Climate Change

Natural?

or

Man-made?

Outline

1. Definition of Climate Change

2. Opinions on Climate Change

3. Parameters to Measure Climate

Change

4. Conclusion

5. Suggestions

Definition

A change which is

attributed directly or

indirectly to human

activity that alters

the composition of

the global

atmosphere and

which is in addition

to natural climate

variability observed

over comparative

time periods.

1914 (Alaska) 2004 (Alaska)

Ice shrinkage Drought in Africa

Flood

Philip Stott, Emeritus Professor of Biogeography at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London says climate change is too complicated to be caused by just one factor, whether CO2 or clouds

Opinions on Climate Change

Parameters to Measure Climate Change

• Temperature

• Precipitation

• Sea level

• Solar activity

• Volcanic Eruption

• Chemical Composition

TemperatureChronology of global temperature profile

Since ice-age naturally being warmer. Small

fluctuation is caused by solar radiance variation

After industrial revolution (1800s) a

sharp increase occur.

Temperature increase linear with CO2

emission trend.

Source: NASA

• Precipitation: shows relative climate variation from

water balance.

Data source: NOAA, 2015

On average, total annual precipitation has increased over landareas in the United States and worldwide. Since 1901, globalprecipitation has increased at an average rate of 0.09 inches perdecade, while precipitation in the contiguous 48 states hasincreased at a rate of 0.15 inches per decade.

Sea Level

Solar Activity

Short term solar irradiance (daily basis)

Long term solar irradiance (annual basis)

Volcanic Eruptions

volcanic eruptions only has small

effect on global temperature increase

CO2 from volcanic activity= 110 milion

tonne/year but from human activity is

10,000x higher.

(scientificamerican.com)

Chemical composition of air/ water

Changed slowly after the end

of the last Ice Age, but began

to increase rapidly since

industrial evolution.

CO2 emit from

nature is always

in balance

From human

activity it cannot

be absorbed by

earth and ocean

Conclusion

• Natural cycle only contribute a small

effect on climate change, the most

dominant effect is coming from

human activity

Simple Things To Do

Turn off your computer or the TV

when you’re not using it.

Take shorter showers. Heating water uses energy.

Keep rooms cool by closing the blinds, shades, or

curtains.

Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Use energy saving lamps.

Simple Things To Do

Dress lightly when it’s hot instead of turning up

the air conditioning. Or use a fan.

Dress warmly when it’s cold instead of turning

up the heat.

Keep the air filters on your AC and furnace clean.

Walk short distances instead of asking for a

ride in the car.

Plant a tree.

Recycle.