Transcript Climate Change

Climate
Change:
Assessing
Ecological Risk
by International
Region
By: Katie Mohn,
Sam Dykstra,
Michael Hartman,
Jingxue Hu,
Kelsey Loy,
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Shiqi Miao,
Ruijuan Sun,
Xiaoxiao Wang
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Climate Change
A
major alteration in any climate
measure, including temperature, wind,
and precipitation, that is prolonged.
 Causes
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Green House Gases: human activity
 Unknown:
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How quick it will arise
If predicted temp. will affect other systems
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What Causes Climate Change
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As there are many questions scientist still have
toward climate change one thing scientists have
agreed on is that Green House Gases, such as
CO2 occur naturally and are responsible for
Climate Change
Green House Gases naturally warms the Earth
However with human activity and the use of fossil
fuels the amount of Green House Gases in the
planet has increased
Scientists have documented a warming trend
between 1 and 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit over the
100-year period up to 2005
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Fossil Fuels:
The Good and Bad
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Formed Millions of Years Ago by Ancient Organisms
Most Common Fossil Fuels: Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas
Fossil Fuels Account for 87% of the World’s Energy
Consumption
Advantages
-Efficient and Powerful
-Easy to find and
transport
Disadvantages
-Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
released into
the environment
-Non-renewable source
of energy
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From the International Panel on
Climate Change Report (IPPC)
the following places have been
analyzed for their expected
reactions to Climate Change
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Climate Change in Africa
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According to the IPPC Report Africa is considered to be
the Continent most vulnerable to climate change
increased water stress (water availability,water accesibility,
and water demand)
* Even in the absence, present population trends of water use
indicate that more Aferican countries will exceed the limits of
their "economy usable,land-based water resources before 2025"
• decreased agricultural yields
* Sahara agricultural losses will be 2%-7% of GDP
* Western and central Africa agricultural losses will be 2-4% of
GDP
* Northern and south Africa agriclutural losses will be 0.4-1.3%
• Rising sea levels
* could induce overtopping
* Indian Ocean island is threatened by potential changes in the
locaton, frequency and intensity of cyclones
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Climate Change In Australia
and New Zealand
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A significant biodiversity loss by 2020 in
northeast areas of New Zealand and
Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef
Also in the northeast region there is expected
to be a decrease in agriculture and forestry
due to increasing drought and fires
The western and southern parts of Australia
and New Zeal are expected to receive some
benefits from climate change such as a long
growing season and increased rain fall
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Climate Change in Asia
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Crop yields are expected to differ depending on
location.
Southeast and eastern areas are expected to have an
rising harvests, while declines in yields are expected in
the central areas and the southern areas
Floods caused by rivers or rising sea levels pose as a
threat
For example, the Maldives islands are very vulnerable to
rising sea levels because the highest point is only 2.3
meters above sea level
This problem is intensified because most of the Maldives
population population lives on the coast lines
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Climate Change in Europe
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Effects of climate change are expected to
vary depending on region
In general, significant heat waves and
receding glaciers are expected
Frequent coastal floods and erosion of land
due to storms and rising sea levels
Some places are also expected to
experience longer growing seasons, but for
the most part Europe is expecting negative
effects from the changing climate
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Direct Effects
Indirect Effects
precipita
tion
Human
Tempera
ture
extreme
weather
events
Variations in wealth and geography,
however, lead to an uneven distribution of likely impacts,
vulnerabilities and capacities to adapt.
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