Climate Change
Topics:
1) What is climate change?
2) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
3) Causes of climate change
4) Effects of climate change?
5) International Panels on Climate Change
6) What can be done at home?
1) What is climate change?
Climate Change is the significant change in the climate and distribution of weather patterns on Earth ranging from the last decade to millennia earlier.
2) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Currently chaired by Mr. Rajendra Pachauri, this organisation was setup in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme. IPCC reports on the scientific, technical and socio-economic information needed to understand the risks and impacts of climate change while developing ways to counter this global phenomenon. It analyses and researches data related to:
• Climate change caused by human activities
• The effects of climate change caused as a result of human activities
• Options for adaptation and mitigation
The IPCC consists of different bodies like:
1. IPCC Panel-It is the body in charge of the IPCC’s procedure, work programme and structure.
2. Chair-It is the body which supervises the panel
3. Bureau-It consists of two sections-A)The Working Groups
B) The Task Force
Working Groups-These groups assess scientific aspects of climate change,
Vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, consequences, and adaptation options and also analyse options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Task Force- Maintains National Greenhouse Gas Inventories
3) Caus...
... middle of paper ...
...d the orbit of Earth in the last thirty years. Scientists and researchers agree that human activities like burning of fossil fuels is the main cause and driving force behind climate change.
4) Oceanic circulation-Ocean currents have the potential to affect Earth’s climatic condition. This is because they have the capacity to carry a large amount of heat. Winds blowing over cooler currents become cold and the areas over which they blow have their temperature reduced. Similarly if winds blow over warmer currents, the wind picks up heat and areas over which the wind blows sees temperature increase. If winds blow over evaporating currents the pick up moisture and bring rain to the areas over which they blow.
5) Volcanic eruptions – Effects of a volcanic eruption affects the climate for a long period of time even if the volcanic activity itself lasts only a few hours.
Many scientist believe that the current warming trend is significant because, much of it has been caused by human activities. Satellites orbiting the earth and other technological equipment enables scientists to see and collect various information about our planets climate. Scientists have studied this collected information and has revealed the many changes of our planet and how these changes are effecting our climate, a few of them are:
Climate change refers to the statistical changes in weather pattern distribution over an extended period. It also refers to the average weather condition changes. In addition, climate change may refer to average conditions over long-term periods in varied time intervals. These changes are mainly caused by solar radiation on the earth’s surface, volcanic eruptions, biotic processes and plate tectonics. Specifically, human activities largely contribute towards climatic changes. Besides, these changes are also referred to as global warming. Scientists have often observed climate changes to understand the future and past changes through theoretical models. They have also assembled evidences from different arenas.
Global climate change poses a serious challenge for all of humanity; our commitment to implement policies will reduce the environmental impacts associated with change in climate over the long term. Although there are difficulties in discovering all the economic and environmental impacts climate change pose, we still must allocate resources to fund scientific research and related projects, establish global initiatives, and monitor changes in weather patterns as a result of such programs, society will minimize the effects of climate change on the planet.
Climate change is evidenced through shifts in the weather patterns such as winds, humidity and temperatures over certain durations. Natural climate changes occur less frequently and they are triggered by factors related geographical aspects as well as solar radiation. The earth’s movement on the orbit triggers changes in climate causing some areas to have higher temperatures than usual while others are significantly cold depending on the position of the earth on the orbit. The heat form the sun causes changes on the stratospheric ozone and it increases the amount of greenhouse gases. Heat from the oceanic crust also contributes to warming as a result of episodic hydrothermal venting (Liao & Sandeberg, 2012). Volcanic activity also causes a release of certain elements that may block the sun and also contribute to increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The question that is in the minds of many people around the globe is the debate between natural causes, and human activities being the main cause to the negative changes in the global climate. Natural causes like volcanic eruptions, the changes in the sun’s radiation, and the ocean current shifts noticed are contributing to the global climate change. In addition, the human activities such as the burning fossil fuels, and the cutting down of trees [forests] so as to create land to cultivate and rare cattle affect the climate change. The human activities that are done affect the global climate that the natural causes which has led to global warming in the atmosphere (Oxlade, 2003).
Climate change is manifested in; variations in minimum and maximum temperature, frequent and extensive droughts, high intensity rainfalls and floods, seasonal and regional pest and disease prevalence leading to conflicts for pasture and water resources, high food insecurity; encroachment into
The climate change term can be explained by dividing it into two words climate and change. The climate is the condition of the weather of earth that lasts for the long time period of time. Climate change is also called as global warming which refers to the rise in average surface temperatures on the earth.
Climate change is a long term change in the climate due to an increase in the average temperature.The earths climate is not stable all the time but we still have to worry because it has big impact on us the way it 's changing.The natural factors that impact climate change are changes in volcanic eruption,solar output and change in the Earths orbit around the sun.The Human causes of climate change are Burning of fossil fuels, cutting forests and less agriculture and many other reasons.
Climatic has done a great change in our environments. The earth’s temperature is increasing and the glaciers melt down. There has been research where the Arctic’s air is warmer than that of the one in the equator. Global warming is caused when gases get trapped in the atmosphere all produced by cars, power plants, industrial process and deforestation. That is making the change of the wind to be less and gives us the greater chance of global warming. Global warming has not been around since the dawn of creation. Scientists say that it began around the mid 20th century. It was caused by man made chemicals that go into the air. These chemicals open up the ozone layer making a hole upon it. It was around the 1960...
In the past, climate change was only affected by natural processes such as volcanic eruptions, solar output, and the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
Climate change is an alteration in the statistical dispersal of weather patterns. This is characterized by fluctuations in the earth’s average temperatures The rise of the earth’s
What is Climate Change: Climate change is the changes in the global climate patterns apparent the mid to late 20 century the climate increased the level of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels in the climate process there are many system in the climate process such as food production and availability of land, water, and health risk.
A huge level climate change in the current time attracts the people’s attention very easily. Every one of us is feeling very clearly from the short-term changes in the seasonal patterns of temperature, drought, rainfall without season, changing weather patterns, etc. to the long-term changes affecting the entire earth. Climate is a long-term weather trend affecting human lives positively or negatively. Climate change is the long term variations in the weather patterns.
Climate change is a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, mostly due to the increase in the average atmospheric temperature (global warming). According to National Snow & Ice Data Center (2012), the most commonly used definition of climate change is a change in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over long duration of time, regardless of cause. In addition to that, fluctuations over periods less than a few decades, such as El Niño, do not represent climate change. To make it simple, some short-term climate variation is normal, but longer-term trends now indicate a changing climate. A year or two of an extreme change in temperature or other condition does not mean a climate change trend is being followed but change in temperature or other condition in a long run does indicate that climate change is happening. However, the term is mostly used to refer specifically to climate change caused by human activity, instead of changes in climate that may have resulted as part of the Earth's natural processes. In this sense, especially in the context of environmental policy, the term climate change has become synonymous with anthropogenic global warming. (UNFCCC: COP 17, 2011)
Climate change is among the significant threat that’s slowly facing the world today. Research done by American meteorological department states that temperature might rise by 3.5 to 7.4 degrees in the next hundred years. It is also evident that the catastrophic effect will majorly be felt within the poles and land. Climate change is a long-term shift in weather conditions identified by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators. Climate change can involve both changes in average conditions and changes in variability, including, for example, extreme events.