Global Climate Change: Moving Forward

ECOL1000: Ecological Basis of Environmental Issues

Lecture 19: Global Climate Change - Moving Forward

Oceanic CO2 Concentration

  • Current atmospheric CO2 concentration trends highlighted.

  • Historical data indicates CO2 levels approaching 380 ppm.

  • Global ocean acidification:

    • Ocean water acidity measured on pH scale.

    • Notable pH levels around 8.14 to 8.06 from 1985-2005.

Global Temperature Change

  • Global temperature changes from 1901-2000 indicated.

  • Decade Averages:

    • 2000s - every year warmer than 1990s average.

    • 1990s - every year warmer than 1980s average.

    • 1980s marked as the warmest decade on record at the time.

  • Visual representation of temperature changes:

    • A decline in temperatures noted from the 1800s into the late 1900s approaching -1.2°F in some years.

Projected Patterns of Precipitation Changes

  • Changes expected in winter and summer precipitation patterns.

  • Possible percentage shifts in expected rainfall rates outlined.

Recent Weather and Climate Disasters in the U.S. (2024)

  • An overview of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters detailed:

    • Includes tornado outbreaks, droughts, flooding, and severe weather events from 2024:

    • Central and Eastern Tornado Outbreak (April).

    • Wildfires in New Mexico (June-July).

  • Financial costs summarized:

    • Last 5 years (2020-2024) result in $755.8 billion in economic losses.

    • Average costs per year about $151.2 billion.

    • Total deaths attributed to these events: 2,520 (approx. 504 per year).

Global Policy: The Paris Agreement

  • Primary goals of the Paris Agreement:

    • Temperature Control:

    • Keep global average temperature increase below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

    • Pursue efforts to limit increase to 1.5°C.

    • Adaptation and Resilience:

    • Enhance capacity to adapt to climate change impacts without threatening food production.

    • Finance Consistency:

    • Align financial flows with low greenhouse gas emissions pathways.

  • Countries urged to peak their greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible.

  • The agreement seen as an incentive for fossil fuel divestment.

U.S. and China Joining the Paris Agreement

  • Overview of US and China joining the Paris Agreement in September 2016:

    • Together responsible for 40% of world carbon emissions.

    • Obama describes the effort as pivotal.

    • The agreement needs ratification from 55 countries that produce at least 55% of global emissions to become legal.

Movement Towards the Agreement's Official Implementation

  • As of October 2016, 73 countries and EU surpassed thresholds for emissions, leading to implementation on November 4, 2016.

  • UN Secretary-General remarks on the urgency and possibility of strong international cooperation.

U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

  • June 2017 statement of the U.S. withdrawing:

    • Claims made by Trump that it undermines the U.S. economy.

    • Criticism faced domestically and internationally from various platforms (environmentalists, scientists, religious organizations).

    • Following administration changes, Biden’s executive order rejoined the agreement in February 2021.

Climate Change Perspectives and Attitudes

  • Gloom and Doom: A perspective showcasing hopelessness regarding climate change.

  • Technological Fix: Belief in human ingenuity and science fixing arising issues.

  • Rosy Optimism: Overly simplistic belief that everything will resolve itself.

  • Frontier: View that human resourcefulness will yield solutions.

  • Evaluate and Respond: Emphasizes action based on evidence and available options.

IPCC Working Group III on Climate Mitigation Options (April 2022)

  • Various strategies assessed including:

    • Energy Supply: Transition to renewables - wind, solar, etc.; CCS for fossil fuels.

    • Transport: Increase fuel efficiency and shift to public transport systems.

    • Buildings: Promote energy-efficient designs and technologies.

    • Industry: Encourage recycling and energy-efficient practices.

    • Agriculture: Improve sustainable practices to manage carbon emissions.

    • Forestry: Advocating for reforestation efforts and reduced deforestation.

    • Waste Management: Implement methane recovery and better resource management practices.

Stabilization Wedges Concept

  • Stabilizing emissions requires reducing emissions by approximately 7 gigatons of CO2 over 50 years.

  • Identification of 15 stabilization wedges to potentially reduce 1 gigaton each:

    • Suggested actions include:

    • Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)

    • Increase energy efficiency and adopt sustainable energy practices.

    • Forestry and agricultural improvements.

Climate Engineering Approaches

  • Various climate engineering methods discussed:

    • Radiation Management methods: Space mirrors, reflective aerosols.

    • Carbon Dioxide Removal techniques: Biochar, artificial upwelling.

IPCC Climate Change Report Findings

  • Landmark analysis stating that transitioning to clean energy is affordable and feasible.

  • Economic impacts of moving from fossil fuels to renewables projected to be minimal (0.06% reduction in growth).

  • Urgency emphasized from various global leaders regarding immediate actions.

Collaborative Efforts and Public Advocacy

  • March for Science highlighted the importance of scientific advocacy in making informed policy.

  • Call to action for collective efforts to prioritize scientific integrity in environmental policies.

Concluding Thoughts

  • Acknowledgment that solutions exist to combat climate change.

  • Emphasis on the necessity to act sooner rather than later to mitigate rising challenges both economically and environmentally.