Climate Change

Our Earth's climate has always been variable, today the term “climate change” is generally used to describe weather pattern changes attributed to non natural activity - specifically, the generation of gases such as Carbon Dioxide and Methane by the human population.

As the Earth’s population and human activity increases, the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane gases in the atmosphere are increasing far beyond their natural levels. This results in more heat being trapped within the earth’s atmosphere, in effect changing the climate. The term climate change is often used interchangeably with the term global warming.

Measurements at the Earth's surface show that average temperatures have risen by some 0.4°C since the 1970s and are still rising. The earth’s oceans have also seen increases in water temperature threatening important eco systems and ocean currents like the gulf stream, this has adverse effects on the world's weather systems. All over the world we are apparently seeing more intense weather patterns from droughts to flash flooding although there is as yet insufficient statistical data to to confirm this beyond doubt.

Scientists are confident that the temperature increase, at least in part, can be blamed on the “human factor” because this increase is occuring too rapidly to be explained by natural causes. By studying other warming periods in the earth's history it is apparent that airborne CO₂ concentrations generally rise after the warming period. In the current situation however the increasing CO₂ trend is occuring at the outset of the warming period. This is probably the clearest indication that the problem is at least partially man made.

The concentration of water vapour in our atmosphere produces the strongest effects, but it has been more or less constant for millions of years. Human greenhouse gas emissions, though relatively small, have changed the equilibrium concentration.

Carbon dioxide is the largest greenhouse gas produced by the human population due to our reliance on fossil fuels. CO₂ is produced when we burn these fuels like oil, gas and coal. The level of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere is measured in parts per million.

Before the industrial revolution, the carbon dioxide levels were about 280ppm. It is now 386ppm and rising by every year. Whilst this is may seem a very small concetration it appears to have a considerable impact upon the balance between energy escaping and remaining trapped in the atmosphere. When this is combined with the effects of other greenhouse gases such as methane and refrigerants the effects are compounded.

Leading world Scientists and climatologists say continued greenhouse emissions will cause our planet's climate to heat up further. To work out how much, they use complex computer modelling using climate history patterns gathered over many years, ice core evaluation from the polar regions, ocean current and temperature evaluations and programs used to predict current weather patterns.

To obtain a more accurate picture, scientists and climatologists use many different modelling techniques and share the results. Most computer models predict that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at the current rate, average temperatures on our planet will probably increase by at least 4°C by 2100.

Natural phenomena, for example chemical changes within the planet's oceans or volcanic eruptions, could release massive stocks of carbon as the world warms, leading to much greater temperature rises than human emissions alone would cause.

Most of the planet's current biological make up has evolved over time in a period of minimal temperature change that has allowed life on our planet to flourish in near perfect conditions to sustain life. Some have evolved over time to live in more inhospitable parts of the earth such as the polar regions, and deserts found in the different hemispheres’ on earth.

Rapid increases in the average temperature of the planet may outstrip the speed at which plants and animals can adapt. Some species will adapt more readily than others and some will solve the problem by migration those which can't, will perish.

Sea levels will rise as increased temperatures melt the massive ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. This would cause flooding around the globe with many countries being effected by sea level increase, some such as the Maldives in the Indian Ocean may disappear completely. Massive human displacement would have an effect on the global economy

Scientists say the only realistic way to limit climate change, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Because it takes time for the heat to build up in the atmosphere, and because carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for a long time, there is a time lag of many decades before any changes take effect. The world’s leading nations must take a stance now and bring in legislative changes to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions and help the third world nations through financing and renewable technology sharing to improve their standard of living at the same time as reducing their emissions.

Key business figures should lead the way in reducing their organizations' carbon emissions and changing the way they do business ensuring their supply chain from other companies is equally efficient in reducing carbon. Businesses should look at using renewable technologies including solar collectors and wind turbines to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Some business leaders, such as Sir Richard Branson, have stood up to be counted. Sir Richard has stated that all proceeds from the Virgin group's transportation business will be used to tackle environmental issues around the globe. This could amount to several billion pounds over the coming years. On the 9th February 2007 the Virgin group also put up a prize of 25 million dollars for the person or group that invents and develops a commercially viable design which will result in the removal or displacement of a significant amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Resources must be made available for new carbon saving technologies to become widely available and for further renewable technologies to be developed. Every government, business and individual must take responsibility for their actions and work together to protect our world and our children’s futures, we are running out of time avoid the worst consequences of global warming, we must all act now to make sure we have a future...

The world has only one existing treaty to limit emissions this is 'The Kyoto Protocol', and it expires in 2012. Politicians are working together to develop a treaty that will include countries such as such as China and the USA.

On the 7th December government ministers and environmental officials from most of the worlds countries met in Copenhagen to create a new treaty to address climate change and world emissions. They were unsuccesful however and talks are still ongoing to find an acceptable compromise between the developed and developing countries.

Copenhagen climate summit negotiations 'suspended'

Negotiations at the UN climate summit have been suspended after many developing countries withdrew their co-operation. Delegations were angry at what they saw as moves by the Danish host government to sideline talks on more emission cuts under the Kyoto Protocol. As news spread around the conference centre, activists chanted "We stand with Africa - Kyoto targets now".

Quoted from BBC website 14.12.2009

The University of East Anglia has a world leading department evaluating climate change and its effects. Recently leaked emails from the university found their way onto the internet which gave reason to doubt that the global warming is advancing due to human input. The scientists concerned stated that their emails were taken out of context. More than 1,700 scientists have retaliated against the climate sceptics in a new development in reference to the stolen emails at the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit.

British climate change scientists have signed a petition, in collaboration with the Met Office, to defend the integrity of global warming research in the wake of the row.

Reports focused on data material taken from servers at UEA and claimed that researchers had been manipulating evidence to support their theory of man-made global warming.

The petition, signed by the scientists, says: "We, members of the UK science community, have the utmost confidence in the observational evidence for global warming and the scientific basis for concluding that it is due primarily to human activities."

This move came as representatives from 190 countries gathered in Copenhagen for UN climate change talks.

The Met Office said John Hirst, its chief executive, and Julia Slingo, its chief scientist, wrote to 70 colleagues on Sunday asking them to sign "to defend our profession against this unprecedented attack to discredit us and the science of climate change".

They asked that the petition be forwarded to colleagues to generate support "for a simple statement that we... have the utmost confidence in the science base that underpins the evidence for global warming".

UEA has appointed Scottish civil servant and former principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, Sir Muir Russell, to head an independent review into the email allegations.The investigation will look at the leaked email exchanges to see if there is any evidence of manipulation of data which would call into question the research findings of the UEA climate change centre.