Climate Change

• Evidence for climate change

  • Shrinking glaciers and melting ice

  • Rising sea level (ice melts, oceans expand due to high temperatures)

  • Seasonal changes (early flowering and bird migration)
• Natural causes of climate change

  Orbital changes

  Major volcanic eruptions

  Solar output
• Human cause of climate change

  • Burning fossil fuels

  • Deforestation

  • Dumping waste in landfill - methane

  • Agriculture - cows and rice
• Impacts of climate change in the UK

  - sea levels could rise, covering low lying areas, in particular east England

  
  

  - droughts and floods become more likely as extreme weather increases

  
  

  - increased demand for water in hotter summers puts pressure on water supplies

  
  

  - Industry may be impacted, eg Scottish ski resorts may have to close due to lack of snow
• Impacts of climate change around the world

  - sea level rise will affect 80 million people

  
  

  - tropical storms will increase in magnitude (strength)

  
  

  - species in affected areas (eg Arctic) may become extinct

  
  

  - diseases such as malaria increase, an additional 280 million people may be affected
• Mitigation

  the action of reducing the severity and rate of climate change
• Adaptation

  Respond to climate change by limiting its negative impacts
• Mitigation strategies - Alternative energy

  - solar, wind, or tidal

  - reduces use of fossil fuels
• Mitigation strategies - carbon captures

  - Reduces emissions from fossil fuels

  - By capturing CO2 and transporting it to places where it can be stored safely
• Mitigation Strategies - International Agreements

  - In 1997, most countries signed the Kyoto Protocol an international agreement that requires each country to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a certain amount.
• Mitigation strategies - Planting trees

  planting trees increase CO2 absorbed from atmosphere by photosynthesis
• Adaptation strategies

  Agriculture - farmers will have to adapt as some crops may not be able to grow in a warmer climate. However, other crops (eg oranges and grapes) will be able to be planted.

  
  

  Water supply - water transfer schemes could be used. This is where water is transferred from an area of water surplus to an area of water shortage.

  
  

  Reducing risk from sea level rise - areas at risk from sea level rise may use sea defences to protect the land from being eroded away.