Geography - climate change

Climate change

Any significant change in the Earths' climate over a long period. The climate constantly changes, it always has, and it always will.

How can we tell climate change has happened

Ice and sediment cores

Pollen analysis

Tree rings

Natural causes

Orbital changes (more solar radiation)

Volcaanic activity (debris from the eruption can reflect light)

Solar output (reduced solar output cools the earth)

Human causes

Burning of fossil fuels add to the greenhouse effect

Farming (livestock and rice) release methane

Deforestation stops plants from absorbing the carbon dioxide

Environmental effects

Sea levels rise

Ice caps melt

More flooding

Bleaching of coral reefs

Decrease biodiversity

Impacts on people

Death due to heat

To warm to live in some areas

Costal areas lost to the water

Changes to farming

Mitigation

Planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide

Carbon capture and storage

Clean energy production

International agreements

Adaptation

Changes to farming

Managing water supplies

Better flood warning systems