GEO 702 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Climate Change Mitigation, Sea Level Rise, David Suzuki
• Direct Observations of Recent Climate Change 33
• Some aspects of climate have not been observed to change:
• Tornadoes
• Dust-storms
• Hail
• Lightning
• Antarctic sea ice
• Forget climate Apocalypse. There's hope for our warming planet | Jelmer Mommers |
TEDxMaastricht 34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtu9GHhiK0o
IPCC - lets say these are the best combination of scientists - scientists from all around the
world to set up an organization -
• Introducing IPCC
•The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the group that produces the main
reports on climate change, is a scientific intergovernmental body set up by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) and by the United Nations Environment Program in
1988.
• The IPCC process involves hundreds of scientists from about 140 countries, a variety of
fields, and a range of views.
• Their function is to:
– assess the latest peer-reviewed literature,
– compare different computer model results from various sources, and
– achieve consensus about where the weight of the evidence points and where
uncertainties lie.
• 2007 Conclusions
• Warming of the climate system is unequivocal. That is we cannot ignore it, it is happening
• Very high confidence that global average net effect of human activities is happening since
1750 one of warming. 1750: industrial revolution happened
• Human-caused warming over last 30 years has likely had a visible influence on many
physical and biological systems on earth
• Continued GHG emissions at or above current rates would cause further warming and
cause many changes in the global climate system during the 21st century that would very
likely be larger than those observed during the 20th century. - continued GHG emissions
at or above current rates would cause further warming and also cause many changes in
the global climate and very likely be larger than those observed during the 20th century.
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• Consensus?
• Is there any consensus in this regard? Yes:
• Do we know enough about the drivers of climate to know what causes change?
• Ae e udeestiatig the Eath sstes opleit ?
• Can models accurately simulate the complex climate system?
• Are there processes that will limit warming naturally? So this refers to the technology that
we can use to save the earth
• O the other had…
• Arctic sea ice melting faster than it was predicted by IPCC
• Fossil fuel emissions exceeded most IPCC projections/predictions
• Are assumptions about global energy use, too optimistic?
• How quickly can developing countries reduce GHG emissions? Deelopig outies dot
have the money to replace technologies that they are using with technology that uses
solar energy
• Calculations do not include unexpected melting in Greenland and Antarctica.
• What do climate scientists really think?
• A survey conducted in 2007 by George Mason University of U.S. scientists, who have
expertise in climate science, what they think. US uni conducted a survey in 2007 and asked
scientists were asked who believes that climate change exists and what percet of people
believe that climate change is happened and:
• 97% of the 489 respondents agreed that global average temperatures have increased
during the past century. They believe that its all due to human activities
• That's up from 60% in 1991.
• 84% believe human activities are causing the warming, and only 5% disagree and believe
that it's due to natural changes
• So the survey does indicate the bulk of climate scientists—those most knowledgeable
about the field—now agree that human activity contributes to global warming.
• VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xkph033WHM
• Details on strategies:
What should we do? We need to have:
• Efficient vehicles: this is about how can technology improve vehicles Double car fuel
efficiency in 2055 from 30 miles per gallon (mpg) to 60 mpg
• ‘edued ehile use at all: Hale the iles taeled the olds as i 2055
• Efficient buildings: Cut emissions by 25% in all buildings
• CCS electricity: Capture and store carbon from 800 large coal power plants or 1600 large
natural gas power plants
• Nulea apait: Tiple the olds uet ulea apait
• Solar electricity: Increase solar capacity 700 times
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• Forest storage: Halve global deforestation and double forest planting in 50 years global
deforestration and double planting because it will increase oxygen and absorb more CO2
“oil stoage: Appl ao aageet stategies to all of the olds fa fields -
• The previous list represents only some of the possible strategies, but choosing strategies
will not be easy.
We cannot put all the responsibility on govts, people need to change their habits/behv
• However, the longer we wait to reduce emissions, the higher the target will need to be,
and the more adaptation will be necessary.
• However, the longer we wait, the higher the target to combat these changes and more
adaptation will be necessary.
• In 2004, when the wedges concept was first introduced, the target was only 7 billion
tons. In 2004, 7 wedges were issued to reduce 7 billion tons of CO2 but now we see that
there's more carbon theres almost 8 billion carbon that is consumed
• 8 technologies that could save 8 billion tons, or 8 wedges, of carbon. Some of these we
could do right away, while others are based on technologies still being studied, such as
capturing and storing carbon.
• Produce more fuel-efficient vehicles
• Reduce vehicle use
• Improve energy-efficiency in buildings
• Develop carbon capture and storage processes
• Triple nuclear power
• Increase solar power
• Decrease deforestation/plant forests
• Improve soil carbon management strategies
• There are many ways, society can do to reduce carbon emissions, but there is no single
solution.
• Many of the strategies are the realm of governments.
• And the ever-goig old populatio eas that ell hae to ok that uh hade
to reduce global emissions.
• But on an individual level, there are many things we can do to make a difference.
• Individual actions
• What can we do to make these changes as induvial
1. Tune up your furnace. During winter or summer we can ensure that we check the
furnace because when we check it we ensure that it's not burning and generating
CO2
2. Unplug appliances or plug into a power strip and switch it off. When you're not using
appliances because when it's plugged in electricity is being consumed
3. Buy water-saving appliances and toilets; installing low-flow shower heads. Waste
less water decrease the time of the shower
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Document Summary
Direct observations of recent climate change 33, some aspects of climate have not been observed to change, tornadoes, dust-storms, hail, antarctic sea ice. There"s hope for our warming planet | jelmer mommers | Ipcc - lets say these are the best combination of scientists - scientists from all around the world to set up an organization - Introducing ipcc: the international panel on climate change (ipcc), the group that produces the main reports on climate change, is a scientific intergovernmental body set up by the world. Meteorological organization (wmo) and by the united nations environment program in: the ipcc process involves hundreds of scientists from about 140 countries, a variety of fields, and a range of views, their function is to: Compare different computer model results from various sources, and. Achieve consensus about where the weight of the evidence points and where uncertainties lie: 2007 conclusions, warming of the climate system is unequivocal.
