>>to view more in-depth info on Climate Reality, view previous post.
We researched general information on climate change:
- WHAT IT IS
- climate change can refer to the change in the "statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of time."
- however, the definition we are using are climate change caused by human activity as opposed to by the Earth's natural processes
- CAUSES (anthropogenic)
- increasing concentration of greenhouse gases
- primarily CO2: burning fossil fuels
- mass deforestation
- waste and other pollution
- prevents the environment to be able to withstand climate change
- IMPACTS (vary depending on region)
- changes in global temperature
- rise of sea level
- change in pattern of precipitation
- expansion of deserts
- retreating of glaciers
- drastic climate events
- heat waves
- droughts
- heavy rainfall
- heavy snowfall
- ocean acidification
- species extinction
- how effects humans:
- threatens food security by decreasing of crops
- loss of habitat due to inundations
- SOLUTIONS
- trying to limit the magnitude of damage caused by carbon emissions
- reforestation and extending green areas
- creating economic motivation for entities that make an effort to create more efficient energy sources
- energy efficiency
- adaptation
- effects will take time to diminish, so have to adapt to climate change in order to withstand these changes
- developing countries will suffer the most due to economic complications
- future climate engineering
- EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
- global sea level rose 17 centimeters in last century
- rate in last decade = double the rate of last century
- earth has warmed since 1880
- mostly occurred since 1970s
- surface temperatures continue to overall increase
- top 700 meters of ocean are .302 degrees fahrenheit warmer since 1969
- antarctic ice shelf mass loss
- greenland and antarctic ice sheets decreased in mass
- greenland: lost 150 - 250 cubic kilometers of ice between 2002 - 2006
- antarctica: lost 152 cubic kilometers between 2002 - 2005
- extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice declined rapidly over last several decades
- satellite images
- glaciers are retreating everywhere including the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska, Africa
- number of record high temperature events in the U.S. has been increasing
- number of record low temps decreasing since 1950
- increasing numbers of intense rainfall events
- acidity of surface ocean increased by 30 percent since Industrial Revolution
- amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by upper layer of oceans is increasing by 2 billion tons/year
- satellite observations show amount of spring snow cover in Northern Hemisphere has decreased over past 5 decades
- snow melting earlier
- DENIAL CAMPAIGNS
- campaigns designed to “confuse the public about the level of agreement among climate scientists”
- A dismissal of global warming and its connection to human behavior
- even though global warming is scientifically proven, denial campaigns seek to instill doubt in people
- has contributed to government inaction and lowered public concern
- there’s a gap between public perception and reality
- global warming skepticism is increasing: only 65% of U.S. citizens think of climate change as serious to somewhat serious (in 2007, 77% of the U.S. population believed climate change to be a serious issue)
- wealthy Republicans are more likely to dispute climate change
- Mostly associated with:
- fossil fuels lobby
- Koch brothers
- industry advocates
- free market think tanks
- Arguments:
- global warming is not occurring
- global warming is not by human action
- it is not because of carbon dioxide
- How to Talk to a Skeptic: grist.org
- RECENT NEWS
- jim inhofe climate change skeptic in the senate
- 2014 pope francis speaks about climate change - effects public opinion
Revised Persona
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