The Global Warming

1. The Global Warming ECO IDEAS – ECO CITIZENS PROJECT Granada, 21 – 26 January 2013 Colegio San Isidoro Granada (Spain)

2. Definition of Global Warming Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns. Global warming can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and human induced. In common usage, “global warming” often refers to the warming that can occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities.

3. Global WarmingEFFECTS • The first direct cause of human-induced climate change is the burning of fossil fuels. Combustion, mining and the various processes to be carried out to obtain these, a direct impact on the enhanced greenhouse effect on the planet and thus acid rain. The main emissions to the atmosphere from fossil fuels are produced by carbon dioxide. This gas is used to produce energy as nuclear, biomass and made for obtaining oil, natural gas and coal. • The second direct human cause of climate change is the activity related to the production and release into the atmosphere of the halo-carbonated. The emission of these gases in the atmosphere is manifested both in aggravating the greenhouse and in the diminution of the ozone layer. The main agents responsible for the emission of such gases are the production and consumption of aerosol sprays, refrigeration systems and foam production, and their use as solvent-mail. Human-caused pollution and emissions are the leading cause of global climate change

4. The third cause is the consumption of fuels made ​​from biomass. Of all the products that result from the emission of energy from biomass is charcoal. Fuels made ​​from biomass help meet between 11% and 14% of the total energy demand worldwide. One of the most polluting countries with this type of energy is India. • A fourth human activity in the direct impact of temperature change is the use given to the earth. That is, the use which gives the crust, ie, the means by which human beings take over the planet's primary production. The main consequences involved are loss of biodiversity and the enhanced greenhouse effect.

5. Global WarmingCAUSES • The planet is warming, from the North Pole to the South Pole and in all the areas between them. Globally, the thermometer has increased 1 degree Fahrenheit and even more in the sensible Polar Regions and the effects of the temperature increase won´t reach us in a far away future. They are occurring now. Symptoms are seen everywhere and some of them are surprising. The heat is not only melting glaciers and sea ice, is also changing rainfall patterns and causing the animals to move. • The ice is melting worldwide, especially at the poles including mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland and Arctic sea ice.

6. Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adélie penguins in Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years. The sea level rise during the last century has been faster. • Some butterflies, foxes and alpine plants have moved to the north or to colder and elevated areas. The average precipitation (rain and snow) has increased around the globe.

7. These are some other effects that could be given in the end of this century if the warming goes on: • It´s expected the raise of sea levels between 18 and 59 centimeters by the end of this century and if the poles continue to melt, it could rise between 10 and 20 additional centimeters. • It´s possible that hurricanes and some other storms will be stronger. • Species that depend on one another may become out of synch. For example, plants could bloom before the insects that pollinate them are active. • Floods and droughts will become more frequent. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10% over the next 50 years. There will be less fresh water available. If the ice cap in Quelccaya in Peru continues to melt, it will disappear by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without either.

8. GreenhouseEffect • The levels of greenhouse gases (GEI) have increased and descended during the history of the Earth but they have been constant enough during the last thousands of years. The average global temperatures have been kept constant enough also during this period of time even a little ago.   • Throughout the combustion of fossil fuels and other emissions of GEI, the human beings are increasing the greenhouse effect and warming the Earth.  The scientists often use the term "climate change" instead of global warming. This is because, provided that the average temperature of the Earth increases, the winds and the oceanic currents move the heat about the globe so that they can cool some zones, warm others and change the quantity of rain and snow that falls down. As a result, the climate changes in a different way in different areas. • The greenhouse effect consists on the formation of layer of gases and other substances to a fairly high, as effect of the pollution, this layer or cloud of pollutants prevents that the heat goes out and our planet is kept very warm. 

10. Global Warming in Granada The variability of the weather in the first half of the twenty-first century inevitably leads to an increase in global temperature and, therefore, to an alteration of the ecosystems. Granada´s province will not be an exception. These are some of their forecasts about how Granada will be like in 2040. • SEA FLOOD It provide that sea flood throughout the 21st century is of 1 meter. On this way, a coast line will disappear which, depending on its orography and geological composition, could be more than one hundred meters inland. It will grow more where the terrain is less irregular, what already occurs in Carchuna and Calahonda plains, or West of Motril beach, where Christmas rains have demonstrated what can happen with a rising water. Specialists believe that from La Rábita to Salobreña, sea will make disappear urbanizations and large part of greenhouses extensions. • RIVER MOUTHS ANNOUNCE THE PROBLEMS Ten years ago, the two walls of Canalization of Guadalfeo river riverbed remained less than 200 meters from the sea shore. Today, those two walls deep into the sea and the beach on the other side of the mouth, toward "Playa Granada", have yielded a hundred meters. This natural process responds to climatic alterations but also that since the Rules dam was built, the delta has stopped receiving geological contributions to reduce the river flow. Also Albuñol´s “rambla" and” Guadalhorce´s “delta“( in Malaga).

11. DESERT ADVANCE Other indoor areas, such as Guadix and Baza depressions, will experience the desert advance which is already happening. There will be less water for irrigation, less moisture, more isolations and coolers winters. In the Tabernas Natural Park (Almería), you can already see these effects. • SIERRA NEVADA WITHOUT OR WITH LOT OF SNOW Sierra Nevada is already suffering the temperatures rises effects. In fact, already it suffered one of its greatest droughts in the 1990s. For before the middle of this century, the alterations will impose seasons without a drop of snow that can be 11 to 13 years, and others of similar length with huge snowfalls. "Precipitation will be the same space of time, but with very dry periods and other very rainy and not necessarily periodic". At present, there are seasons of snows in the mountain chain.

12. 5.1.1 DISAPPEARANCE OF ENDEMIC SPECIES IN GRANADA. We stand out that Sierra Nevada, which is in Granada, is a Natural Reserve with a big ecologic value, so if environmental impacts are produced loss of species will happen too ; this implies a loss of biodiversity that unbalances the ecosystem of the planet, for this the man (and his actual life form) will be affected every time if we do not stop the climate change. One of the threatened species is the albar pine, that is in this Saw. This tree is suffering a decay because of the heat. The pine has had to be planted in another floor higher ,where it has found to its worst enemy, the procesionarias (animals) that are eating the specie.

13. Another endemic threatened species are butterflies, that are ones of the most important part of the fauna and flora of Granada. Some of these insects have made of Granada’s mountains their home, but is not sure because of the problems that are taking place here nowadays. • Two of these butterflies,La Niña de Sierra Nevadaand Puerto del Lobo are the two species more threatened in Spain, but another butterfly called Apollo, is disappearing because of the climate change and it is not the only one : • Between 5 and 10 % of 230 species of butterflies that live in Spain are threatened or in extinction because of the destruction of their habitats and the climate change, between them Apollo, La Niña de Sierra Nevada and Puerto del Lobo. Behind this reality there are factors as the climate change, which in Granada has not eliminated species, but its effects are associated with the great reduction of populations of butterflies. • La Niña de Sierra Nevada, this small and endemic specie which distribution is very reduced like Puerto del Lobo , is in danger of extinction. The first one is in another Saw of Andalusia but the second one is only in Granada. These species are endemic so, this is a problem that it does that everything in the natural environment concerns them and the only thing that we must do is reduce the urbanization. • For example, La Niña de Sierra Nevada, is very affected because of its surrounding is being changed to build sky tracks so, its habitat is being destroyed. • And finally, we have to try to reduce the environmental impacts that could change the conservation of multiple endemic species as in Sierra Nevada as in any other one.

14. Apollo. Niña de Sierra Nevada. Puerto del Lobo.

15. MATERIAL AND METHOD • I have used the information provided by the observatory of the airport of Granada and the observatory of Godthaab (Nuuk). This information was taken from web pages whose information had been supplied by different national and international weather agencies. • With this information I made different graphics adding the information to spreadsheets such as Excel. The data was collected between 1973 and 2011. I have not included the information from 2012 because it had not finished and could give a false reading of the results. The information found before 1973 is either not as reliable as the years after 1973 or is incomplete, with some months missing. Actually, I had difficulty finding the information on the rainfall of every year for Greenland, so I decided to remove this graphic, although some information is incomplete, it was possible to make an interesting and detailed study. • Once I had finished all the graphics, I drew the trend through each one; some results were surprising which will be explained in the conclusions. • I believe it is important to point out that the project only studies the trends of the information and not its causes. I found it would be arrogant on my part to try to give an explanation when the scientific community, with more information and knowledge, have given more causes, although they have dispelled any doubt of human influence and our responsibility for the increase of greenhouse gases.

19. 6. Solutions against the Global Warming. If we stop of emit greenhouse effect gases, the general climate will grow a little bit more. Although that we do right now is a big difference. By the IPCC, we must reduce the emissions of greenhouse effects gases between a 50% and 80% during the next century we wants get the levels of 380 ppm. Certain measures can be taken. ·6.1.Mitigation. It’s about reduce the greenhouse gases emissions or grow the capacity of the carbon sinks. The proposes directed to metigate the effects are bassed in delimit inteventions areas, enact the implametation of renewable enrgy and spread applications more efficient energy. For reduce the global warming effects to the minimum, the published report by the IPCC show strategies based on hypothetical future scenarios. If we adopt policies to reduce much later more drastic measures will be. Considering that the use of fossil fuels will be majority , the strategies must include aspects as the capture and storage of carbon, techniques that filter carbon dioxide or techniques that take advantage of natural resources.

20. ·6.2.Adaptation. Other proposals include the adaptation to the global warming. It can be planned, by the government, or spontaneous, without the intervention of the government. Adaptation is linked to the economic and social development. Although the societies with a high adaptation capacity are even vulnerable to the global warming. The planned adaptation now is producing, although, the budget, the barriers and limits are still unknown. ·6.3.Geo-engineering. Other proposal is the engineering of the climate (geo-engineering). This response is sometimes grouped with the mitigation. This hasn’t been passed largely, and the costs haven’t been published. The geo-engineering covers a range of techniques for delete the CO2 of the atmosphere. As the majority of techniques it would affect the entire planet, so, for develop it, it requires global public acceptance within a legal framework.