What is Climate Change What is Climate Change

What is Climate Change?

What is Climate Change? • The Global Climate is changing. • Surface temperatures, precipitation, sea level, ice • Greenhouse gases are increasing. • Sometimes also called Global Warming.

Surface Temperatures are Rising:

Precipitation Patterns are Changing Summer Winter

Sea Levels are Rising and snow cover is decreasing

Why is this Happening?

Greenhouse Gas Concentrations are rising

Why are Greenhouse Gases Important? • “Blanket” that insulates the earth • Without greenhouse gases surface temperatures would be 60º F colder than they are now. • This is because they are responsible for a phenomenon called “The Greenhouse Effect” • Examples of greenhouse gases are: water vapor (H 2 O), carbon dioxide (CO 2) and methane (CH 4).

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Similar to your car on a hot day! • This phenomenon is similar to the warming that occurs in an automobile parked outside on a sunny day. • During the day, the sun’s energy passes through the car’s windshield • Energy re-radiated from the warm car cannot pass through the windshield, and the car warms up - a lot!

So how are humans enhancing the Greenhouse effect? • Burning fossil fuels puts more greenhouse gases (like CO 2) into the atmosphere. • Increasing the concentration of these gases blocks the escape of infrared radiation. • Too much = Climate Change.

The atmosphere as a bathtub • Fossil fuel tap • Bathtub represents atmosphere • Drain represents ocean and land

Climate Change: Huh? • Where? • Who?

What are the Solutions? • • • Individual? Community? State? Country? World?

Since 1950: Carbon Emissions Tripled

2050: Carbon Emissions Could Double Again!

Triple the Emissions? !

Significant Global Warming!

Can We Stop It?

What If?

Stabilization Triangle

Cut Carbon Emissions

Large Emission Cuts Needed: OUCH!

We Have the Technology!

One Wedge: Cut 1 Billion Tons Per Year

15 Strategies

Work Together

It Can Be Done!

Choose 7 Strategies

Wedges

Stabilization Wedges • 15 ways to cut carbon • Efficiency and Conservation • Fossil Fuel Based Strategies • Nuclear Energy • Renewables and Biostorage

Stabilization Wedges: A Concept and Game • Learn about technologies currently available • Understand scale of effort needed to address carbon and climate situation • Negotiate solutions

Judge/Assess • • Economic Social Environmental Political