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Global warming and sea level rise: Public discourse vs. the science of climate change

Dr Harun Rashid Emeritus Professor Department of Geography and Earth Science University of Wisconsin—La Crosse, WI, USA. Global warming and sea level rise: Public discourse vs. the science of climate change. OBJECTIVES.

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Global warming and sea level rise: Public discourse vs. the science of climate change

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  1. Dr Harun Rashid Emeritus Professor Department of Geography and Earth Science University of Wisconsin—La Crosse, WI, USA Global warming and sea level rise: Public discourse vs. the science of climate change

  2. OBJECTIVES • To study newspaper roles in public discourse on global warming, climate change, and sea level rise • To review the coverage of Sustainability, Adaptation, and Mitigation (SAM) initiatives in newspaper discourse on ameliorative policies • To assess the nature and extent of media amplification of global warming and climate change in newspaper reports

  3. RESEARCH METHODS Electronic resources: ProQuest and EBSCOHost Newspapers analyzed: 14 (6 US, 2 Canadian, 3 Australian, 1 NZ, 1 UK, 1 India) Reports analyzed: 40 (target: 200) Discourse analysis: Microsoft WORD count Total numbers of words analyzed: 30,000

  4. Summary of Discourse Analysis: Global warming and climate change

  5. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS: Temperature trend lines

  6. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:IPCC data on temperature anomaly

  7. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:Increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gases

  8. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:Natural vs. anthropogenic greenhouse effect Astronomical factors Natural greenhouse gases: • Water vapour • Carbon dioxide • Methane Anthropogenic greenhouse gases: • Carbon dioxide • Methane • nitrous oxide • CFCs • Ozone (Ground level )

  9. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:Sunspot activities

  10. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:Solar flares

  11. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:Computer simulations

  12. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS: Carbon dioxide pollution

  13. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:Polluting countries

  14. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Forest fire in the US West

  15. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Forest fire in the Okanagan Valley

  16. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Drought in Kenya

  17. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Floating icebergs

  18. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Collapsing Antarctic Ice Shelves

  19. MITIGATION:Emission reductions

  20. MITIGATION:Emission reductions

  21. MITIGATION:Carbon sequestration

  22. MITIGATION: Iron fertilization

  23. MITIGATION:Iron fertilization sites

  24. MITIGATION:Algal bloom due to iron fertilization

  25. MITIGATION: Geo-engineering in the stratosphere

  26. Summary of Discourse Analysis: Impact of global warming on sea-level rise

  27. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:Recent sea level rise

  28. SCIENTIFIC ELEMENTS:IPCC projections on sea level rise • IPCC FIRST ASSESSMENT (1990): Sea level rise by 2100: • Conservative estimate: 1 m rise (+3 C) • Extreme scenario: 3 m rise (+5.5 C) • IPCC 4th ASSESSMENT (2007): Sea level rise by 2100: • Conservative estimates: 0.18 to 0.59 m rise • Thermal expansion contributes 75% of sea level rise

  29. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Impacts of sea-level rise in Bangladesh IPCC estimate (UNEP Map): • Nightmare scenario for Bangladesh: • 15 million people displaced from 17,000 km2 • Sea level rise accelerated by land subsidence

  30. PHYSICAL IMPACTS: Accelerated river-bank erosion in Bangladesh

  31. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Coastal erosion in Florida

  32. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Tuvalu Island being threatened by rising sea level

  33. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Tuvalu highway inundated by breaking waves

  34. PHYSICAL IMPACTS:Male, capital of the Maldives at risk

  35. MITIGATION:Coastal polders and forest expansion in Bangladesh

  36. MITIGATION:Delta sedimentation

  37. MITIGATION:Elevated foundations of homes

  38. MITIGATION:Resettlement of climate refugees in Tuvalu

  39. MITIGATION:Resettlement of climate refugees in Bangladesh

  40. MITIGATION:Resettlement of displaced population from river-bank erosion in Bangladesh

  41. CONCLUSION: THE WAY AHEAD • Newspaper discourse on science communication • Sustainable mitigation measures: SAM initiatives • Adaptive management

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