Why is there debate over climate change

• The historical evidence of climate change 

  -Tyndall first suggested that water vapor and co2 trapped heat escaping from the earth's atmosphere system and that glaciers were associated with periods of low atmosphere 

  -Callender and amateur scientist scientist, he linked global warming in the nineteenth century to emissions of co2 from burning fossil fuels
• The historical evidence of climate change 

  -Hans Suess and Roger Revelle discovered a complex chemical process which limited the capacity of the oceans to absorb co2, this meant that the residence time of co2 in the atmosphere was much longer 

  -in 1958 accurate measurements of global atmospheric co2 began and it showed that co2 concentration is rising
• The global warming debate 

  -in 1970 there was a debate between scientists about global warming and global cooling, however satellite imaging and computer modelling favoured global warming 

  -97% of climate scientists support the view that global warming is taking place, but there is still debate about its causes
• The global warming debate

  -some argue that rising temperatures in the first half of the twentieth century were due to increased solar output and exceptional volcanic activity

  -already there is clear evidence that the greenland ice cap is melting 

  -its suggested fundamental change is global oceanic circulation and the release of massive amounts of carbon from tropical forests, soils, permafrost and undersea stores
• Climate change and the role of governments and international organisations

  -a number of international organisations, notably the UN and the EU, have taken the lead in the battle against global climate change
• The united nations 

  -in 1992 41 countries joined an international treaty to consider what action should be taken to limit global warming

  -they set legally binding targets on countries to reduce their GHG emissions 

  -kyoto recognised that ACs were primarily responsible for global warming and climate change

  -these countries agreed to reduce their GHG emissions by at least 5 percent 

  -international climate change conferences under the watch of the UN take place every year and their aim is to achieve legally binding agreement to combat climate change
• The European Union

  -the eu set targets for reducing GHG emission up to 2050, the aim is to transform the EU into a low carbon economy

  -legally binding target were agreed in 2007 to commit member states by 2020 to a 20% cut in GHG emissions

  -the emissions trading system covers 45% of emissions from the EU

  -the cap and trade scheme targets a 55% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 
• The European Union

  -majority of emissions from agriculture, housing waste and transport

  -members also have targets for expanding the contribution of renewables to national energy production and for improvements in energy efficiency
• The UK

  The uk strategies include:

  -setting carbon budgets as stepping stones towards the 2025 target

  -reducing the demand for energy using domestic smart meters, promoting energy efficiency and reducing emissions from transport and agriculture 

  -investing in low carbon technologies such as carbon capture and storage, encouraging the growth of renewables by offering subsidies and reducing GHG emissions from power stations
• India 

  -india did not partake in the Kyoto protocol because the government argued that rich countries shouldnt shoulder the costs of reducing carbon emissions

  In their case it was:

  -their capita energy consumption was well below the average of 5 tonnes 

  -its priorities were alleviating poverty and expanding access to electricity in India rather than reducing emissions

  -current high concentrations of co2 in the atmosphere were largely the result of industrialisation and economic growth in ACs over the previous 150 years
• The public image of climate change, the role of media and interest groups

  -media outputs play a crucial role in forming public perception and opinion

  -newspapers such as the times and the telegraph are more likely to report scep[tical opinions on climate change, this makes climate change issue appear more open to question than it actually is 

  -some media organisations including the bbc have been accused of false balance, by giving disproportionate coverage they suggest that climate change is far more controversial than experts believe
• The public image of climate change, the role of media and interest groups

  -the strongest opponents of climate change have been energy industries such as oil and gas corporations and mining companies, they see restrictions on the consumption of fossil fuels as weakening economic growth, creating unemployment and to redistribute wealth

  -all of this has confused the public and added doubt to the credibility of climate change and its causes