ed.), 2019. Managing Global Warming:
in parentheses. Furthermore, the authors An Interface of Technical and Human Issues.
have rigorously adhered to the IUPAC nota- Elsevier, Cambridge, MA, USA, ISBN: 978-0-12-
tion and spelling of physical quantities. 814104-5.
S E C T I O N A
Introduction
This page intentionally left blank
C H A P T E R
1
Why discuss the impacts of climate
change?
Trevor M. Letcher
Laurel House, Stratton on the Fosse, Bath, United Kingdom
O U T L I N E
1 Introduction
The world is entering an unprecedented time of global warming which is affecting our cli-
mate on which we depend for our very existence. Global warming is causing changes in rain
and snow patterns; rising sea levels; increased severity and frequency of droughts, wildfires,
storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes; high temperatures and heatwaves and changes to our so-
cial fabric and political structures. Global warming is the most important calamitous change
our civilization has ever had to face. In another publication Climate Change 2nd edition
(Letcher, 2015), the physical and biological effects of rising global temperatures were
discussed but little was made of the effects on society and on human life. This book puts that
to right. These impacts which are now blatantly obvious become more and more important
The Impacts of Climate Change 3 Copyright # 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822373-4.00020-3
4 1. Why discuss the impacts of climate change?
with each passing year and are poised to change our lives and those of our children and their
children forever. We must plan our future with these changes in mind. This is the raison d’etre
for this volume.
Before reading the chapters in this book, it is important that we look at the origins and the
physics and chemistry of global warming and let the science tell us just how serious a position
our ecosystem and our society is in. The temperature and climate of our planet has been more
or less constant for the best part of a million years and it is under this regime of climate that
our ecosystem and indeed human life evolved. Any significant deviation from this equilib-
rium will have a devastating effect on both the ecosystem and on human life. We are fast
reaching this stage.
The fundamental mechanism leading to the warming of our planet is the greenhouse effect.
This initial warming effect is followed by certain feedback mechanisms (e.g., evaporation of
water from the oceans, the reduction in albedo effect on polar ice sheets) which exacerbates
the situation leading to further global warming and perhaps, in the not too distant future, a
run-a-way global warming catastrophe. Understanding the causes of global warming and the
present situation give reader a background to appreciating the different impacts climate
change is having on our society. This must indeed educate and galvanize the reader to do
something about reducing the onset of a catastrophic collapse of our society and the way
we live.
Much of what follows in this section has been discussed in Chapter 1 of Managing Global
Warming (Letcher, 2019). It is pertinent to include it here at the beginning of The Impacts of
Climate Change. The concept of the greenhouse effect goes back to the 1820s, when Joseph Fou-
rier suggested that some component of the earth’s atmosphere was responsible for the tem-
perature at the surface of the earth. He was researching the origins of ancient glaciers and the
ice sheets that once covered much of Europe (Fourier, 1824). Decades later, Tyndall followed
up the Fourier’s suggestion, and used an apparatus designed by Macedonio Melloni to show
that CO2 was able to absorb a much greater amount of heat than other gases. This fitted in
with Fourier’s concept and pointed to CO2 as the component in the atmosphere that Fourier
was looking for. The Melloni apparatus was called a thermomultiplier, and was reported in
1831 (Nobili and Melloni, 1831; Sella, 2018). Tyndall’s results were published in references
(Tyndall, 1861, 1863). As a result, Tyndall can be named as the discoverer of the CO2 green-
house gas effect.
Linking CO2 in the atmosphere to the burning of fossil fuels was to be the last link in the
chain in understanding the reasons for the ice ages and also our own climate change. In the
1890s, Svante Arrhenius, an electrochemist, calculated that by reducing the amount of CO2 in
the atmosphere by half, the temperature of Europe would be lowered by about 4–5°C. This
would bring it in line with ice age temperatures. This idea would only answer the question of
why the ice age formed and then retreated, if there were large changes in atmospheric
composition and in particular, changes in CO2 concentration. At much the same time, also
in Sweden, a geologist, Arvid H€ ogbom, had estimated that CO2 from volcanic eruptions,
A. Introduction
2 The greenhouse effect 5
together with the ocean uptake of CO2, could explain how the CO2 concentrations in the
atmosphere could change and hence provide some explanation for the ice ages. Along the
way H€ ogbom stumbled on a strange and new idea that the CO2 emitted from industrial coal
burning factories might influence the atmospheric CO2 concentration. He did indeed find that
human activities were contributing CO2 to the atmosphere at a rate comparable to the natural
geochemical processes. The increase was small compared to what was already in the atmo-
sphere, but if continued, it would influence the climate. Arrhenius took up this concept, and
his calculations are published (Arrhenius, 1896). Arrhenius concluded that the emissions
from human industry might someday bring on global warming. Hence, Arrhenius’s name
is forever linked to the greenhouse theory of global warming. However, thanks must also
go to those who paved the way—Fourier, Melloni, Tyndall, H€ ogbom, and probably many
others.
Arrhenius’s calculations were at first dismissed as unimportant or at worst faulty.
A similar fate was met by G.S Callendar who, in 1938, made the point that CO2 levels were
indeed climbing (https://www.rmets.org/sites/default/files/qjcallender38.pdf). It was
only in the 1960s, after C D Keeling measured the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere
and showed that it was rising rapidly, that scientists woke up to the fact that global warming
was real and that anthropogenic activity was to blame.
Water vapor is an even more effective greenhouse gas than CO2. Furthermore, its concen-
tration in the atmosphere is very much higher than that of CO2 (of the order of a hundred
times higher), and H2O contributes over 60% of the global warming effect. The amount of
water vapor in the atmosphere is controlled by the temperature. An increase in the CO2 con-
centration in the atmosphere results in a relatively small increase of the global temperature
but that change is enough to increase the amount of water vapor in the air, through evapo-
ration from the oceans. It is this feedback mechanism that has the greatest influence on global
temperature. In a sense, paradoxically, the concentration of CO2 acts as a regulator for the
amount of water vapor in the atmosphere and is thus the determining factor in the equilib-
rium temperature of the earth. Without CO2 in the atmosphere, the temperature of the earth
would be very much cooler than it is today; in fact, 33°C cooler.
The amount of solar energy shining on the earth (with wavelengths ranging from 0.3 to
5 μm) is vast. It heats our atmosphere and everything on the Earth and provides the energy
for our climate and ecosystem. At night, much of this heat energy is radiated back into space
but at different wavelengths, which are in the infrared range from 4 to 50 μm (earthguide.
ucsd.edu/virtualmuseum/climatechange1/02_3.shtml). The frequencies of the heat radiat-
ing from a body is dependent of the temperature of the body (Planck’s Law of blackbody ra-
diation). This energy, leaving the Earth, heats the greenhouse gas molecules (such as H2O,
CO2, CH4, etc.) in the atmosphere. The explanation is as follows: using CO2 and H2O as ex-
amples, this heating process takes place because the radiated IR frequency is in sync (reso-
nates) with the natural frequency of the carbon-oxygen bond of CO2 (4.26 μm being the
asymmetric stretching vibration mode and 14.99 μm being the bending vibration mode)
and the oxygen-hydrogen bond of H2O. The increased vibration of the bonds effectively heats
the CO2 and H2O molecules. These heated molecules then pass the heat to the other molecules
in the atmosphere (N2, O2) and this keeps the earth at an equitable temperature. The vibrating
frequencies of the OdO bond in oxygen and the NdN bond in nitrogen molecules are very
A. Introduction
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
the territory with a close network, which has been evidenced
in a recent trial, and have been so bold as to defy the Church
dignitaries not accepting their vassalage. In pointing to the
peril of increasing mortmain threatening the principle of the
free circulation of property, it is sufficient to say that we
are influenced by no vain alarms, that the value of the real
property occupied or owned by the communities was in 1880 as
much as 700,000,000f., and that it now exceeds a milliard.
Starting from this figure, what may be the value of mortmain
personalty? Yet the real peril does not arise from the
extension of mortmain. In this country, whose moral unity has
for centuries constituted its strength and greatness, two
youths are growing up ignorant of each other until the day
when they meet, so unlike as to risk not comprehending one
another. Such a fact is explained only by the existence of a
power which is no longer even occult and by the constitution
in the State of a rival power. All efforts will be fruitless
as long as a rational, effective legislation has not
superseded a legislation at once illogical, arbitrary, and
inoperative. If we attach so much importance to a Law on
Association it is also because it involves the solution of at
least a portion of the education question. This Bill is the
indispensable guarantee of the most necessary prerogatives of
modern society."
{237}
----------FRANCE: End--------
FREE SPEECH:
Restrictions on, in Germany.
FREE TRADE.
{239}
G.
GALVESTON: A. D. 1900.
The city overwhelmed by wind and waves.
GARCIA, General:
Commanding Cuban forces at Santiago.
GENEVA CONVENTION:
Adaptation to maritime warfare.
----------GERMANY: Start--------
GERMANY: A. D. 1891-1899.
Recent commercial treaties.
Preparations for forthcoming treaties.
{240}
GERMANY: A. D. 1894-1895.
The Emperor and the Social Democrats.
His violent and autocratic speeches.
Failure of the Anti-Revolutionary Bill.
Socialist message to France.
GERMANY: A. D. 1894-1899.
The Emperor's claim to "Kingship by Divine Right,"
The opening of the new ship canal (named the Kaiser Wilhelm
Canal) between the Baltic and the North Sea was made the
occasion of a great celebration, on the 21st of June, in which
the navies of Great Britain, Russia, France, Austria and Italy
took part, steaming in procession with the German squadron
through the canal. It was also made the occasion for an
exhibition of the newly-formed alliance between Russia and
France, the Russian and French fleets entering the harbor of
Kiel together.
The canal had been eight years in building, the first spadeful
of earth in the excavation having been turned by Emperor
William I. at Holtenau, near Kiel, on the 3d of June, 1887.
The canal is thus described: It is "98.6 kilometers (61.27
miles) in length. It begins at Holtenau, on the Bay of Kiel,
and terminates near Brunsbüttel, at the mouth of the River
Elbe, thus running clear through the province of
Schleswig-Holstein from northeast to southwest. Both openings
are provided with huge locks. Near Rendsburg, there is a third
lock connecting the canal with the old Eider Canal. The medium
water level of the canal will be about equal to the medium
water level of Kiel harbor. At the lowest tide the profile of
the canal has, in a depth of 6.17 meters (20 feet 6 inches)
below the surface of the water, a navigable width of 36 meters
(118.11 feet), so as to allow the largest Baltic steamers to
pass each other. For the navy, 22 meters (72.18 feet) of canal
bottom are provided, at least 58 meters (190.29 feet) of water
surface, and 8½ meters (27 feet 9 inches) depth of water. The
greatest depth for merchant vessels was calculated at 6.5
meters (21 feet 3 inches). The estimated cost was $37,128,000.
Two-thirds of the cost is defrayed by Germany; the remaining
one-third by Russia. The time saved by a steam-ship sailing
from Kiel to Hamburg via the canal, instead of through the
Skaugh (the strait between Jutland and Sweden), is estimated
at 2, days. The time of passage through the canal, including
stoppages and delays, will be about thirteen hours. In time of
peace, the canal is to be open to men-of-war, as well as
merchant vessels of every nation, but in time of war, its use
will be restricted to vessels of the German navy. Many vessels
have been wrecked and many lives lost on the Danish and
Swedish coasts, in waters which need not be navigated after
the canal is opened to traffic. Its strategic importance to
Germany will also be great, as it will place that country's
two naval ports, Kiel on the Baltic, and Wilhelmshafen on the
North Sea, within easy access of each other."
{242}