Introduction to climate change (in depth): Difference between revisions

From yconic.energypedia.info
Hector Alfaro (***** | *****)
(Created page with "<div class="color-green"> {{Backlink Climate}} {{Climate Intro Tabs}} <div class="header-banner header-banner2-country-portal"> <div class="grid grid-collapse stretch-items vertical-middle"> <div class="width-1-3 header-banner-image"> <center>160px|link=</center> </div> <div class="width-2-3"> <div class=""> = ''' <p style="text-align:left; font-size:44px;">Introduction to climate change</p>''' = </div> </div> </div> </div> ''Make s...")
Tag: 2017 source edit
 
Hector Alfaro (***** | *****)
mNo edit summary
Tags: Manual revert 2017 source edit
 
(12 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 14: Line 14:
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
''Make sure to do the Questionnaire at the end of the page! Jump directly to it by clicking [[#HaveSay|<u>here.</u>]]''
''Make sure to do the Quiz at the end of the page! Jump directly to it by clicking [[#Quiz|<u>here.</u>]]''


<p style="font-family: 'Arial';font-size:20px; color:#3f7e44">'''Hotter summer temperatures and more severe winter storms. Droughts that empty reservoirs at hydropower plants and walls of water that wipe out entire towns in mountain valleys. Extreme weather is making headlines – but is it really climate change?  '''</p>{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
<p style="font-family: 'Arial';font-size:20px; color:#3f7e44">'''The idea that life on Earth is influenced by a ‘greenhouse gas effect’ first emerged in the early 1800s. While it wasn’t yet called that, scientists were already investigating causes and effects. Now, we know that greenhouse gas concentrations are directly linked to climate change.'''</p>{{Action boxes
| Type = Springboard
|Topic = Climate Change
| Content =<br/>
|Type = Springboard
*Weird weather? Or a changing climate
|Content =<br/>
*A brief history of climate change science
*A brief history of climate change science
*So, how are humans causing climate change?
*Tipping points, dominoes and multipliers
*Why is global warming a worrying trend?
*How is climate change already affecting people?
*Advance the investigation!
*Up next:
*[https://www.energysolidarity.eu/ Climate change2]
*Glossary
*Lessons info
*References
}}
}}
== Weird weather? Or a changing climate ==
== Weird weather? Or a changing climate ==
[[File:YCN ART CC001 DEF Weather and climate.jpg|alt=|thumb]]
Almost 200 years ago, scientists found that certain gases in the atmosphere affected the Earth in two ways. First, by trapping heat from the Sun – rather than reflecting it back to the atmosphere – these gases kept the Earth’s surface temperature at around 14-15°C (57-49°F). For the record, without the greenhouse effect, the Earth's average surface temperature would plummet to −18 °C (−0.4 °F).<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20041104033042/http://eesc.columbia.edu/courses/ees/climate/lectures/radiation/</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20181126204443/http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-chapter1.pdf</ref>


Storms, heat waves or cold snaps, and air pollution episodes are all prime examples of weather. For the most part, they are short-term events, happening at a specific location at a specific time. They also change continuously: the Sun bursts through the clouds five minutes after the downpour of a thunderstorm. Or it may be that no storm passed through just a few kilometres away.
In turn, this altered the [https://web.archive.org/web/20181126204443/http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-chapter1.pdfEarth's energy balance] – that is, the equilibrium between the energy the Planet gets from the Sun and the energy it ‘loses’ into outer space.


Diverse factors determine '''climate''' and, in turn, can strongly influence weather. Average temperatures reflect how close a location is to the Equator or the North or South Pole. Countries situated in the Arabian Desert (e.g. Saudi Arabia and Oman) get just 50 millimetres (mm) of rain each year.<ref>https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-023-00006-w</ref> Those in the Amazon region of South America are deluged in comparison, getting 1.8 to 3 metres (FTR, that’s 1 800 to 3 000 mm) annually.<ref>https://misr.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/dry-and-wet-seasons-amazon-basin/</ref>   
In 1856, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunice_Newton_Foote Eunice Newton Foote] demonstrated that the Sun’s warming effect was stronger on air that contained water vapour than on dry air. Critically, she also showed that it was stronger where concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) were higher<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_climate_change_science</ref>.


The distinction between weather and climate explains why people can experience unusual cold spells, even as average global temperatures rise. The cold spell is changing weather – an isolated, short-term event happening locally. Higher average temperatures across many different climate zones are part of pattern that occurs over decades.
In turn, scientists began to look for clues about weather and climate patterns that pre-dated the data they could collect with the most advanced instruments of the day. The approach became known as '''paleoclimatology'''. They soon determined that past Ice Ages and other natural changes were likely linked to the greenhouse effect.  


{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
As the Industrial Revolution ramped up, some scientists argued that burning modern fuels (e.g. coal and oil) would push up emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) previously identified. These include CO2, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and ozone.{{Action boxes
| Type = Watch this
|Topic = Climate Change
| Content = Watch this video and try to identify three elements that are related to the changes in your local weather. Then ask your teacher to tell you how the summers and winters were different when they were young and try to find proof for these changes which are related to the climate changing:
|Type = Watch this
|Content = Getting a grip on GWP – i.e. ‘global warming potential’
}}
}}
Lots of natural phenomena release GHGs. A key difference related to man-made emissions is that they often excel (in a bad way) at trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. Keen to know how burning fossil fuels compares to letting cows pass gas? Or why CO2 is the ‘problem child’ of GHGs? How about the BIGGER, longer-term impacts beyond climate change? Just click ‘play’! 
{{YouTube|ID=G9t__9Tmwv4|Width=800|Alignment=center}}


{{YouTube|ID=8J_RDfcy-00|Width=800|Alignment=center}}
== Tipping points, dominoes and multipliers ==
Fast forward – through a lot of studies across many different fields – to 1990. In its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPCC_First_Assessment_Report First Assessment Report], the United Nations’ [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] (IPCC) built a solid case for the reality that GHG emissions linked to human activity are triggering climate change. And that the dominant trend was [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change global warming].


{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
What was the key evidence? A sharp rise in GHG emissions that corresponds with the use of fossil fuels for energy and for industry, the shift to large-scale agriculture and the destruction of huge areas of forest to make way for human activities.{{Action boxes
| Type = Have your say
|Topic = Climate Change
| Content = REFLECTION: We all talk about the weather all the time as it impacts what we wear and what we plan to do. What kind of weather do you prefer and why? Do you think your preferred season is changing because of climate change? Explain and document your reasoning.
|Type = Data dive
}}
|Content = The ‘hockey stick’ of CO2 emissions
}}
From 1750 to 1900, CO2 emissions remained remarkably stable, even as the global population started to grow. Compare that to the next 120 years – i.e. 1900 to today. Do these data support the scientific findings given above?


{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
<ourworldindata>annual-co2-emissions-per-country</ourworldindata>
| Type = Data dive
| Content = Take a look at this graph which indicates global average temperature anomaly over the past 70 years. What are you observing?
}}


'''Global climate change''' is a relatively new phrase that has become a seriously ‘hot topic’ of debate. It focuses on whether the weather and climate today are substantially different than a few decades ago. It might seem that climate change is such a ‘new’ field of study – and that questioning its findings is logical. In fact, it goes back about 200 years – and solid evidence has been piling up. In fact, scientists have found super-cool ways to study past trends in how climates have already changed to calculate what might happen in the future.
A growing body of evidence shows that a warmer Planet is a potential threat to all living things. Here are three related concepts to be aware of:
<ourworldindata>temperature-anomaly</ourworldindata>
*'''Tipping points''' refers to changes that lead to irreversible damage in a given ecosystem. When permafrost thaws in Arctic areas, for example, the ground releases huge volumes of CO2 and methane (another GHG) that had been safely stored for centuries. In fact, scientists estimate that permafrost areas hold roughly twice as much CO2 as currently circulates in the atmosphere<ref>https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/02/irreversible-emissions-permafrost-tipping-point/</ref>. Its release, whether fast or slow, would be catastrophic. Other tipping points include the collapse of ice sheets in Arctic and Antarctic areas and die-off of tropical coral reefs.  
== A brief history of climate change science ==
The idea that life on Earth is influenced by a [[Greenhouse effect|greenhouse gas effect]] first emerged in the early 1800s (although it wasn’t yet called that). Scientists found that certain gases in Earth’s atmosphere had a dual effect. By keeping heat from the Sun from escaping back into space, these gases kept the Earth’s surface temperature at around bout 14-15°C (57-49°F). For the record, without the greenhouse effect, the Earth's average surface temperature would plummet to −18 °C (−0.4 °F).


In turn, scientists began to look for clues about weather and climate patterns that pre-dated the data they could collect with the most advanced instruments of the day. Ultimately, they found ‘records’ stored in things rocks and sediments, tree rings, ice sheets, coral reefs and fossils. The study was known as '''paleoclimatology'''. They soon determined that past Ice Ages and other natural changes were linked to this effect.  
*'''Domino effect''' refers to when crossing the tipping point in one area triggers a cascade of other events. In one scenario modelled by the IPCC, as ice sheets melted, the additional cold, glacier meltwater caused a major current in the Atlantic Ocean to slow down. Ultimately, this significantly reduced rainfall in the Amazon rainforest. In the worst-case scenario, the lush, dense rainforest became a savanna with smaller trees widely dispersed over a much drier grassland<ref>https://www.livescience.com/climate-domino-effects-close.html</ref>.


As the Industrial Revolution ramped up, some scientists argued that burning modern fuels (e.g. coal and oil) would push up emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) previously identified. These include CO2, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and ozone. In turn, this would alter the [[Earth's energy balance]] – that is, the equilibrium between the energy the Planet gets from the Sun and the energy it ‘loses’ into outer space.
*'''Threat multiplier effect''' captures how climate change effects can interact with – and exacerbate – pre-existing threats. Severe drought, for example, can prompt farmers to abandon their lands and move to urban areas, disrupting food supplies. As water resources become scarce, it can trigger civil unrest. If a large region is affected, it may even result in conflict or war among nations<ref>https://climateandsecurity.org/2023/01/briefer-climate-change-as-a-threat-multiplier-history-uses-and-future-of-the-concept/</ref>.


In 1856, [[Eunice Newton Foote]] demonstrated that the Sun’s warming effect was stronger on air with water vapour than on dry air. Critically, she also showed that it was stronger where concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) were higher.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_climate_change_science</ref> 
== How is climate change already affecting people? ==
Already, heat waves, severe storms and floods, and massive forest fires have forced millions of people around the World to relocate – sometimes on very short notice! In some cases, the move is temporary; in others, entire villages or towns have been destroyed. When this happens, people are said to be '''climate change refugees'''.{{Action boxes
|Topic = Climate Change
|Type = Watch this
|Content = Climate refugees: Nations under threat 
}} 
Even today, people who have lived on remote islands are being forced to relocate as the sea level begins to rise, even by a few centimeters. Several coastal mega-cities are looking for ways to deal with the same threat (see climate change mitigation adaptation and resilience  also climate justice].  
{{YouTube|ID=4MXoUbsswHY|Width=800|Alignment=center}}


Fast forward – through a lot of studies across many different fields – to 1990. In its [[IPCC First Assessment Report|First Assessment Report]], the United Nations’ [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]] (IPCC) built a solid case for the reality that GHG emissions linked to human activity were triggering climate change. And that the dominant trend was [[global warming]].
But extreme events are not the only problem. Gradual warming of the Planet is expected to have negative impacts on human health and influence how people earn a living or carry out daily activities. It also threatens to disrupt essential services that underpin societies, such as access to clean water and affordable electricity.  


{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
Sooner or later, climate change will affect everyone, whether directly or indirectly. But there is also reason for hope. Explore more Yconic content to see what people are doing to save the Planet.{{Action boxes
| Type = Data dive
|Topic = Climate Change
| Content = Take a look at this graph and see what types of fossil fuels have dominated since the industrial revolution:
|Type = Investigate further
|Content = Is climate change already affecting your local area? 
}}
Almost everyone is feeling some effects of climate change, whether through heat waves, torrential rain or nearby forest fires. Can you find evidence that climate change is already damaging local ecosystems? Is anybody doing something to address these environmental impacts (e.g. the government, non-governmental organisations, local people)? What might people have to do to cope with hotter summers or colder winters? Or more or less rainfall?{{Action boxes
|Topic = Climate Change
|Type = Act now
|Content = Collect an ‘oral history’ about weather, climate or climate change 
}}
Grab your smart phone and find an older adult – e.g. your parents or grandparents, a teacher or coach, or an elderly neighbour. Plan a few questions about how the weather or climate in your city or region has changed over their lifetime? Ask also about how the energy they use has evolved. Hit ‘record’ on an audio app and get them to tell their story! Make sure you get their permission to upload the recording to Yconic!{{Action boxes
|Topic = Climate Change
|Type = Act now
|Content = How do YOU experience weather…and climate change? 
}}
}}
 
Have you read articles about how global warming is affecting your local environment? What do you know about what might be causing higher emissions locally? Have any news stories about extreme weather events been linked to climate change? What was your personal experience of these events? Hop over to the [[Forum:_Climate_change|Yconic Forum]] to share your thoughts and experiences with other Yconickers.{{Action boxes
<ourworldindata>global-fossil-fuel-consumption</ourworldindata>
|Topic = Climate Change
 
|Type = Quiz time
{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
|Content =  
| Type = Data dive
| Content = Take a look at this graph showing the Annual CO2 Emissions: Compare the emission of your country to those of some EU countries and non-EU countries, what do you observe? Then observe the World CO2 Emissions and compare it to the Global Fossil Fuels Consumption (graph above). Do the two graphs have any common features? If so, what, try to explain what you observe.
}}
}}
<span id="Quiz"></span>Test your knowledge and express your ideas on climate change.


<ourworldindata country="country=USA~GBR~IND~CHN~BRA~OWID_WRL~ITA~ESP~BGRACTIVITY">annual-co2-emissions-per-country</ourworldindata> 
Yconic is keen to know what you learned about climate change – and what you think about it! Click through to create your very own page. This page will be linked to your personal profile. But please remember: because this is a wiki platform, others may be able to find and read it. While they cannot ‘edit’ your page, they might comment on it – which is a GREAT way to encourage more discussion:
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!'''Weather'''
!'''Climate'''
|-
|
* What are typical weather patterns in your city or country?
* What factors in your local environment influence weather?
* Do you think weather patterns have changed in your lifetime?
* What might you and your family have to do to cope with hotter summers or colder winters? Or more or less rain?
* Have any news stories about extreme weather events been linked to climate change? What was your personal experience of these events?
|
* Are local weather patterns different than they were 30, 50 or 100 years ago? (Hint: try to find data and to get stories from your parents or grandparents.)
* Is there any evidence that climate change is already damaging local ecosystems?
* Is anybody doing something to address these environmental problems? The government? Non-governmental organisations?
|}   
 
{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
| Type = Watch this
| Content = Take a look at this video to understand exactly how the greenhouse effect works on planet Earth and its climate:
}}


{{YouTube|ID=SN5-DnOHQmE|Width=800|Alignment=center}}
{{#formlink:form=Climate_ChangeDB|link type=button|link text=Go to Climate Change Quiz|query string=Climate_ChangeDB[Article type]=In-depth}}
<div id="climate-change-button-placeholder"></div>
== See your results ==
Each user has a personal results page for each of the questionnaires (basics and in-depth). Use the links below:


== So, how are humans causing climate change? ==
*First, create your results page. Simply [{{fullurl:Special:MyPage/Climate change results (in-depth)|action=edit&preload=Template:CCResultsInDepth}} click this link], and save the page.
Lots of talk about climate change uses the term '''anthropogenic'''. It simply means that something ‘originates in or from human activity’ (as opposed to 'originating from natural sources').Until the Industrial Revolution, humans relied primarily on two very basic forms of energy: muscle power to move things and burning biomass (wood and other plant products) to create heat. The upside of shifting to fossil fuels was that it drove technological, social and economic development – at a  pace never before experienced. People who could tap into this energy enjoyed many benefits.But digging up – and then burning – coal, oil and natural gas would release CO2 that nature, for millennia, had effectively kept underground or in other natural systems. The ‘extra’ CO2 is linked to an environmental ‘double whammy’:
*Once you save the page you can see your results:
* Higher concentrations of GHGs cause Earth’s atmosphere to trap more heat.
** '''View my results:''' [[Special:MyPage/Climate change results (in-depth)|Open my results page]]
* Higher temperatures at the Earth’s surface degrade environments, reducing  the natural ability to absorb GHGs.
 
Source:<ref>https://ourworldindata.org/ghg-emissions-by-sector</ref>
 
<ourworldindata>ghg-emissions-by-sector</ourworldindata>
 
=== '''Why is global warming a worrying trend?''' ===
More and more evidence shows that a warmer Planet is a potential threat to all living things. It also suggest a number of ‘domino’ and ‘multiplier’ effects.  For example, higher ocean temperatures cause ice caps to melt, making sea levels rise and causing ocean acidification. More frequent and intense extreme weather events cause damage to ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, which can disrupt anything from water resources to agriculture and human societies.
 
Already, heat waves, severe storms and floods, and massive forest fires have forced millions of people around the World to relocate – sometimes on very short notice! In some cases, the move is temporary; in others, entire villages or towns have been destroyed. When this happens, people are said to be '''climate change refugees'''.
 
But extreme events are not the only problem. Gradual warming of the Planet is expected to have negative impacts human health and influence how people earn a living or carry out daily activities. It also threatens to disrupt essential services that underpin societies – such as access to clean water and affordable electricity.
 
Sooner or later, climate change will affect everyone, both directly and indirectly. But there’s also reason for hope. Explore more Yconic content to see what people are doing to save the Planet.  
* item one
* item 2
* iemt 3
 
=== '''Advance the investigation!''' ===
Help Yconic users learn more by adding an article that digs deeper. Here are a few questions to suggest ‘leads’ you could follow. Got a different question? Check with your teacher about how it fits with the bigger story of understanding weather and climate change. 
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Weather
!Climate
|-
|
*What are typical weather patterns in your city or country?
* What factors in your local environment influence weather?
* Do you think weather patterns have changed in your lifetime?
* What might you and your family have to do to cope with hotter summers or colder winters? Or more or less rain?
* Have any news stories about extreme weather events been linked to climate change? What was your personal experience of these events?
|
*Are local weather patterns different than they were 30, 50 or 100 years ago? (Hint: try to find data and to get stories from your parents or grandparents.)
* Is there any evidence that climate change is already damaging local ecosystems?
* Is anybody doing something to address these environmental problems? The government? Non-governmental organisations?
|}
 
== Up next: ==
 
=== [https://www.energysolidarity.eu/ Climate change2] ===
 
{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
| Type = Investigate further
| Content = ACTIVITY: Think of your preferred meal and use this graph to try to estimate the carbon footprint of it. Are any of the ingredients particularly GHG intensive? Could you replace these?
}}
 
<ourworldindata>land-use-kcal-poore</ourworldindata>
 
{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
| Type = Watch this
| Content = Watch this video to get a re-cap of what climate change is and what can be done to address it:
}}
 
{{YouTube|ID=G9t__9Tmwv4|Width=800|Alignment=center}}
 
<div class="box">
=== Glossary ===
*Weather
*Climate
*Climate change
*Anthropogenic
*Paleoclimatology
*Fossil fuels
*Greenhouse gases
</div>
<div class="box">
*
</div>
 
{{Boxes Climate Change (green)
| Type = Have your say
| Content = <span id="HaveSay"></span>Test your knowledge and express your ideas on climate change.<br/>
Yconic is keen to know what you learned about climate change – and what you think about it! Click through to create your very own page. This page will be linked to your personal profile. But please remember: because this is a wiki platform, others may be able to find and read it. While they cannot ‘edit’ your page, they might comment on it – which is a GREAT way to encourage more discussion :<br/>
{{#formlink:form=Climate_ChangeDB|link text = Go to Climate Change Questionnaire|link type=button}}
}}
 
Click the link(s) below to see your questionnaire result(s):
{{#ask:[[Category:Climate_ChangeDB]]
|?CC author
|format=template
|template=ContentCards3
|limit=100
}}
<!--<div id="climate-change-button-placeholder"></div>
<div class="box">{{Boxclimate2}}</div>-->


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 12:57, 17 February 2026

Icon-intro-climate-change.svg

Introduction to climate change

Make sure to do the Quiz at the end of the page! Jump directly to it by clicking here.

The idea that life on Earth is influenced by a ‘greenhouse gas effect’ first emerged in the early 1800s. While it wasn’t yet called that, scientists were already investigating causes and effects. Now, we know that greenhouse gas concentrations are directly linked to climate change.

Icon-springboard.svg

Springboard:
  • A brief history of climate change science
  • Tipping points, dominoes and multipliers
  • How is climate change already affecting people?

Weird weather? Or a changing climate

Almost 200 years ago, scientists found that certain gases in the atmosphere affected the Earth in two ways. First, by trapping heat from the Sun – rather than reflecting it back to the atmosphere – these gases kept the Earth’s surface temperature at around 14-15°C (57-49°F). For the record, without the greenhouse effect, the Earth's average surface temperature would plummet to −18 °C (−0.4 °F).[1][2]

In turn, this altered the energy balance – that is, the equilibrium between the energy the Planet gets from the Sun and the energy it ‘loses’ into outer space.

In 1856, Eunice Newton Foote demonstrated that the Sun’s warming effect was stronger on air that contained water vapour than on dry air. Critically, she also showed that it was stronger where concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) were higher[3].

In turn, scientists began to look for clues about weather and climate patterns that pre-dated the data they could collect with the most advanced instruments of the day. The approach became known as paleoclimatology. They soon determined that past Ice Ages and other natural changes were likely linked to the greenhouse effect.

As the Industrial Revolution ramped up, some scientists argued that burning modern fuels (e.g. coal and oil) would push up emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) previously identified. These include CO2, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and ozone.

Icon-watch-this.svg

Watch this: Getting a grip on GWP – i.e. ‘global warming potential’

Lots of natural phenomena release GHGs. A key difference related to man-made emissions is that they often excel (in a bad way) at trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. Keen to know how burning fossil fuels compares to letting cows pass gas? Or why CO2 is the ‘problem child’ of GHGs? How about the BIGGER, longer-term impacts beyond climate change? Just click ‘play’!

Load video
YouTube


Tipping points, dominoes and multipliers

Fast forward – through a lot of studies across many different fields – to 1990. In its First Assessment Report, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) built a solid case for the reality that GHG emissions linked to human activity are triggering climate change. And that the dominant trend was global warming.

What was the key evidence? A sharp rise in GHG emissions that corresponds with the use of fossil fuels for energy and for industry, the shift to large-scale agriculture and the destruction of huge areas of forest to make way for human activities.

Icon-data-dive.svg

Data dive: The ‘hockey stick’ of CO2 emissions

From 1750 to 1900, CO2 emissions remained remarkably stable, even as the global population started to grow. Compare that to the next 120 years – i.e. 1900 to today. Do these data support the scientific findings given above?

A growing body of evidence shows that a warmer Planet is a potential threat to all living things. Here are three related concepts to be aware of:

  • Tipping points refers to changes that lead to irreversible damage in a given ecosystem. When permafrost thaws in Arctic areas, for example, the ground releases huge volumes of CO2 and methane (another GHG) that had been safely stored for centuries. In fact, scientists estimate that permafrost areas hold roughly twice as much CO2 as currently circulates in the atmosphere[4]. Its release, whether fast or slow, would be catastrophic. Other tipping points include the collapse of ice sheets in Arctic and Antarctic areas and die-off of tropical coral reefs.
  • Domino effect refers to when crossing the tipping point in one area triggers a cascade of other events. In one scenario modelled by the IPCC, as ice sheets melted, the additional cold, glacier meltwater caused a major current in the Atlantic Ocean to slow down. Ultimately, this significantly reduced rainfall in the Amazon rainforest. In the worst-case scenario, the lush, dense rainforest became a savanna with smaller trees widely dispersed over a much drier grassland[5].
  • Threat multiplier effect captures how climate change effects can interact with – and exacerbate – pre-existing threats. Severe drought, for example, can prompt farmers to abandon their lands and move to urban areas, disrupting food supplies. As water resources become scarce, it can trigger civil unrest. If a large region is affected, it may even result in conflict or war among nations[6].

How is climate change already affecting people?

Already, heat waves, severe storms and floods, and massive forest fires have forced millions of people around the World to relocate – sometimes on very short notice! In some cases, the move is temporary; in others, entire villages or towns have been destroyed. When this happens, people are said to be climate change refugees.

Icon-watch-this.svg

Watch this: Climate refugees: Nations under threat

Even today, people who have lived on remote islands are being forced to relocate as the sea level begins to rise, even by a few centimeters. Several coastal mega-cities are looking for ways to deal with the same threat (see climate change mitigation adaptation and resilience also climate justice].

Load video
YouTube


But extreme events are not the only problem. Gradual warming of the Planet is expected to have negative impacts on human health and influence how people earn a living or carry out daily activities. It also threatens to disrupt essential services that underpin societies, such as access to clean water and affordable electricity.

Sooner or later, climate change will affect everyone, whether directly or indirectly. But there is also reason for hope. Explore more Yconic content to see what people are doing to save the Planet.

Icon-investigate-further.svg

Investigate further: Is climate change already affecting your local area?

Almost everyone is feeling some effects of climate change, whether through heat waves, torrential rain or nearby forest fires. Can you find evidence that climate change is already damaging local ecosystems? Is anybody doing something to address these environmental impacts (e.g. the government, non-governmental organisations, local people)? What might people have to do to cope with hotter summers or colder winters? Or more or less rainfall?

Icon-act-now.svg

Act now: Collect an ‘oral history’ about weather, climate or climate change

Grab your smart phone and find an older adult – e.g. your parents or grandparents, a teacher or coach, or an elderly neighbour. Plan a few questions about how the weather or climate in your city or region has changed over their lifetime? Ask also about how the energy they use has evolved. Hit ‘record’ on an audio app and get them to tell their story! Make sure you get their permission to upload the recording to Yconic!

Icon-act-now.svg

Act now: How do YOU experience weather…and climate change?

Have you read articles about how global warming is affecting your local environment? What do you know about what might be causing higher emissions locally? Have any news stories about extreme weather events been linked to climate change? What was your personal experience of these events? Hop over to the Yconic Forum to share your thoughts and experiences with other Yconickers.

Icon-quiz-white.svg

Quiz time

Test your knowledge and express your ideas on climate change.

Yconic is keen to know what you learned about climate change – and what you think about it! Click through to create your very own page. This page will be linked to your personal profile. But please remember: because this is a wiki platform, others may be able to find and read it. While they cannot ‘edit’ your page, they might comment on it – which is a GREAT way to encourage more discussion:

See your results

Each user has a personal results page for each of the questionnaires (basics and in-depth). Use the links below:

References

  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20041104033042/http://eesc.columbia.edu/courses/ees/climate/lectures/radiation/
  2. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20181126204443/http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-chapter1.pdf
  3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_climate_change_science
  4. ↑ https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/02/irreversible-emissions-permafrost-tipping-point/
  5. ↑ https://www.livescience.com/climate-domino-effects-close.html
  6. ↑ https://climateandsecurity.org/2023/01/briefer-climate-change-as-a-threat-multiplier-history-uses-and-future-of-the-concept/
Retrieved from "https://yconic.energypedia.info/index.php?title=Introduction_to_climate_change_(in_depth)&oldid=7565"