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Where does global warming occur in the atmosphere, why is global warming a social problem, where does global warming affect polar bears.
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Human activity affects global surface temperatures by changing Earth ’s radiative balance—the “give and take” between what comes in during the day and what Earth emits at night. Increases in greenhouse gases —i.e., trace gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that absorb heat energy emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiate it back—generated by industry and transportation cause the atmosphere to retain more heat, which increases temperatures and alters precipitation patterns.
Global warming, the phenomenon of increasing average air temperatures near Earth’s surface over the past one to two centuries, happens mostly in the troposphere , the lowest level of the atmosphere, which extends from Earth’s surface up to a height of 6–11 miles. This layer contains most of Earth’s clouds and is where living things and their habitats and weather primarily occur.
Continued global warming is expected to impact everything from energy use to water availability to crop productivity throughout the world. Poor countries and communities with limited abilities to adapt to these changes are expected to suffer disproportionately. Global warming is already being associated with increases in the incidence of severe and extreme weather, heavy flooding , and wildfires —phenomena that threaten homes, dams, transportation networks, and other facets of human infrastructure. Learn more about how the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, released in 2021, describes the social impacts of global warming.
Polar bears live in the Arctic , where they use the region’s ice floes as they hunt seals and other marine mammals . Temperature increases related to global warming have been the most pronounced at the poles, where they often make the difference between frozen and melted ice. Polar bears rely on small gaps in the ice to hunt their prey. As these gaps widen because of continued melting, prey capture has become more challenging for these animals.
global warming , the phenomenon of increasing average air temperatures near the surface of Earth over the past one to two centuries. Climate scientists have since the mid-20th century gathered detailed observations of various weather phenomena (such as temperatures, precipitation , and storms) and of related influences on climate (such as ocean currents and the atmosphere’s chemical composition). These data indicate that Earth’s climate has changed over almost every conceivable timescale since the beginning of geologic time and that human activities since at least the beginning of the Industrial Revolution have a growing influence over the pace and extent of present-day climate change .
Giving voice to a growing conviction of most of the scientific community , the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was formed in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), published in 2021, noted that the best estimate of the increase in global average surface temperature between 1850 and 2019 was 1.07 °C (1.9 °F). An IPCC special report produced in 2018 noted that human beings and their activities have been responsible for a worldwide average temperature increase between 0.8 and 1.2 °C (1.4 and 2.2 °F) since preindustrial times, and most of the warming over the second half of the 20th century could be attributed to human activities.
AR6 produced a series of global climate predictions based on modeling five greenhouse gas emission scenarios that accounted for future emissions, mitigation (severity reduction) measures, and uncertainties in the model projections. Some of the main uncertainties include the precise role of feedback processes and the impacts of industrial pollutants known as aerosols , which may offset some warming. The lowest-emissions scenario, which assumed steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2015, predicted that the global mean surface temperature would increase between 1.0 and 1.8 °C (1.8 and 3.2 °F) by 2100 relative to the 1850–1900 average. This range stood in stark contrast to the highest-emissions scenario, which predicted that the mean surface temperature would rise between 3.3 and 5.7 °C (5.9 and 10.2 °F) by 2100 based on the assumption that greenhouse gas emissions would continue to increase throughout the 21st century. The intermediate-emissions scenario, which assumed that emissions would stabilize by 2050 before declining gradually, projected an increase of between 2.1 and 3.5 °C (3.8 and 6.3 °F) by 2100.
Many climate scientists agree that significant societal, economic, and ecological damage would result if the global average temperature rose by more than 2 °C (3.6 °F) in such a short time. Such damage would include increased extinction of many plant and animal species, shifts in patterns of agriculture , and rising sea levels. By 2015 all but a few national governments had begun the process of instituting carbon reduction plans as part of the Paris Agreement , a treaty designed to help countries keep global warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) above preindustrial levels in order to avoid the worst of the predicted effects. Whereas authors of the 2018 special report noted that should carbon emissions continue at their present rate, the increase in average near-surface air temperature would reach 1.5 °C sometime between 2030 and 2052, authors of the AR6 report suggested that this threshold would be reached by 2041 at the latest.
The AR6 report also noted that the global average sea level had risen by some 20 cm (7.9 inches) between 1901 and 2018 and that sea level rose faster in the second half of the 20th century than in the first half. It also predicted, again depending on a wide range of scenarios, that the global average sea level would rise by different amounts by 2100 relative to the 1995–2014 average. Under the report’s lowest-emission scenario, sea level would rise by 28–55 cm (11–21.7 inches), whereas, under the intermediate emissions scenario, sea level would rise by 44–76 cm (17.3–29.9 inches). The highest-emissions scenario suggested that sea level would rise by 63–101 cm (24.8–39.8 inches) by 2100.
The scenarios referred to above depend mainly on future concentrations of certain trace gases, called greenhouse gases , that have been injected into the lower atmosphere in increasing amounts through the burning of fossil fuels for industry, transportation , and residential uses. Modern global warming is the result of an increase in magnitude of the so-called greenhouse effect , a warming of Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere caused by the presence of water vapour , carbon dioxide , methane , nitrous oxides , and other greenhouse gases. In 2014 the IPCC first reported that concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in the atmosphere surpassed those found in ice cores dating back 800,000 years.
Of all these gases, carbon dioxide is the most important, both for its role in the greenhouse effect and for its role in the human economy. It has been estimated that, at the beginning of the industrial age in the mid-18th century, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere were roughly 280 parts per million (ppm). By the end of 2022 they had risen to 419 ppm, and, if fossil fuels continue to be burned at current rates, they are projected to reach 550 ppm by the mid-21st century—essentially, a doubling of carbon dioxide concentrations in 300 years.
A vigorous debate is in progress over the extent and seriousness of rising surface temperatures, the effects of past and future warming on human life, and the need for action to reduce future warming and deal with its consequences. This article provides an overview of the scientific background related to the subject of global warming. It considers the causes of rising near-surface air temperatures, the influencing factors, the process of climate research and forecasting, and the possible ecological and social impacts of rising temperatures. For an overview of the public policy developments related to global warming occurring since the mid-20th century, see global warming policy . For a detailed description of Earth’s climate, its processes, and the responses of living things to its changing nature, see climate . For additional background on how Earth’s climate has changed throughout geologic time , see climatic variation and change . For a full description of Earth’s gaseous envelope, within which climate change and global warming occur, see atmosphere .
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Climate Matters • November 25, 2020
Key concepts:.
Climate Central unveils Our Changing Climate —an informative and customizable climate change presentation that meteorologists, journalists, and others can use for educational outreach and/or a personal Climate 101 tool.
The presentation follows a ”Simple, Serious, Solvable” framework, inspired by climate scientist Scott Denning. This allows the presenter to comfortably explain, and the viewers to easily understand, the causes (Simple), impacts (Serious), and solutions (Solvable) of climate change.
Our Changing Climate is a revamped version of our 2016 climate presentation, and includes the following updates and features:
Up-to-date graphics and topics
Local data and graphics
Fully editable slides (add, remove, customize)
Presenter notes, background information, and references for each slide
Supplementary and bonus slides
Download Outline (PDF, 110KB)
Download Full Presentation (PPT, 148MB)
Updated: April 2021
Climate Central is presenting a new outreach and education resource for meteorologists, journalists, and others—a climate change presentation, Our Changing Climate . This 55-slide presentation is a guide through the basics of climate change, outlining its causes, impacts, and solutions. This climate change overview is unique because it includes an array of local graphics from our ever-expanding media library. By providing these local angles, the presenter can demonstrate that climate change is not only happening at a global-scale, but in our backyards.
This presentation was designed to support your climate change storytelling, but can also double as a great Climate 101 tool for journalists or educators who want to understand climate change better. Every slide contains main points along with background information, so people that are interested can learn at their own pace or utilize graphics for their own content.
In addition to those features, it follows the “Simple, Serious, Solvable” framework inspired by Scott Denning, a climate scientist and professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University (and a good friend of the program). These three S’s help create the presentation storyline and outline the causes (Simple), impacts (Serious), and solutions (Solvable) of climate change.
Simple. It is simple—burning fossil fuels is heating up the Earth. This section outlines the well-understood science that goes back to the 1800s, presenting local and global evidence that our climate is warming due to human activities.
Serious. More extreme weather, rising sea levels, and increased health and economic risks—the consequences of climate change. In this section, well, we get serious. Climate change impacts are already being felt around the world, and they will continue to intensify until we cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Solvable. With such a daunting crisis like climate change, it is easy to get wrapped up in the negative impacts. This section explains how we can curb climate change and lists the main pathways and solutions to achieving this goal.
With the rollout of our new climate change presentation, we at Climate Central would value any feedback on this presentation. Feel free to reach out to us about how the presentation worked for you, how your audience reacted, or any ideas or topics you would like to see included.
Climate Central would like to acknowledge Paul Gross at WDIV-TV in Detroit and the AMS Station Science Committee for the original version of the climate presentation, Climate Change Outreach Presentation , that was created in 2016. We would also like to give special thanks to Scott Denning, professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University and a member of our NSF advisory board, for allowing us to use this “Simple, Serious, Solvable” framework in this presentation resource.
Tackling a global challenge
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Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Africa Growth Initiative, Brookings Institution
Aloysius Uche Ordu
Director and Senior Fellow, Africa Growth Initiative, Brookings Institution
Despite progress towards the shared goal of addressing climate change, COP26 did not sufficiently put the world on track to successfully tackle the problem. The outcomes especially fell short of what Africans had hoped for. On the positive side, the Glasgow Accord kept the “1.5 o C warming goal alive,” and countries have been asked to come to COP27, to be held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, with more ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs). A new agreement on global carbon trading was achieved, adding a much-needed tool to the fight against climate change. Negotiators reached other significant agreements in Glasgow, notably 65 countries committed to phasing out coal power, more than 100 countries agreed to slash methane emissions, and 130 countries—representing over 90 percent of the world’s forests—pledged to end deforestation by 2030.
On the other hand, developed countries failed to reach the $100 billion annual funds promised in Paris to developing countries for climate action by 2020. The current NDCs are estimated to reach a warming trajectory of 2.4 o C—almost an entire degree above the goal . The discussion on climate “loss and damage”—what damage is caused by climate change and which parties should pay for it—made some modest progress, and the Glasgow Accord called to start a dialogue to discuss funding arrangements. Such an announcement is a major step given that many major powers had previously opposed even using the words “loss and damage” in climate-related negotiations.
“Under the projected warming trajectory of 2.4 o C, the impacts of climate change could make many parts of Africa uninhabitable.”
The evident lack of urgency contrasts sharply with the projections from the Sixth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for Africa. Life-threatening temperatures above 40 o C are projected to increase by 10 to 140 days a year, depending on the scenario and region. The continent will see drier conditions in most regions, with more droughts but also more flooding. With the rise in sea level (as much as 0.9 meters by 2100 under high-warming scenarios) and more frequent flooding, a current 1-in-100 year flood event will become 1-in-10 or -20 years by 2050, and 1-in-5 years to annually by 2100, even under moderate warming. With rapidly growing cities in low-lying coastal areas in Africa, the damage to property and livelihoods more generally, exacerbated by climate change, will be compounded. In other words, under the projected warming trajectory of 2.4 o C, the impacts of climate change could make many parts of Africa uninhabitable. Policy change, financial transfers, and decisive and transformational mitigation measures by the largest-emitting countries are critical. The narrative is clear and remains consistent: Africa’s historical and current emissions of greenhouse gases are minimal; still, the region will suffer some of climate change’s most severe consequences if not adequately addressed.
Even if the world remains under 1.5 o C warming, Africa will need to adapt to the new reality of a rapidly changing climate. Thankfully, COP26 did result in some positive steps regarding climate adaptation. The developed world recognized the need to increase funding for adaptation support: The Glasgow Accord “urges developed country Parties to at least double their collective provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing country Parties from 2019 levels by 2025.” Africa was already moving toward a similar goal: The African Development Bank and the Global Center of Adaptation launched a $25 billion program to finance accelerated adaptation in the region earlier in the year.
“Even if the world remains under 1.5 o C warming, Africa will need to adapt to the new reality of a rapidly changing climate.”
Africa has great opportunities to help the world fight climate change but cannot do it alone. The protection and sustainable management of its forest and marine resources can provide essential carbon sinks. In fact, the Congo Basin— the world’s second-largest rainforest and which absorbs 1.2 billion tons of CO2 each year —also has vital mineral reserves needed for the clean industries that underpin the net-zero commitments of countries worldwide. The energy, transport, and urban infrastructure that is yet to be built in Africa over the next two decades will either lock the region into a high-emission economic development trajectory or support the global climate goals if adequate additional resources to finance the extra costs of decarbonization are provided at the level and speed needed.
COP27—the “Africa COP”—is a unique opportunity to accelerate progress in climate action and mobilize the partnerships needed for Africa’s rapid, inclusive, green, and resilient development. However, Africa’s policymakers should not be passive recipients of what “others” can do for Africa in COP27. Africans should be well prepared and organized. They should have a unified, active, and consistent voice about the dire consequences of climate change for the continent and the urgency to take action.
“Africa has great opportunities to help the world fight climate change but cannot do it alone.”
First and foremost, the world needs to show at COP27 that progress and firm commitments—not only pledges—are moving the needle towards the 1.5 o C warming level. As noted above, Africa absolutely cannot afford a 2.4 o C warmer world: At that level of warming, adaptation measures in many parts of the continent may not be technically feasible or financially viable. This point highlights the importance of the other significant opportunity presented by COP27: Leaders must further raise the level of action, speed, and ambition toward climate adaptation, especially for Africa and vulnerable countries in other regions.
As leaders and negotiators descend on Sharm el-Sheikh in 2022, they should focus on four distinct opportunities for decisive, urgent climate action. First, OECD countries and international financial institutions must increase their levels of concessional and private funding for adaptation, including a larger proportion of grants, rapidly and significantly. Second, leaders should increase their focus on the development and scaled-up rollout of adaptation technologies. Climate mitigation technologies receive most of the funding, attention, and support compared to adaptation technologies. At COP27, global leaders must push for a greater balance with adaptation technologies, including the localization and scaling-up of existing African solutions, including multi-hazard early warning systems combining earth observing systems and artificial intelligence with locally trusted communication channels in Africa. Importantly, the scaling up of climate-smart agriculture technologies and practices can tackle the malnutrition and stunting challenge of the region through more productive and resilient food systems. At the same time, climate-smart agricultural technologies can help store carbon in the soil and reduce the pressure on land-use change by improving efficiency and reducing food waste.
“Africa absolutely cannot afford a 2.4 o C warmer world: At that level of warming, adaptation measures in many parts of the continent may not be technically feasible or financially viable.”
Third, Africa needs a decisive push to build capacity in climate change action, not only in ministries of the environment but throughout society. The engineers and urban planners need to incorporate climate considerations in designing and constructing Africa’s infrastructure. African farmers need the best data and knowledge to make informed decisions to increase productivity in the face of a rapidly changing climate that is already impacting their crops. Low-income urban households and rural communities need to know what actions to take to better protect their lives and livelihoods against more frequent and intense climate shocks.
Fourth, leaders must pursue the win-win opportunity of rapidly deploying the global carbon market, while helping Africa enter this market, especially with programs that straddle both climate mitigation and adaptation. Nature-based solutions, energy access programs, and blue and green economy platforms can push forward the enhanced resilience of the region while supporting global emission reduction goals.
“The landmark African Continental Free Trade Agreement can provide the foundation for early agreements on free trade of agricultural products that can balance losses caused by climate shocks.”
At the same time, Africa cannot wait. It must use all its tools to mainstream adaptation in its development path. With the pandemic still causing economic and livelihood damages in every corner of the continent, this task will be harder than ever. Still, low-cost, high-return adaptation measures should be prioritized. These range from land use and simple early warning systems to infrastructure maintenance that can reduce flood damage and protection of environmental assets that protect lives and livelihoods. Importantly, the landmark African Continental Free Trade Agreement can provide the foundation for early agreements on free trade of agricultural products that can balance losses caused by climate shocks.
At Sharm el-Sheikh, at the Africa COP, the world must take advantage of the opportunity to fulfill its responsibility together with Africa. A prosperous future of hundreds of millions of Africans will depend on the decisions and actions taken at COP27. A green and resilient path for Africa’s development cannot wait.
By Jeanine Mabunda Lioko
Jeanine Mabunda Lioko offers recommendations for African policymakers looking to balance sustainable development and universal access to electricity.
By Amar Bhattacharya
Amar Bhattacharya reviews financing strategies for Africa to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
By Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr
Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr shares examples of how African cities can implement climate change adaptation and mitigation projects.
By Amara Nwankpa
Amara Nwankpa explores the impacts of the climate crisis on food insecurity in Nigeria and offers a framework for reducing food and nutrition vulnerability while enhancing environmental resilience.
Climate migration—deepening our solutions
By Simeon K. Ehui and Kanta Kumari Rigaud
Simeon K. Ehui and Kanta Kumari Rigaud underscore the need for bold, transformative, and foresighted action to address climate-related migration in sub-Saharan Africa.
The urgency and benefits of climate adaptation for Africa’s agriculture and food security
By Holger A. Kray, Chakib Jenane, Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, and Jamal Saghir
Kray, Jenane, Ijjasz-Vasquez, and Saghir estimate the impact of climate change on the future of food security in Africa.
05 | Technological innovations
Creating and harnessing tools for improved livelihoods
Foresight Africa: Top priorities for Africa in 2022
On January 26, AGI will host a Foresight Africa launch featuring a high-level panel of leading Africa experts to offer insights on regional trends along with recommendations for national governments, regional organizations, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and civil society actors as they forge ahead in 2022.
Africa in Focus
Join the conversation on the top priorities for Africa in 2022
By ALOYSIUS UCHE ORDU
Aloysius Uche Ordu introduces the 2022 edition of Foresight Africa, which includes brand new themes and a more diverse and representative collection of contributors and reflects the dynamism and optimism of the region.
Foresight Africa Podcast
The Foresight Africa podcast celebrates Africa’s dynamism and explores strategies for broadening the benefits of growth to all people of Africa.
22 August 2024: Due to technical disruption, we are experiencing some delays to publication. We are working to restore services and apologise for the inconvenience. For further updates please visit our website: https://www.cambridge.org/universitypress/about-us/news-and-blogs/cambridge-university-press-publishing-update-following-technical-disruption
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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 January 2010
Editor's Introduction
Environmental problems do not occur in isolation from each other; in fact there is often an ironically cruel symmetry about them. For example, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is the indispensable feedstock for life on Earth and the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere regulates the process known as “the greenhouse effect.” This effect is a fundamental geophysical mechanism that warms the lower atmosphere and thus allows life to exist on the surface. The buildup of CO 2 could thus be beneficial, stimulating plant growth. However, the very rapid pace of growth of atmospheric CO 2 (and other greenhouse gases), occurring at present by many human activities, are expected to upset the stability of traditional climates and dramatically alter the conditions that support already strained human societies and natural ecosystems.
Environmental problems can not be separated from human activities. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are an entirely man-made family of industrial gases. For more than three decades, these inexpensive and versatile compounds — which are neither toxic, nor corrosive, nor explosive — were touted as the “miracle drugs” of the chemical industry. Now we know that they are an important cause of stratospheric ozone depletion and also contribute to the greenhouse effect. As a consequence of our expanding knowledge of their environmental effects, the traditional (and most dangerous) varieties of these compounds are the focus of an internationally agreed phaseout programme.
And finally, environmental activities are inextricably woven into a complex tapestry of interactive atmospheric and biological mechananisms. These natural feedback processes have no regard for international conventions, legal boundaries, or political ideologies.
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How are global temperatures changing, and what are the impacts on sea level rise, sea ice, and ice sheets?
By: Hannah Ritchie , Pablo Rosado and Veronika Samborska
Current climate change is primarily caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases. This warming can drive large changes in sea level, sea ice and glacier balances, rainfall patterns, and extreme temperatures. This has potentially devastating impacts on human health, farming systems, the stability of societies, and other species.
To limit and stop climate change, we need to greatly reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases. We cover these emissions in our work on CO 2 and other greenhouse gas emissions . This will require massive shifts in our energy and food systems , which we also cover in detail.
On this page, you will find global data and research on the impacts of climate change, including temperature anomalies, sea level rise, sea ice melt, glacier loss, and ocean acidification.
See all of our interactive charts on climate change ↓
The majority of people in every country support action on climate, but the public consistently underestimates this share.
Hannah Ritchie
Explore country-by-country data on monthly temperature anomalies.
Veronika Samborska
The budget to keep temperatures below 1.5°C is less than a decade of current emissions. For 2°C, it’s less than three decades.
Hannah Ritchie, Pablo Rosado and Max Roser
Veronika Samborska and Hannah Ritchie
Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado
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We know the world is warming because people have been recording daily high and low temperatures at thousands of weather stations worldwide, over land and ocean, for many decades and, in some locations, for more than a century. When different teams of climate scientists in different agencies (e.g., NOAA and NASA) and in other countries (e.g., the U.K.’s Hadley Centre) average these data together, they all find essentially the same result: Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by about 1.8°F (1.0°C) since 1880.
( bar chart ) Yearly temperature compared to the twentieth-century average from 1850–2023. Red bars mean warmer-than-average years; blue bars mean colder-than-average years. (line graph) Atmospheric carbon dioxide amounts: 1850-1958 from IAC , 1959-2023 from NOAA Global Monitoring Lab . NOAA Climate.gov graph, adapted from original by Dr. Howard Diamond (NOAA ARL).
In addition to our surface station data, we have many different lines of evidence that Earth is warming ( learn more ). Birds are migrating earlier, and their migration patterns are changing. Lobsters and other marine species are moving north. Plants are blooming earlier in the spring. Mountain glaciers are melting worldwide, and snow cover is declining in the Northern Hemisphere (Learn more here and here ). Greenland’s ice sheet—which holds about 8 percent of Earth’s fresh water—is melting at an accelerating rate ( learn more ). Mean global sea level is rising ( learn more ). Arctic sea ice is declining rapidly in both thickness and extent ( learn more ).
The Greenland Ice Sheet lost mass again in 2020, but not as much as it did 2019. Adapted from the 2020 Arctic Report Card, this graph tracks Greenland mass loss measured by NASA's GRACE satellite missions since 2002. The background photo shows a glacier calving front in western Greenland, captured from an airplane during a NASA Operation IceBridge field campaign. Full story.
We know this warming is largely caused by human activities because the key role that carbon dioxide plays in maintaining Earth’s natural greenhouse effect has been understood since the mid-1800s. Unless it is offset by some equally large cooling influence, more atmospheric carbon dioxide will lead to warmer surface temperatures. Since 1800, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from about 280 parts per million to 410 ppm in 2019. We know from both its rapid increase and its isotopic “fingerprint” that the source of this new carbon dioxide is fossil fuels, and not natural sources like forest fires, volcanoes, or outgassing from the ocean.
Philip James de Loutherbourg's 1801 painting, Coalbrookdale by Night , came to symbolize the start of the Industrial Revolution, when humans began to harness the power of fossil fuels—and to contribute significantly to Earth's atmospheric greenhouse gas composition. Image from Wikipedia .
Finally, no other known climate influences have changed enough to account for the observed warming trend. Taken together, these and other lines of evidence point squarely to human activities as the cause of recent global warming.
USGCRP (2017). Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume 1 [Wuebbles, D.J., D.W. Fahey, K.A. Hibbard, D.J. Dokken, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 470 pp, doi: 10.7930/J0J964J6 .
National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Partnership (2012): National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy . Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Council on Environmental Quality, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C. DOI: 10.3996/082012-FWSReport-1
IPCC (2019). Summary for Policymakers. In: IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, M. Tignor, E. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Nicolai, A. Okem, J. Petzold, B. Rama, N.M. Weyer (eds.)]. In press.
NASA JPL: "Consensus: 97% of climate scientists agree." Global Climate Change . A website at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus). (Accessed July 2013.)
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Climate change is the most pressing global issue we will face in our lifetime. prezi is committed to providing well-researched, standards-aligned, engaging content intended to challenge and inspire both you and your students., resources for the classroom, based on exceptional resources from nasa to the united nations, these lessons span k-12 and combine engaging video and thoughtful assignments to spark critical thinking and creativity in your students. here is an overview of the lessons., pro tip: when viewing any prezi presentation, simply click “make a copy” and edit to suit your classroom needs., best for primary & middle grades.
The signs of global warming are everywhere, and are more complex than just climbing temperatures.
Our planet is getting hotter. Since the Industrial Revolution—an event that spurred the use of fossil fuels in everything from power plants to transportation—Earth has warmed by 1 degree Celsius, about 2 degrees Fahrenheit.
That may sound insignificant, but 2023 was the hottest year on record , and all 10 of the hottest years on record have occurred in the past decade.
Global warming and climate change are often used interchangeably as synonyms, but scientists prefer to use “climate change” when describing the complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems.
Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also natural disasters, shifting wildlife habitats, rising seas , and a range of other impacts. All of these changes are emerging as humans continue to add heat-trapping greenhouse gases , like carbon dioxide and methane, to the atmosphere.
When fossil fuel emissions are pumped into the atmosphere, they change the chemistry of our atmosphere, allowing sunlight to reach the Earth but preventing heat from being released into space. This keeps Earth warm, like a greenhouse, and this warming is known as the greenhouse effect .
Carbon dioxide is the most commonly found greenhouse gas and about 75 percent of all the climate warming pollution in the atmosphere. This gas is a product of producing and burning oil, gas, and coal. About a quarter of Carbon dioxide also results from land cleared for timber or agriculture.
Methane is another common greenhouse gas. Although it makes up only about 16 percent of emissions, it's roughly 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide and dissipates more quickly. That means methane can cause a large spark in warming, but ending methane pollution can also quickly limit the amount of atmospheric warming. Sources of this gas include agriculture (mostly livestock), leaks from oil and gas production, and waste from landfills.
One of the most concerning impacts of global warming is the effect warmer temperatures will have on Earth's polar regions and mountain glaciers. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. This warming reduces critical ice habitat and it disrupts the flow of the jet stream, creating more unpredictable weather patterns around the globe.
( Learn more about the jet stream. )
A warmer planet doesn't just raise temperatures. Precipitation is becoming more extreme as the planet heats. For every degree your thermometer rises, the air holds about seven percent more moisture. This increase in moisture in the atmosphere can produce flash floods, more destructive hurricanes, and even paradoxically, stronger snow storms.
The world's leading scientists regularly gather to review the latest research on how the planet is changing. The results of this review is synthesized in regularly published reports known as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports.
A recent report outlines how disruptive a global rise in temperature can be:
Limiting the rising in global warming is theoretically achievable, but politically, socially, and economically difficult.
Those same sources of greenhouse gas emissions must be limited to reduce warming. For example, oil and gas used to generate electricity or power industrial manufacturing will need to be replaced by net zero emission technology like wind and solar power. Transportation, another major source of emissions, will need to integrate more electric vehicles, public transportation, and innovative urban design, such as safe bike lanes and walkable cities.
( Learn more about solutions to limit global warming. )
One global warming solution that was once considered far fetched is now being taken more seriously: geoengineering. This type of technology relies on manipulating the Earth's atmosphere to physically block the warming rays of the sun or by sucking carbon dioxide straight out of the sky.
Restoring nature may also help limit warming. Trees, oceans, wetlands, and other ecosystems help absorb excess carbon—but when they're lost, so too is their potential to fight climate change.
Ultimately, we'll need to adapt to warming temperatures, building homes to withstand sea level rise for example, or more efficiently cooling homes during heat waves.
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Global Warming
Miss Parson – Allerton Grange School
Aims and objectives
What is�Global Warming ?
Global warming is the increase in the world’s average temperature, believed to be the result from the release of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.
This increase in greenhouse gases is causing an increase in the rate of the greenhouse effect .
The Greenhouse�Effect
The earth is warming rather like the inside of a greenhouse. On a basic level the sun’s rays enter the earths atmosphere and are prevented from escaping by the greenhouse gases. This results in higher world temperatures.
In more detail………
Energy from the sun drives the earth's weather and climate, and heats the earth's surface; in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.�
Without this natural "greenhouse effect," temperatures would be much lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible. Instead, thanks to greenhouse gases, the earth's average temperature is a more hospitable 60°F. However, problems may arise when the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases. �
What are the�greenhouse gases?
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%, methane concentrations have more than doubled, and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15%. Why are greenhouse gas concentrations increasing?
Burning of fossil fuels and other human activities are the primary reason for the increased concentration of carbon dioxide.
CFC’s from aerosols, air conditioners, foam packaging and refrigerators most damaging (approx 6%).
Methane is released from decaying organic matter, waste dumps, animal dung, swamps and peat bogs (approx 19%).
Nitrous Oxide is emitted from car exhausts, power stations and agricultural fertiliser (approx 6%).
The major contributor is Carbon Dioxide (approx 64%).
Task 1:The �Greenhouse Effect
Complete your worksheet by cutting and labeling the diagram and answering the questions
Task 2 : Effects of global warming
You are about to see a series of pictures which show some of the effects of global warming.
Draw a rough sketch then write down the effects or titles for the pictures you've drawn
I’m thinking !
What are the consequences of Global Warming?
What are the pictures showing, what are the effects of global warming?
How did�you do?
Hurricanes –extreme weather
Flooding of coastal areas
Desertification
Ice caps melt
Rise in temperatures
Loss of wildlife habitats and species
Sea level rise
Extreme storms
There are also some positive effects of global warming
How can Global Warming be reduced?
Re do diagram slide 7
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2222523486/ - slide 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dzwjedziak/375723120/ - slide 8 and 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bratan/452189020/ - slide 4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hogbard/412932972/- slide 6
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiger_empress/467671978/ - slide 8
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48135670@N00/97951579/ - slide 9,12
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60158441@N00/177929708/ - slide 9,12
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andzer/1480068258/ - slide 9,12
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickrussill/146743082/ - slide 9,12
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dasha/443747644/ - slide 10,13
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11371618@N00/469788104/ - slide 10,13
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/2087879492/ - slide 10,13
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7471118@N02/432453250/ - slide 10,13
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madron/2595909135/ - slide 11
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chi-liu/491412087/ - slide 12,13
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabbriciuse/2073789872/ - slide 16
http://www.flickr.com/photos/algo/92463787/ - slide 16
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickwheeleroz/2295584401/ - slide 16
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andidfl/229169559/ - slide 16
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Full video of Climate Change 2022: The Physical Science Basis
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A video trailer of Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report
IPCC Working Group I authors explain climate science topics in their own words.
Press conference for Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report
Find the headline statements from the Summary for Policymakers.
FAQs explain important processes and aspects that are relevant to the whole report for a broad audience
Find all report file downloads including Summary for Policymakers.
Global warming.
The causes, effects, and complexities of global warming are important to understand so that we can fight for the health of our planet.
Earth Science, Climatology
Ash spews from a coal-fueled power plant in New Johnsonville, Tennessee, United States.
Photograph by Emory Kristof/ National Geographic
Upcoming event.
Global warming is the long-term warming of the planet’s overall temperature. Though this warming trend has been going on for a long time, its pace has significantly increased in the last hundred years due to the burning of fossil fuels . As the human population has increased, so has the volume of fossil fuels burned. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas, and burning them causes what is known as the “greenhouse effect” in Earth’s atmosphere.
The greenhouse effect is when the sun’s rays penetrate the atmosphere, but when that heat is reflected off the surface cannot escape back into space. Gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels prevent the heat from leaving the atmosphere. These greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide , chlorofluorocarbons, water vapor , methane , and nitrous oxide . The excess heat in the atmosphere has caused the average global temperature to rise overtime, otherwise known as global warming.
Global warming has presented another issue called climate change. Sometimes these phrases are used interchangeably, however, they are different. Climate change refers to changes in weather patterns and growing seasons around the world. It also refers to sea level rise caused by the expansion of warmer seas and melting ice sheets and glaciers . Global warming causes climate change, which poses a serious threat to life on Earth in the forms of widespread flooding and extreme weather. Scientists continue to study global warming and its impact on Earth.
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August 29, 2024
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The objective of this course is to explain the science of climate change, and to explain the conventions on climate change. The learners will be enriched with knowledge on the impact of climate change on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The potential threats of climate change on sectors like agriculture, livestock and natural resources are ...
DSpace JSPUI eGyanKosh preserves and enables easy and open access to all types of digital content including text, images, moving images, mpegs and data sets
Modern global warming is the result of an increase in magnitude of the so-called greenhouse effect, a warming of Earth's surface and lower atmosphere caused by the presence of water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and other greenhouse gases. In 2014 the IPCC first reported that concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and ...
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The seasons are also caused by the changing angles at which sunlight strikes Earth. Lesson 16.1 Our Dynamic Climate 6 Wind Wind Caused by convection currents resulting from rising warm air and falling cool air Transports moisture and heat Global wind patterns move warm air away from equator, toward poles. Cold air moves from poles toward equator.
Causes of Climate Change. Burning of Fossil fuels. ⅘ of global carbon dioxide emissions come from energy production, transport, and industrial processes. Emissions not equal around the world. More developed countries produce much more. North America, Europe, Asia.
What is Global Warming? Global Warming is the gradual heating of Earth's surface, oceans and atmosphere. Scientists have documented the rise in average temperatures worldwide since the late 1800s. Earth's average temperature has risen by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) over the past century, according to the Environmental ...
Download Outline (PDF, 110KB) Download Full Presentation (PPT, 148MB) Updated: April 2021. Climate Central is presenting a new outreach and education resource for meteorologists, journalists, and others—a climate change presentation, Our Changing Climate.This 55-slide presentation is a guide through the basics of climate change, outlining its causes, impacts, and solutions.
Six graphics that explain climate change. A breakthrough deal to attempt to limit global temperature rises was agreed at a conference of world nations in December 2015. These charts from the time ...
With the rise in sea level (as much as 0.9 meters by 2100 under high-warming scenarios) and more frequent flooding, a current 1-in-100 year flood event will become 1-in-10 or -20 years by 2050 ...
Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole. Climate change may cause weather patterns to be less predictable. These unexpected weather patterns can make it difficult to maintain and grow crops in regions that rely ...
1 Living in a Warming World; I The Science of Climate Change; 2 Linkages Between Global Warming, Ozone Depletion, Acid Deposition and Other Aspects of Global Environmental Change; 3 Climate Sensitivity, Climate Feedbacks and Policy Implications; 4 Lessons from the Ice Cores: Rapid Climate Changes During the Last 160,000 Years
This warming can drive large changes in sea level, sea ice and glacier balances, rainfall patterns, and extreme temperatures. This has potentially devastating impacts on human health, farming systems, the stability of societies, and other species. To limit and stop climate change, we need to greatly reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Full story. We know this warming is largely caused by human activities because the key role that carbon dioxide plays in maintaining Earth's natural greenhouse effect has been understood since the mid-1800s. Unless it is offset by some equally large cooling influence, more atmospheric carbon dioxide will lead to warmer surface temperatures.
Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from sea loss. The pollution that causes global warming is linked to acid rain. Acid rain gradually destroys almost everything it touches. Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades.
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Global warming problem icon. Presenting this set of slides with name Global Warming Problem Icon. This is a one stage process. The stages in this process are Problem Icon, Global Warming, IT Problem. This is a completely editable PowerPoint presentation and is available for immediate download. Download now and impress your audience.
One global warming solution that was once considered far fetched is now being taken more seriously: geoengineering. This type of technology relies on manipulating the Earth's atmosphere to ...
The report projects that in the coming decades climate changes will increase in all regions. For 1.5°C of global warming, there will be increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and shorter cold seasons. At 2°C of global warming, heat extremes would more often reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health, the report shows ...
An objective of the series is to get the ndings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. e papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. ... including spelling out the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees centigrade. - It called for arrangements to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 ...
Global warming is the increase in the world's average temperature, believed to be the result from the release of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. . This increase in greenhouse gases is causing an increase in the rate of the greenhouse effect. The Greenhouse Effect. The earth is warming rather like ...
IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis (Trailer) Climate change • Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. Watch on.
Global warming is the long-term warming of the planet's overall temperature. Though this warming trend has been going on for a long time, its pace has significantly increased in the last hundred years due to the burning of fossil fuels.As the human population has increased, so has the volume of . fossil fuels burned.. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas, and burning them causes ...