Climate Change Research:
At the very beginning of the module, I carried out some research into and around climate change in order to gain a greater understanding of the area as a whole. This research played a pivotal part in our groups understanding of climate change and ultimately helped us progress towards an idea for a climate change board game.
NASA:
In the last 650’000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the Ice Age around 7’000 years ago. This marked the beginning of the modern climate era – and end of human civilisation. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that can change the amount of solar energy the planet receives.
“SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR WARMING OF THE CLIMATE SYSTEM IS UNEQUIVOCAL” – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Planets’ surface temperature has risen around 1.62*F since the late 19th Century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human made emissions into the atmosphere. Most of the warming has occurred in the last 35 years with the five warmest years on record taking place since 2010.
https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
IPCC was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change. It’s implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaption and mitigation options.
Through assessments, the IPCC determines the state of knowledge on climate change. It identifies where the agreement in the scientific community on topics related to climate change, and where further research is needed. The assessment reports are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change.
The IPCC reports about the state of scientific, technical and socio-economic knowledge on climate change, it’s impacts and future risks and options for reducing the rate at which climate change is taking place.
United Nations:
Human Fingerprint on Greenhouse Gases:
Greenhouse gases occur naturally and are essential to the survival of humans and millions of other living things, by keeping some of the Sun’s warmth from reflecting back into space and making Earth liveable.
Fifth Assessment Report:
The report provides a comprehensive assessment of sea level rise and its causes over the past few decades. It also estimates cumulative CO2 emissions since pre-industrial times and provides a CO2 budget for future emissions to limit warming to less than 2*C. About half of this maximum amount was already emitted by 2011.
It found:
– From 1880 to 2012, the average global temperature rose by 0.85*C
– From 1901 to 2010, the global average sea level rose by 19cm as oceans expanded due to warming and melting of the ice caps
https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/climate-change/
WWF:
Impacts of Climate Change on Wildlife:
Global warming is likely to be the greatest cause of species extinctions in this century. The IPCC says a 1.5*C average rise may put 20-30% of species at risk of extinction. If the planet warms by more than 2*C, most ecosystems will struggle.
Many of the worlds threatened species live in areas that will be severely affected by Climate Change. Climate Change is happening too quickly for many species to adapt to.
Example:
Tigers – Numbers in the wild have declined to as few as 3’200 largely due to poaching and habitat loss. Climate Change is likely to result in increasing sea levels and further risk of fire in the already fragmented habitats where Tigers live.
https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/effects-of/climate-change
World Health Organisation (WHO):
Climate Change threatens the essential ingredients of good health – clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply and safe shelter – and has the potential to undermine decades of progress in global health.
Between 2030 and 2050, Climate Change is expected to cause approximately 250’000 additional deaths per year, from nutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone. The direct damage costs to health is estimated to be between $2-4bn per year by 2030.
Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through better transport, food and energy-use choices can result in improved health, particularly through reduced air pollution. The Paris Climate agreement is therefore potentially the strongest health agreement of this century. WHO supports countries in assessing the health gains that would result from the implementation of the existing Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris agreement and the potential for larger gains from more ambitious climate action.
https://www.who.int/health-topics/climate-change#tab=tab_1
Climate Crisis 