CLIMATE

CHANGE AND
RELATED
PROBLEMS

DONE BY,
A V M KRISHNA RAO
17MIS0032
Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts

for an extended period of time (i.e., decades to millions of years). Climate change may refer to a

change in average weather conditions, or in the time variation of weather within the context of

longer-term average conditions. Climate change is caused by factors such as biotic processes,

variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. Certain

human activities have been identified as primary causes of ongoing climate change, often referred to

as global warming.

Scientists actively work to understand past and future climate by using observations and theoretical

models. A climate record—extending deep into the Earth's past—has been assembled, and continues

to be built up, based on geological evidence from borehole temperature profiles, cores removed from

deep accumulations of ice, floral and faunal records, glacial and periglacial processes, stable-isotope

and other analyses of sediment layers, and records of past sea levels. More recent data are provided

by the instrumental record. General circulation models, based on the physical sciences, are often

used in theoretical approaches to match past climate data, make future projections, and link causes

and effects in climate change.

lost to space determine the equilibrium temperature and climate of Earth. This energy is distributed

around the globe by winds, ocean currents, and other mechanisms to affect the climates of different

regions.

Factors that can shape climate are called climate forcings or "forcing mechanisms". These include

processes such as variations in solar radiation, variations in the Earth's orbit, variations in

the albedo or reflectivity of the continents, atmosphere, and oceans, mountain-

building and continental drift and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. There are a variety

of climate change feedbacks that can either amplify or diminish the initial forcing. Some parts of the

climate system, such as the oceans and ice caps, respond more slowly in reaction to climate forcings,

while others respond more quickly. There are also key threshold factors which when exceeded can

produce rapid change.

processes within the climate system itself (e.g., the thermohaline circulation). External forcing

mechanisms can be either natural (e.g., changes in solar output, the earth's orbit, volcano eruptions)

or anthropogenic (e.g. increased emissions of greenhouse gases and dust).

Whether the initial forcing mechanism is internal or external, the response of the climate system

might be fast (e.g., a sudden cooling due to airborne volcanic ash reflecting sunlight), slow

(e.g. thermal expansion of warming ocean water), or a combination (e.g., sudden loss of albedo in

the Arctic Ocean as sea ice melts, followed by more gradual thermal expansion of the water).

Therefore, the climate system can respond abruptly, but the full response to forcing mechanisms

might not be fully developed for centuries or even longer.

Internal forcing mechanisms:

 Life
External forcing mechanisms:
 Orbital Variations

 Solar output

 Volcanism

 Plate tectonics

 Human influences

The impacts
The impacts of climate change are already being felt. Average global temperatures have risen every

decade since the 1970s, and the 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1997.

Glaciers, permafrost and sea ice are disappearing. Sea levels are rising, coral reefs dying, seasons

changing and extreme weather events becoming more common. The impacts of climate change are

already responsible for killing an estimated 315,000 people every year and damaging ecosystems.

And this is just the beginning – the science predicts that anything more than 2°C rise in global

temperatures puts us on the road to potentially catastrophic problems. There will be more flooding,
more drought, more disease, more famine and more war, creating hundreds of millions of refugees

and causing the destruction of entire ecosystems and species.

Problems
 Weather is getting more extreme: Heatwaves are more frequent worldwide. The

increased evaporation of water is like fuel for storms, exacerbating extreme weather events,

such as hurricanes. Rising sea levels make storm surges capable of much greater damage. In

more naturally arid areas, droughts and wildfires intensify.

 The oceans are getting hotter, expanding and becoming more acidic: They are

getting hotter because they absorb 90 percent of the extra heat in the climate. This shift

causes the oceans to expand, contributing to higher sea levels, and strips corals of their vivid

colors. Meanwhile, nearly a third of carbon dioxide emissions end up in the oceans, triggering

a chemistry change that makes the water more acidic, dissolving the shells of sea creatures.

The ocean is almost 40 percent more acidic than it used to be.

 Climate change is a major threat to agriculture: Where, how and when we grow food is

vitally connected to our climate's normal patterns. Worldwide, farmers are struggling to keep
 up with shifting weather patterns and increasingly unpredictable water supplies. Farms are

more likely to face attacks from weeds, diseases and pests, which reduce yield.

 Warmer, polluted air affects our health: A warmer atmosphere increases the formation

of ground-level ozone – also known as smog – in polluted regions. Smog irritates lungs and

triggers asthma attacks. Smoke from wildfires further degrades the air. Extreme summer heat

means more deaths during heatwaves. Warmer freshwater makes it easier for disease-causing

agents (such as bacteria) to grow and contaminate drinking water.

 Infrastructure and transportation are at risk: Hot weather, flooding and other extreme

weather events damage infrastructure, put heavy burdens on electrical supplies and disrupt

how we travel and commute.

such as walruses and polar bears struggle to survive. In 2008, the polar bear became the first

animal to be added to the Endangered Species Act list of threatened species because of global

warming.

 Coral and shellfish are suffering: Coral reefs are highly sensitive to small changes in

ocean [Link] heat stresses the algae that nourish the corals and provide their

vibrant colors. The algae then leave, and the corals eventually starve – an event known as

bleaching. As coral reefs are home to many other species, such as fish, their collapse would

disrupt the entire ecosystem. Also, a more acidic ocean affects the normal calcium balance,

meaning creatures with calcified shells, such as shellfish and coral, may not have enough

calcium to grow.

 Forests are more prone to deadly infestations:Milder winters and longer summers allow

tree-killing insects to thrive. Meanwhile, trees weakened by prolonged drought have lower

defense mechanisms. This cycle of warmer weather, weak trees and thriving insects is likely

the culprit behind the massive die-off of 70,000 square miles of Rocky Mountain conifers.
The solutions
We need to step up our use of clean energy like wind, wave, tidal and solar energy Fortunately, there

is practical, achievable action we can take now to minimise the amount of greenhouse gases reaching

theupper [Link] we need is a low carbon economy with minimal use of fossil fuels. And

our research shows that we already have the potential to produce everything we need to get us there

– we’re just lacking the political action and investment to support a clean energy future.

The first and most important thing we can do here in Britain is to reduce the amount of fossil fuels

we use. This doesn’t mean sitting in the dark half the winter under a massive duvet, rather first of all

we need to use the energy we get from coal, oil and gas as efficiently as we can. That means
increasing the efficiency of the things in our life that use energy like appliances, cars, buildings and

factories.

Another huge step we can take is to make our energy production more efficient. Our current systems

are so wasteful that properly applied energy efficiency measures could cut our overall power demand

by over 50 per cent.

Next we need to step up our use of clean energy like wind, wave, tidal and solar energy. Equally

important is a new smart national power grid capable of integrating all these different sources.

We also need to redesign our transport system by improving and increasing the use of public

transport, stopping airport expansion and massively increasing the efficiency of our petrol driven

vehicles, and then replacing them, first with hybrids, and ultimately electric vehicles.

Climate change is a big challenge for the planet, and requires action at a large scale by all levels of

government and business, but there are many things that you can do reduce your own energy

consumption and promote smart energy choices in your community.