Climate changeW is a significant and lasting change in the weather pattern over a period of decades to periods of millions of years. In this article we discuss the rise in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the 19th century to the present (the current global warming).[1] Global warming is expected to have far greater negative effects on developing countries as on developed countries.
The science of climate change
Although the existence of the greenhouse effect has been largely understood since 1896[2], there are still a minority who remain critical of specifics written in some reports of the IPCCW and other organisations. These people, so-called climate change skepticsW are generally misinformed or are deliberately attempted to create doubt and uncertainty about the science.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag[3][4][5]
- natural disasters (ie mud slides, hurricanes, ...) are expected to occur much more frequently. Death toll in 2003 = 150000 people [6][7]
- Sea-level rise[8] will contaminate a very large percentage of the agricultural fields with sea salt and make them no longer suitable for continued food production.[9] In addition, many low-lying islands and coastlines will need to be abandoned, forcing many people to move.
Climate change mitigation
Several options are available to reduce the global warming. Most of these (the most efficient ones) are lifestyle changes (ie diet, propogation, ...) and can be put in place today. We also do not need to wait for any specific technology to became available. Rather, the essential technology is already here today.[10][11] The options are:
- Reduce the release of greenhouse gasesW (GHG's) into the atmosphere (ie through energy efficiency, ...)
- Prevent carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere (ie through Carbon capture and storage (CCS), biochar, ...). With Carbon sequestration/CCS, after combusting a fuel, the CO2 is stored in a cavity underground.
- Remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, e.g. through ocean fertilisation, planting extra trees, ...
- Shield some of the atmosphere from the sun or reflect a proportion of sunlight back into space (ie by painting roads, parkings and roofs white, spraying sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere, ...)[12]
- Climate change mitigation: build heat tolerant houses (passive solar with suitable insulation), flood control barriers, ...
- Grin and bear it: put up with the inconveniences and the expected loss of biodiversity and increases in certain types of natural disasters
The IPCC already allows/assumes a 2°C temperature rise, so already makes use of the last "option". In addition, it also advises the use of most other measures, yet stays critical of geoengineering options, due to the dangers involved.
Notes
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Water/images/precipitation_intensity_map.png Precipitation changes
- ↑ http://climatelab.org/@api/deki/files/462/=Desertification_map.png
- ↑ One solution is to grow less fragile crops, ie more resistant to changes in watering
- ↑ 150000 people killed by global warming upto 2003
- ↑ http://climatelab.org/climate_change_security
- ↑ Sea level rise: 2m rise expected by 2100 A.D., 6,5m by 2200 A.D.
- ↑ Earth under water documentary
- ↑ See an overview of the measures needed at http://jnmocc.blogspot.com
- ↑ Politicians often portray a different picture but it is not based in reality
- ↑ Note: this direct temperature reduction does not reduce carbon levels, so ocean acidification from higher carbon dioxide is still a problem
See also
- Renewable energy
- Incentives for sustainability
- Drought
- Flooding
- Sea level rise
- Measures to stop global warming