7.2 Climate change Flashcards
Climate change
been a normal feature of the Earth’s history, but human activity has contributed to recent changes.
Impacts fall into 3 broad categories
Water: oceans, ice caps, glaciers, hydrologic cycle and climate patterns
Productivity: plant growth in natural ecosystems and agriculture
People: cities, forced migration, and economics
climate
describes how atmosphere behaves over relatively long periods of time
weather
describes the conditions in the atmosphere over a short period of time
what does oceanic and atmospheric circulatory systems
weather and climate
State the human factors used to construct GCMs
Low Emissions vs. High Emissions
- Population growth
- Economic activity
- Energy conservation
- Energy technology
- Land Use
small scale activities
can’t be detected by humans easily
Human activities, when increased greenhouse emission
(GHGs, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour) in the atmosphere, which leads to: an increase in the mean global temperature
how does human activities impact weather events
- hurricanes energy comes from warm oceans
- warmer it is, more energy
impacts of climate change
may vary from one location to another, may be perceived as either beneficial or adverse.
example of the impacts
changes in water availability, distrubution of biomes and cop growing areas, loss of biodiversity and ecosystems services, costal damages, and negative impact to human health
distribution of biomes & growing crop areas (adverse)
bad for some certain animals
distribution of biomes & growing crops areas (benefits)
provides humans with more crops due to agriculture, more for consuming
implications for biodiversity of global warming
One ice-free Arctic summer per 100 years: Limiting warming to 1.5°C instead of 2°C would prevent the thawing of 1.5-2.5 million km² of permafrost over centuries.
Alpine species migrate upwards: These species will move to higher altitudes on mountain slopes due to warming.
Marine species shifted to higher altitudes: Ranges of marine species will shift to higher altitudes.
70-90% decline of coral reefs: Coral reefs face a significant decline under a 1.5°C warming scenario.
Shifts in insect pollinator ranges: These shifts have unknown implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
UNEP
organization that takes of environmental change (all of the problems)
ICJ
they are in charge of solving environmetal conflicts
Ocean acidification due to climate change
Driver: Burning fossil fuels, cement manufacture, and land-use change
Atmospheric Change: Increased atmospheric CO₂
Ocean Acidification: Increased CO₂, decreased bicarbonate ions and pH
Changes to Organisms and Ecosystems: Reduced shell and skeleton production, changes in assemblages, food webs, and ecosystems, biodiversity loss, changes in biogas production and feedback to climate
Socio-economic Impacts: Fisheries, aquaculture, and food security, coastal protection, tourism, climate regulation, carbon storage
Policy Options for Action: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Conference of the Parties, IPCC, Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20),
Convention on Biological Diversity, geoengineering, regional and local laws and policies to reduce other stresses
Impact of Climate Change on Human Health and Exacerbation of Existing Inequities
Environmental Degradation: Forced migration, civil conflict, mental health impacts, loss of jobs and income
Rising Temperatures: Extreme heat, heat-related illness and death, cardiovascular failure
More Extreme Weather: Injuries, fatalities, loss of homes, mental health impacts
Water & Food Supply Impacts: Malnutrition, diarrheal disease
Water Quality Impacts: Cholera, cryptosporidiosis, Campylobacter, leptospirosis, harmful algal blooms
Air Pollution & Increasing Allergens: Asthma, cardiovascular disease, respiratory allergies
Changes in Vector Ecology: Malaria, dengue, encephalitis, hantavirus, Rift Valley fever, Lyme disease, chikungunya, West Nile virus
Degraded Living Conditions & Social
Inequities: Exacerbation of existing social and health inequities and vulnerabilities
explain (8 point question)
more details + examples
discuss
details + examples + conclusion (your opinion backed up with evidence)
To what extent
details + examples + conclusion (your opinion backed up with evidence)
compare and contrast
similarities & differences
evaluate
pros & cons
global climate models are complex, degree of uncertainty regarding
Complexity of climate models: The graph shows a wide range of model projections, indicating the complexity of climate systems and the difficulty of accurately predicting future trends.
Uncertainty in predictions: The variations among the model outputs highlight the inherent uncertainty in climate modeling due to the numerous factors involved.
Comparison with observations: The graph also compares model projections with observational data, providing a sense of how well the models are capturing current trends.
