CLIMATE CHANGE OCTOBER 30, 2012

Journey in search of water and food…

GLOBAL WARMING OR

CLIMATE CHANGE

Global warming is the increase of the Earth’s average temperature due to the effects of greenhouse (heat trapping) gases such as carbon dioxide emissions, methane gas, ozone gas, chlorofluorocarbons(CFCS) and others.

Climate change is a long term change in the Earth’s climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature as a result of emissions of greenhouse gases.

SOURCE: IUCN, (2012). Climate Change Facts and Statistics.

THE CURRENT PACE OF GLOBAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE RISE PUTS APPROXIMATELY 20-30% OF PLANT AND ANIMALS SPECIES AT INCREASED RISK OF EXTINCTION!

SOURCE: IUCN, (2012). Climate Change Facts and Statistics.

What else is happening in the world

Rising sea levels-inundating fresh water marshlands and low lying areas.

Changes in rainfall patterns leading to droughts and fires in some areas

Increased likelihood of extreme events such as hurricanes, typhoons, tornados

Spread of tropical diseases such as malaria into new, warmer areas or regions.

Loss of plankton due to warming seas which will lead to loss of fish populations.

Wide spread vanishing of animal populations leading to widespread habitat loss.

Melting of ice caps leading to loss of habitat near the poles such as the polar bear.

High cost of constructing sea defenses in low lying coastal areas.

SOURCE Climate Change Facts and Statistics, 2006 IUCN Facts and figures on climate change fact Sheet, 2012.

Facts and figures of Climate Change

IPCC predicts that by 2020, 75-250 million people in Africa will be exposed to increased water stress due to climate change.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen from 290ppm to nearly 400ppm.

Industry, Electric Power Generation, Agriculture and Transportation are the four top sources of greenhouse gases.

Globally, eleven of the past twelve years have been the warmest on record.

Arctic temperatures are rising almost twice as fast as elsewhere in the world.

SOURCE Climate Change Facts and Statistics, 2006 IUCN Facts and figures on climate change fact Sheet, 2012.

An increase in disease associated with higher temperatures and vector-borne and water-borne diseases like cholera, malaria and dengue fever in tropical and sub-tropical areas.

Worsening drought conditions and desertification leading to more forest fires that disrupt subsistent agriculture, hunting and gathering livelihoods as well as biodiversity.

Increasing food insecurity due to declining fish populations and coral bleaching.

Excessive rainfall and prolonged droughts, resulting in dust storms that damage grasslands, seedlings other crops and livestock.

Crop damaging pest infestations such as locust, rats, spruce beetles and increasing food costs due to competition with the demand for bio fuels.

Economic loss of $5.8 billion and 41,ooo jobs lost because of droughts in Alberta and Saskatchewan in 2001 and 2008 that have affected the agriculture industry

The year 2010 was the warmest on record with average temperatures of 3 above normal.

Lower water levels in the Great Lakes, forcing ships to lighten their cargo, causing multimillion-dollar decreases in shipping volumes.

Average increase of 1.6 across Canada compared to global increase of 0.7

Combined spending of $1.2 billion by the government of Canada, British Columbia and Alberta to respond to the mountain pipe beetle epidemic that is resulting in the loss of 8,000 jobs and the closure of 16 lumber mills by 2018.

Pollution of indigenous people’s water

supply leading to the diarrhoea and

vomiting.

Sea level rise and associated coastal erosion are already threatening the viability of some

aboriginal settlements.

The Inuit of the arctic cannot longer hunt safely

as the ice is breaking up around

Impact on the ability of indigenous

communities to practice and celebrate their

culture as they have for thousands of years.

Reduced access to traditional food sources leaves

indigenous communities dependent on store-

bought food. This can put residence at greater

risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Climate Change is now a reality after years of skepticisms about its negative impacts on human lives and the environment. While climate change is a global phenomenon, its negative impacts are more severely felt by poor people and poor countries because of their dependence on natural resources and their limited capacity

to cope with climate variability and extremes.

As future development practitioners therefore, climate change issues should be one of the key things to incorporate into our

Development plans.

Some Key Programs in Reducing Climate Change

Choices in personal actions and business Operations

Carbon emissions trading or cap-and-trade

The Kyoto Protocol convention to reduce emissions of Co2 and five other greenhouse gases

Carbon Capture and storage

Energy efficiency and conservation

Reforestation and avoid deforestation

Carbon emissions tax

VIDEO http://vimeo.com/17433297

SOURCES

IUCN, (2012). Climate Change Facts and Statistics 2006. Retrieved from: http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/oceania/oceania_resources_and_publications/?9711/Facts-and-figures-on-Climate-Change. Site accessed in October 23, 2012.

Ford, J.D (2010). Vulnerability of Aboriginal health systems in Canada to climate change. Retrieved from: http://www.jamesford.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/in-press-version.pdf. Site accessed in October 24th, 2012.

ENS (2007). Environmental News Services. Oxford ,UK. Retrieved from: http://ens-newswire.com/2010/01/12/indigenous-peoples-on-climate-change-front-lines/. Accessed in October 23th, 2012.

United Nations University co-hosted meeting on climate change, Darwin, Australia, April 3, 2008.Memorandums to Environment Minister Peter Kent, by Environment Canada, March 5, 2012.Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2007). Climate mitigation in the short and medium term until 2030.

Ove Varsi, Magne (Feb. 2012). Environmental Protection.

SITES VISITED

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. Queensland Government. URL:http://ehp.qld.gov.au/index.html

The Earth Institute Columbia University. URL: http//www.climate change.gld.gov.au/pdf/climate-change in gld facts.

SELF EVALUATION The presentation was done within the time frame and linkages of ideas were good, but the presentation was not interactive enough with my classmates. I gave my summary and afterwards I made three questions for the class. Next time I need to find more innovative ways of involving my colleagues during my presentation. For example, by asking oral quick questions in the course of the presentation.

For the discussion I made three groups of three people each and I gave them the questions written below. The responses from colleagues were good and interesting.

Questions:

1.The world’s poor will suffer first and fore most from climate change. State any three of such consequences.2.State any three key programs of mitigation measures of climate change.3.State any one potential impact each on the first two of the MDGs.