A Climate Change Perspective Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over

periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average (e.g., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region or may occur across the whole Earth.
Global climate is influenced by many different components of our planet, from small things, like aerosol particles in the atmosphere and fertilizer, to big things, like erupting volcanoes and ocean circulation. Because so many different things affect climate, it is an excellent example of how Earth is an interconnected system. This online course explores Earth as a system from the perspective of climate and global change, describing the interactions between the various parts of the Earth system, including human activities, and how they all affect our climate. The potential future effects of global climate change include more frequent wildfires, longer periods of drought in some regions and an increase in the number, duration and intensity of tropical storms.

Related literature about global climate change

The global warmers don't have any science apart from models this and models that. Garbage in equals garbage out. How do they observe "climate" being as climate is supposed to be the average weather over a long period of time? How does anybody seriously study climate with no raw data, or havent they heard the historical climate data appears to be missing. In its place is a bunch of homogenized crap made up by a guy we should all trust because he like them only has our best interest at heart and honest he got it all right the first time and didnt need it any more so he deleted it? How do they calculate man made carbon dioxide when 72% of the planet is under oceans and nobody has the slightest clue how many undersea volcanoes that are active? There could be 300% or more unknown CO2 spewing sources under our oceans. When the main greenhouse gas, water is 99.9 % more prevalent than Carbon dioxide why has the climate never run away as they all claim a couple parts per million of CO2 is supposed to do. What happened to the 4500 missing weather stations that we used up until 1970s. How do they compare the temperature of a planet over time when they are not even using the same data sources? Why are 300 weather stations in Canadas Arctic ignored and only one used? Its situated on an Island known as the garden spot of the Arctic.

What is Global Warming?

Global Warming is the increase of Earth's average surface temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect.

Is global warming, caused by human activity, even remotely plausible?

Earth's climate is mostly influenced by the first 6 miles or so of the atmosphere which contains most of the matter making up the atmosphere. This is really a very thin layer if you think about it. In the book The End of Nature, author Bill McKibbin tells of walking three miles to from his cabin in the Adirondack's to buy food. Afterwards, he realized that on this short journey he had traveled a distance equal to that of the layer of the atmosphere where almost all the action of our climate is contained. In fact, if you were to view Earth from space, the principle part of the atmosphere would only be about as thick as the skin on an onion! Realizing this makes it more plausible to suppose that human beings can change the climate. A look at the amount of greenhouse gases we are spewing into the atmosphere (see below), makes it even more plausible.

What are the Greenhouse Gases?

The most significant greenhouse gas is actually water vapor, not something produced directly by humankind in significant amounts. However, even slight increases in atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) can cause a substantial increase in temperature. Why is this? There are two reasons: First, although the concentrations of these gases are not nearly as large as that of oxygen and nitrogen (the main constituents of the atmosphere), neither oxygen or nitrogen are greenhouse gases. This is because neither has more than two atoms per molecule (i.e. their molecular forms are O2 and N2, respectively), and so they lack the internal vibrational modes that molecules with more than two atoms have. Both water and CO2, for example, have these "internal vibrational modes", and these vibrational modes can absorb and reradiate infrared radiation, which causes the greenhouse effect. Secondly, CO2 tends to remain in the atmosphere for a very long time (time scales in the hundreds of years). Water vapor, on the other hand, can easily condense or evaporate, depending on local conditions. Water vapor levels therefore tend to adjust quickly to the prevailing conditions, such that the energy flows from the Sun and re-radiation from the Earth achieve a balance. CO2 tends to remain fairly constant and therefore behave as a controlling factor, rather than a reacting factor. More CO2 means that the balance occurs at higher temperatures and water vapor levels.

http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/Global_Warming/fossil_fuels_and_global_war ming.htm

Interrelations among climate change, air pollution and ozone

There are complex interrelationships involving air pollution, stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change. Human industrial and agricultural activity has been a driving factor in contributing to each of these problems. In a number of instances actions to limit emissions to address one problem will have effects on others as well. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that are the leading cause of stratospheric ozone depletion are also powerful greenhouse gases so actions to curtail their use will help in climate protection as well as in preserving the stratospheric ozone layer. Similarly actions to substitute renewable energy for fossil fuels or to increase energy efficiency in order to protect the climate are likely also to result in an improvement in air quality. Sometimes, however, there are tradeoffs between these objectives as control measures are directed toward one objective. Scrubbers on coal-fired power plants to reduce air pollution may result in more energy consumption and an increase in greenhouse emissions. Both increases in global mean surface temperature and depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer are likely to affect the photochemical reactions that create ground level ozone or smog and in most cases aggravate the air pollution problem, to some extent negating the effectiveness of many air pollution control measures. http://www.climate.org/topics/climate-change/index.html

Causes of climate change

The earth's climate is dynamic and always changing through a natural cycle. What the world is more worried about is that the changes that are occurring today have been speeded up because of man's activities. These changes are being studied by scientists all over the world who are finding evidence from tree rings, pollen samples, ice cores, and sea sediments. The causes of climate change can be divided into two categories - those that are due to natural causes and those that are created by man.

Natural causes
There are a number of natural factors responsible for climate change. Some of the more prominent ones are continental drift, volcanoes, ocean currents, the earth's tilt, and comets and meteorites. Let's look at them in a little detail. Continental drift You may have noticed something peculiar about South America and Africa on a map of the world - don't they seem to fit into each other like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle?

About 200 million years ago they were joined together! Scientists believe that back then, the earth was not as we see it today, but the continents were all part of one large landmass. Proof of this comes from the similarity between plant and animal fossils and broad belts of rocks found on the eastern coastline of South America and western coastline of Africa, which are now widely separated by the Atlantic Ocean. The discovery of fossils of tropical plants (in the form of coal deposits) in Antarctica has led to the conclusion that this frozen land at some time in the past, must have been situated closer to the equator, where the climate was tropical, with swamps and plenty of lush vegetation. The continents that we are familiar with today were formed when the landmass began gradually drifting apart, millions of years back. This drift also had an impact on the climate because it changed the physical features of the landmass, their position and the position of water bodies. The separation of the landmasses changed the flow of ocean currents and winds, which affected the climate. This drift of the continents continues even today; the Himalayan range is rising by about 1 mm (millimeter) every year because the Indian land mass is moving towards the Asian land mass, slowly but steadily. Volcanoes When a volcano erupts it throws out large volumes of sulphur dioxide (SO2), water vapour, dust, and ash into the atmosphere. Although the volcanic activity may last only a few days, yet the large volumes of gases and ash can influence climatic patterns for years. Millions of tonnes of sulphur dioxide gas can reach the upper levels of the atmosphere (called the stratosphere) from a major eruption. The gases and dust particles partially block the incoming rays of the sun, leading to cooling. Sulphur dioxide combines with water to form tiny droplets of sulphuric acid. These droplets are so small that many of them can stay aloft for several years. They are efficient reflectors of sunlight, and screen the ground from some of the energy that it would ordinarily receive from the sun. Winds in the upper levels of the atmopshere, called the stratosphere, carry the aerosols rapidly around the globe in either an easterly or westerly direction. Movement of aerosols north and south is always much slower. This should give you some idea of the ways by which cooling can be brought about for a few years after a major volcanic eruption. Mount Pinatoba, in the Philippine islands erupted in April 1991 emitting thousands of tonnes of gases into the atmosphere. Volcanic eruptions of this magnitude can reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface, lowering temperatures in the lower levels of the atmosphere (called the troposphere), and changing atmospheric circulation patterns. The extent to which this occurs is an ongoing debate. Another striking example was in the year 1816, often referred to as "the year without a summer." Significant weather-related disruptions occurred in New England and in Western Europe with killing summer frosts in the United States and Canada. These strange phenomena were attributed to a major eruption of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia, in 1815. The earth's tilt The earth makes one full orbit around the sun each year. It is tilted at an angle of 23.5 to the perpendicular plane of its orbital path. For one half of the year when it is summer, the northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun. In the other half when it is winter, the earth is tilted away from the sun. If there was no tilt we would not have experienced seasons. Changes in the tilt of the earth can affect the severity of the seasons - more tilt means warmer summers and colder winters; less tilt means cooler summers and milder winters. The Earth's orbit is somewhat elliptical, which means that the distance between the earth and the Sun varies over the course of a year. We usually think of the earth's axis as being fixed, after all, it always seems to point toward Polaris (also known as the Pole Star and the North Star). Actually, it is not quite constant: the axis does move, at the rate of a little more than a half-degree each century. So Polaris has not always been, and will not always be, the star pointing to the

North. When the pyramids were built, around 2500 BC, the pole was near the star Thuban (Alpha Draconis). This gradual change in the direction of the earth's axis, called precession is responsible for changes in the climate. Ocean currents The oceans are a major component of the climate system. They cover about 71% of the Earth and absorb about twice as much of the sun's radiation as the atmosphere or the land surface. Ocean currents move vast amounts of heat across the planet - roughly the same amount as the atmosphere does. But the oceans are surrounded by land masses, so heat transport through the water is through channels. Winds push horizontally against the sea surface and drive ocean current patterns. Certain parts of the world are influenced by ocean currents more than others. The coast of Peru and other adjoining regions are directly influenced by the Humboldt current that flows along the coastline of Peru. The El Nio event in the Pacific Ocean can affect climatic conditions all over the world. Another region that is strongly influenced by ocean currents is the North Atlantic. If we compare places at the same latitude in Europe and North America the effect is immediately obvious. Take a closer look at this example - some parts of coastal Norway have an average temperature of -2C in January and 14C in July; while places at the same latitude on the Pacific coast of Alaska are far colder: -15C in January and only 10C in July. The warm current along the Norewgian coast keeps much of the Greenland-Norwegian Sea free of ice even in winter. The rest of the Arctic Ocean, even though it is much further south, remains frozen. Ocean currents have been known to change direction or slow down. Much of the heat that escapes from the oceans is in the form of water vapour, the most abundant greenhouse gas on Earth. Yet, water vapor also contributes to the formation of clouds, which shade the surface and have a net cooling effect. Any or all of these phenomena can have an impact on the climate, as is believed to have happened at the end of the last Ice Age, about 14,000 years ago.

Human causes
The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century saw the large-scale use of fossil fuels for industrial activities. These industries created jobs and over the years, people moved from rural areas to the cities. This trend is continuing even today. More and more land that was covered with vegetation has been cleared to make way for houses. Natural resources are being used extensively for construction, industries, transport, and consumption. Consumerism (our increasing want for material things) has increased by leaps and bounds, creating mountains of waste. Also, our population has increased to an incredible extent. All this has contributed to a rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas supply most of the energy needed to run vehicles, generate electricity for industries, households, etc. The energy sector is responsible for about of the carbon dioxide emissions, 1/5 of the methane emissions and a large quantity of nitrous oxide. It also produces nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) which are not greenhouse gases but do have an influence on the chemical cycles in the atmosphere that produce or destroy greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases and their sources Carbon dioxide is undoubtedly, the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Changes in land use pattern, deforestation, land clearing, agriculture, and other activities have all led to a rise in the emission of carbon dioxide.

Methane is another important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. About of all methane emissions are said to come from domesticated animals such as dairy cows, goats, pigs, buffaloes, camels, horses, and sheep. These animals produce methane during the cud-chewing process. Methane is also released from rice or paddy fields that are flooded during the sowing and maturing periods. When soil is covered with water it becomes anaerobic or lacking in oxygen. Under such conditions, methane-producing bacteria and other organisms decompose organic matter in the soil to form methane. Nearly 90% of the paddy-growing area in the world is found in Asia, as rice is the staple food there. China and India, between them, have 80-90% of the world's rice-growing areas. Methane is also emitted from landfills and other waste dumps. If the waste is put into an incinerator or burnt in the open, carbon dioxide is emitted. Methane is also emitted during the process of oil drilling, coal mining and also from leaking gas pipelines (due to accidents and poor maintenance of sites). A large amount of nitrous oxide emission has been attributed to fertilizer application. This in turn depends on the type of fertilizer that is used, how and when it is used and the methods of tilling that are followed. Contributions are also made by leguminous plants, such as beans and pulses that add nitrogen to the soil. How we all contribute every day All of us in our daily lives contribute our bit to this change in the climate. Give these points a good, serious thought: Electricity is the main source of power in urban areas. All our gadgets run on electricity generated mainly from thermal power plants. These thermal power plants are run on fossil fuels (mostly coal) and are responsible for the emission of huge amounts of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. - Cars, buses, and trucks are the principal ways by which goods and people are transported in most of our cities. These are run mainly on petrol or diesel, both fossil fuels. - We generate large quantities of waste in the form of plastics that remain in the environment for many years and cause damage. - We use a huge quantity of paper in our work at schools and in offices. Have we ever thought about the number of trees that we use in a day? - Timber is used in large quantities for construction of houses, which means that large areas of forest have to be cut down. - A growing population has meant more and more mouths to feed. Because the land area available for agriculture is limited (and in fact, is actually shrinking as a result of ecological degradation!), high-yielding varieties of crop are being grown to increase the agricultural output from a given area of land. However, such high-yielding varieties of crops require large quantities of fertilizers; and more fertilizer means more emissions of nitrous oxide, both from the field into which it is put and the fertilizer industry that makes it. Pollution also results from the run-off of fertilizer into water bodies.

RELATED STUDY

Study Bolsters Greenhouse Effect Theory, Solves Ice Age Mystery

ScienceDaily (Jan. 31, 2005) COLUMBUS, Ohio Critics who dismiss the importance of greenhouse gases as a cause of climate change lost one piece of ammunition this week. In a new study, scientists found further evidence of the role that greenhouse gases have played in Earths climate. In Thursdays issue of the journal Geology, Ohio State University scientists report that a long-ago ice age occurred 10 million years earlier than once thought. The new date clears up an inconsistency that has dogged climate change research for years. Of three ice ages that occurred in the last half-billion years, the earliest ice age posed problems for scientists, explained Matthew Saltzman, assistant professor of geological sciences at Ohio State. Previous studies suggested that this particular ice age happened during a time that should have been very warm, when volcanoes all over the earths surface were spewing carbon dioxide (CO2) and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. With CO2 levels as much as 20 times higher than today, the late Ordovician period (460440 million years ago) wasnt a good time for growing ice. Critics have pointed to the inconsistency as a flaw in scientists theories of climate change. Scientists have argued that todays global climate change has been caused in part by buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere resulting from fossil fuel emissions. Effects of Air-Pollution Control on Death Rates in Sweden: an Intervention Study

Contact the author Author Claudia Cusinello, University of York, UK, 2005 Abstract The Carbon Tax is one of the main climate change policies aimed to reduce the CO2 emissions. Policies aimed to contain CO2 emissions, by limiting the burning of fossil fuels, also decrease emissions of other greenhouse gases (GHGs), e.g. SO2, NO2, PM10 and SO4, avoiding changes in temperatures and damaging effects on human health. Sweden has been one of the first countries in the world to introduce Carbon Taxes on the 1st January 1991 levied on oil, coal, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas, petrol and aviation fuel in domestic traffic. An evaluation study of the Swedish Carbon Tax carried out by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency concludes that the CO2 tax [] has helped to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in line with Swedish environmental policy.

The review of part of the existing literature on epidemiological studies confirms that pollution and increased mortality have been associated in many different parts of the world. Nevertheless, there is still a great uncertainty about the methodological reliability of these studies as few performed panel data analysis and/or investigated the role played by the environmental policy legislation. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a climate change mitigation policy, i.e. the carbon tax, has contributed to reduce the death rate through a reduction in the level of air pollutants in five Swedish counties over the period 1985-2000. A monthly panel data set was used to analyse the effects of four pollutants (NO2, SO2, SO4, O3) on death rates caused by cardiovascular and respiratory problems by gender. Each model was adjusted for seasonality. Moreover, a structural change analysis estimated the efficacy of the Carbon Tax. Most of the results obtained were consistent with the literature as NO2, SO2, SO4 and O3 were found to have a significant and adverse impact on human health. In particular, SO2 resulted to be responsible for both cardiovascular and respiratory deaths especially in the colder months when the concentration levels were at their highest. Moreover, the implementation of the Carbon Tax was shown to have contributed to a reduction in death rates. In particular, reductions in SO2 resulted to have a significant impact in limiting the number of deaths for cardiovascular male disease. SO4 had the same effects on cardiovascular female and respiratory female mortality.