Global Climate Change

1. Global Climate Change First Fridays Talk 4 November 2005 Crispin Pierce, Ph.D. 836-5589 piercech@uwec.edu

2. Overview • What is global climate change? • What are the historical temperature and weather pattern trends? • The greenhouse effect. • How has human activity altered climate? • Costs of extreme weather events. • Greenhouse gas generation and half-lives. • Global warming in Wisconsin. • What can be done.

3. What is Global Climate Change? • Average air, water, soil temperatures • Mean sea level changes • Patterns of precipitation, wind currents, water currents, storms, tornados, hurricanes, el nino and la nina. • Droughts and floods

4. Historic Temperature Trends • Surface temperature • Water temperature • Atmospheric temperature (satellite data)

8. Measured Sea Level Changes

9. The Greenhouse Effect http://www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/images/climatechange/greenhouse_effect.jpg

10. Human Influence • Greenhouse gas emissions • Aerosol emissions • Deforestation

14. Costs of Extreme Weather Events

15. Overall framework

16. Greenhouse Gas Half-Lives • Due to the slow conversion of greenhouse gases such as CO2 into other chemicals (e.g., H2CO3, carbonic acid), human additions will take hundreds of years to balance. • The half-life of CO2 in the atmosphere is about 100 years.

18. Global Warming in Wisconsin

19. Likely effects include: • Warmer, wetter winters • Hotter, drier summers (increased heat-related deaths, particularly amongst the elderly). • More frequent forest fires. • More frequent drought, damaging crops. • Less water available for drinking, showers, and irrigation.

20. What can be done? • Stabilize world population • Greater foreign aid to support health • Reduce AIDS incidence • Provide food and clean water • Increase health services, including birth control options • Support expanded roles for women internationally • To own property • To hold public office • To work outside the home

21. Revise energy policies • Mandate conservation and fuel efficiency. • Shift towards non greenhouse gas-producing sources: wind, solar, hydroelectric, and nuclear.

22. Protect and expand carbon dioxide sinks • Protect forests. • Plant additional native trees. • Provide landowners with financial incentives to maintain wooded areas.

23. Make smart personal choices • Modest housing near city centers. • Fuel-efficient cars driven sparingly. • Vegetable/fruit/grain-centered diet.