Climate Change and Natural Resorces

Climate

an area’s long term atmospheric conditions (ex: the clothes in the closet)

temp, wind, precipitation, humidity, barometric pressure, solar radiation, ect.

Weather

describes conditions over a period of hours or days (ex: the clothes for today)

Climate Change

the changes in temperature, precipitation, and the frequency and intensity of storms across the world

Global warming

increase in earth’s average temp and is only one aspect in climate change

Wisconsin climate change

Precipitation is declining, temp is increasing which change many things, like maple harvesting

Three influencing factors

The sun -provides light and warmth

the atmosphere -prevents major temp shifts from day to night

the oceans -store carbon, heat and moisture

wicked problems

the problem cannot be understood until solutions have been developed, there is no correct solution, and the solution keeps changing

reasons for natural climate change

axel wobble, variation of tilt, and the variation of orbit, because in space, earth is not a perfect sphere and so its relationship to itself and its neighbors (i.e. the sun or the moon) change.

Greenhouse gasses

these gasses are in the atmosphere and create a greenhouse effect, so earth does not lose its heat so fast during night. However with the increase of humanity, there is an increase in greenhouse gasses

Reasons for human greenhouse gas emissions

increased use of fossil fuel, changing how land is being used, and interrupting photosynthesis and the great carbon sink that is the ocean.

Proxy indicator

a type of indirect measurement that serve as substitutes for direct measurements, like ice cores determining how much carbon in the atmosphere millions of years ago

Models

things that can help us predict the future and see the past

Oceans and climate change

water is getting hotter a more acidic,

sea levels rise because hot water takes up more space

Great Lakes and climate change

ice cover is more unpredictable

hotter and higher water levels

costal erosion

more unpredictable rain and storms

fish species migrate and habitats change

Infrastructure and climate change

concrete and steel production create 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

infrastructure now was designed for climate conditions in the past and struggle to keep up with the change

Built environment and climate change

flooding increase in severity and frequency impact economy and housing for millions

rapid fluctuations in high and low water levels decrease stability of costal bluffs, putting people and industries at risk

Agriculture and climate change

hotter and wetter climate create new conditions for plants that struggle to survive

Forestry and climate change

new pests and diseases are appearing, species are disappearing, and industries that use the forest like logging are struggling with storm damaged and less frozen earth

Ecology and Climate Change

amplification of ecosystem issues like invasive species, drought, fire, as well as specific ecosystems are more threatened than others, like deserts

Wildlife and Climate Change

warmer temps change habitats

decoupling of ecological systems, a mismatch of cycles that depend on each other

shifts in historic regions and migration patterns

Invasive species

more species are able to move from one place to another with the increase in human movement, and the change in climate everywhere,

these species cause problems for wildlife in area, and to human infrastructure.

Mitigation response to climate change

efforts to minimize the extent or impact of climate change, includes an attempt to curb greenhouse gasses being produced

Mitigation measures

efficiency in energy and overall production

conservation of resources

improvement of consumer and industrial goods

Reduce waste

Utilize renewables and novel ideas like carbon capture

Adaptation response for climate change

efforts to adapt or prepare for the effects of climate change

Adaptation Measures

Enhance resilience to vulnerable areas

prepare for instability in food production

Prepare for climate migrants and refugees

Monitor ecosystem functioning and climate indicators

Conservation of useable water

Project drawdown

focuses on currently available solutions that are finically viable, can grow and scale, and are quantifiable to reduce CO2 output

• reduce sources of CO2

• Support sinks of CO2

• Improve society

Paris agreement

created policies to help mitigate warming with lots of countries. However, political climate changes who is a part and what they can do

Inflation reduction act

provided tax incentives to increase electric vehicles, low carbon materials, renewable energy, and development in tech

Councils of the parties (COP)

a space for 150 different nations tot come together and talk about the environment

17 Sustainability goals

universal goals for sustainability project, includes a website with recommendations at many different difficulty levels

Carbon pricing

compensating public for harm done on environment

Carbon Tax

green tax on the emission of CO2

Fee-and-dividend approach

government takes money from corporations for CO2 emissions and gives it directly to the people

Carbon cap and trade

industries compete to lower carbon output to sell extra allotted output to others.