GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

1. GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE Presented by: Daniela Visinica What is it?

2. Global Climate Change • Identifiable change in the climate of Earth as a whole that lasts for an extended period of time (decades or longer) • When due to natural processes, it is usually referred to as global climate variability • Usually refers to changes forced by human activities that change the atmosphere

3. What causes Earth’s climate to change? What causes Earth’s climate to change? • Changes in the atmosphere • Natural processes • Volcanoes • Tectonic plate movement • Changes in the sun • Human activities – any activity that releases “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere

4. What are greenhouse gases? water vapor methane Any gases that cause the “greenhouse effect!” carbon dioxide nitrous oxide Imagine… a car on a cool but sunny day…

7. Climate Change: Fitting the pieces together

8. Outline • What changes climate? • Is it real? • How do we know? • Why should we care? • How sure are scientists? • What next—what can we do?

9. What changes climate? • Changes in: • Sun’s output • Earth’s orbit • Drifting continents • Volcanic eruptions • Greenhouse gases

10. “Greenhouse effect” Increasing greenhouse gases trap more heat

11. Greenhouse gases Carbon dioxide Nitrous oxide Methane Water Sulfur hexafluoride

12. Could the warming be natural?

13. Is it real?

14. Effects: Snow and ice Grinnell Glacier, Glacier National Park 1900 and 2008

15. Effects on precipitation

16. Europe’s Climate is Anormal • European temperatures are 5-10 °C higher than normal Rahmstorf & Ganopolski, Climatic Change, 1999. 43: p. 353-367

17. Summer days (Tmax >= 25 °C) Changes in 1976–1999 • Projections: • Cold winters disappear almost entirely by 2080 • Hot summers much more frequent Temperature Extremes • 1976–1999: • Number of cold and frost days decreased • Number of summer days increased past trends future projection Data-sources: ECA, IPCC, ACACIA, KMNI

18. Very heavy precipitation days (p >= 20mm) Changes in 1976–1999 • Projections: • Likely more frequent droughts and intense precipitation events Precipitation Extremes • 1976–1999: • Southern Europe: decrease • Mid and northern Europe: increase past trends future projection Data-source: ECA, IPCC, ACACIA, KMNI

19. Effects on ecosystems

20. How do we know?

21. Computer models

23. Why should we care?

24. U.K.: Train rails buckle Germany: Lowest river levels this century France: >14,000 deaths Switzerland: Melting glaciers, avalanches Portugal: Forest fires 2003 European Heat Wave

25. Sea-level rise projections : a few inches to a few feet • 2 ft: U.S. would lose 10,000 square miles • 3 ft: Would inundate Miami • Affects erosion, loss of wetlands, freshwater supplies • Half of the world’s population lives along coasts • Big question: Ice sheets

27. What do climate scientists really think?

28. What next—what can we do?

29. What next—what can we do?

30. Produce more fuel-efficient vehicles Reduce vehicle use Improve energy-efficiency in buildings Develop carbon capture and storage processes Triple nuclear power Increase solar power Decrease deforestation/plant forests Improve soil carbon management strategies

31. Individual actions Tune up your furnace Unplug appliances or plug into a power strip and switch it off Use mass transit, bike, walk, roller skate Caulk, weatherstrip, insulate, and replace old windows Buy water-saving appliances and toilets; installing low-flow shower heads. Buy products with a EPA Energy Star label