Climate Change Focus : Henri-Count Evans Email: climateinfo@gmail.com Climate Change: What is it?

Climate change is one of the most serious environmental risks of the twenty-first century. The croplands, pastures and forests that occupy 60 percent of the Earths surface are progressively being exposed to threats from increased climatic variability and, in the longer run, to climate change. Abnormal changes in air temperature and rainfall and resulting increases in frequency and intensity of drought and flood events have long-term implications for the viability of these ecosystems. As climatic patterns change, so also do the spatial distribution of agro-ecological zones, habitats, distribution patterns of plant diseases and pests, fish populations and ocean circulation patterns which can have significant impacts on agriculture and food production.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines climate change as a change in climate that is attributable directly or indirectly to human activity that alters atmospheric composition, (2000). The term climate change implies a significant change from one climatic condition to another, including changes in temperature, precipitation, wind, and humidity. In order for one to understand climate change in detail, it is critical that one also grasps the concept of the earths energy circulation.

Climate change is a natural phenomenon and has been occurring since the earth came into being. Over the last few million years, the earths climate has been unstable, with well marked warm and cold periods. Climate change concerns the earth as a whole. Scientists have said that approximately every 100 000 years, the earth goes through periods of dramatic change in weather patterns and the climate changes naturally, with all life forms adapting to this change. The earths climate is the result of a delicate balance involving the sun, atmosphere, oceans, water systems, plants, living organisms, and topography. There is a complex interaction among these, which results in the correct balance. The most important factors that influence climate are rain, sunshine, humidity, wind, and temperature. Climate is the average weather of a given region or area over a long period of time. In fact, it is often said that the climate is what we expect, while the weather is what we get! We see how the weather changes from season to season. It usually varies within limits and is generally seen as a stable pattern.

Climate Change Focus : Henri-Count Evans Email: climateinfo@gmail.com Climate Change: What is it?

Energy from the sun drives the earths weather and climate, heats the earths surface and in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse. Without this natural greenhouse effect, temperatures would lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible. As solar energy reaches the Earths surface, a fraction of it is absorbed and the Earths surface warms up. The remaining fraction is reflected immediately off the surface back into the atmosphere and space. The surface of the Earth (land and water) that has been warmed by the radiation then emits energy back in the form of heat into the atmosphere and toward space.

The sun is our only external source of heat and energy. The earth's temperature is maintained by a balance between heating from the sunrays and cooling caused by energy escaping to space from the earths warm surface and atmosphere. This natural balance between incoming and outgoing energy is essential to life on earth.

On a clear day, most of the energy arriving from the sun in a form of short wave length radiation passes through the atmosphere to warm the earths surface. This energy must be got rid of to maintain the earths energy balance. It escapes in the form of longer wavelength infrared radiation. But if the infrared radiation could escape directly to space, then the earths surface would be 30 degrees colder than it is today. It would be uninhabitable. Fortunately, much of this infrared radiation is absorbed in the atmosphere by the so-called greenhouse gases, making the world much warmer than it would be without them.

These gases act rather like the glass in a greenhouse, which allows sunlight to enter, provides shelter from the wind and prevents most of the infrared energy from escaping, keeping the temperature warm. The greenhouse effect is thus not a manmade phenomenon. In fact, it is perfectly natural. It benefits our ecosystems by stabilizing atmospheric temperatures at levels conducive to plant, animal and human life. But for this kind of life to survive on earth, it is

Climate Change Focus : Henri-Count Evans Email: climateinfo@gmail.com Climate Change: What is it?

essential that the right balance be maintained between incoming and outgoing energy. By increasing greenhouse gas emissions we are disturbing this age-old balance. The greenhouse effect occurs as a result of greenhouse gases trapping the suns heat and keeping it close to the earth. The greenhouse effect refers to how gases in the earths atmosphere naturally keep the earth warm; similar to how a greenhouse keeps plants warm, hence the name. The earths natural greenhouse effect keeps it about 60 degrees warmer than it would be otherwise. This enables us to live comfortably on earth.

The atmosphere comprises 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, the remaining 1 per cent being made up of trace gases, including all GHGs (greenhouse gases). The principal naturally occurring gases are water vapour, CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane), N2O (nitrous oxide), and O3 (ozone). These atmospheric gases absorb some of the thermal radiation leaving the earths surface. They collectively contribute to a greenhouse effect on the earth by acting as a blanket around the planet, protecting it from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun and trapping the suns heat in the atmosphere, thereby maintaining the correct temperature required for sustaining life. The mechanism itself is known as the natural greenhouse effect or the earths natural temperature control system. The GHGs in the atmosphere are critical for this system to work properly. But this chemical composition and balance is being disturbed, as human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, agriculture, deforestation, industrial practices, and consumerism are all adding more and more GHGs than required. Over the past hundred years, rapid changes have been occurring in the climate, which is great challenge facing humankind.

In the last century or so, it has been observed that the change has been a little too rapid, unlike the natural phase when changes occurred slowly and definitely. In fact, the speed at which this change has occurred in the last few decades is causing particular worry to scientists and climatologists. This acceleration has mainly been caused by humankind and is a cause of grave environmental concern because it will have an impact on each and every life form on earth.

Climate Change Focus : Henri-Count Evans Email: climateinfo@gmail.com Climate Change: What is it?

Scholars and scientists within the climate change spectrum concur that the recent manifestations of global warming indicate something exterior and unnatural, something driving the climate change gear beyond the normal speed limit. The amount of green house gases in the atmosphere is beyond the capacity of the available sinks. This has and is worsening the ozone depletion thereby exposing the earth to ultra-violet heat waves that are anti plant, animal and human existence.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states, however, that the influence of natural phenomena on the climate since the start of the industrial era is very small compared with that of human activities in the same period. The IPCC was set up by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme to provide an authoritative international statement of scientific understanding of climate change including periodic assessments of the causes, impacts and possible response strategies.

Of all the GHGs, carbon dioxide is the main gas that is being released in large volumes, thus causing grave problems. It is released mainly from the burning of fossil fuels for power generation, transportation, and industrial activities.

A volcanic eruption is another natural factor that contributes to climate change and leads to short-term changes. These eruptions cause large volumes of sulphur dioxide, water vapour, dust, and ash to escape into the atmosphere. These partially block the incoming rays of the sun, leading to cooling.

Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been a steady increase in the use of fossil fuels. As these industries created more and more jobs people began moving from rural areas to the cities. This, in turn, has led to more and more forest areas being cleared to make way for houses, roads, and other facilities. Large amounts of natural resources are being used for construction, industries, transportation, and consumption purposes. Consumerism has

Climate Change Focus : Henri-Count Evans Email: climateinfo@gmail.com Climate Change: What is it?

increased by leaps and bounds, creating mountains of waste. The population has increased incredibly. All these have led to a rise in atmospheric GHG levels and brought about change in the global climate.

Population growth is taking place, along with consumerism, leading to an increase in waste generation all over the world. Waste begins decomposing in the dumps and landfills, which leads to methane emission. Incineration causes emission of carbon dioxide. A large volume of nitrogen dioxide emissions is due to fertilizer application in the agriculture sector, depending on the fertilizer application method, timing, and tilling method.

Oil, coal, and natural gas supply most of the energy needed to run vehicles, and generate electricity for industries and households. This sector is responsible for about two thirds of carbon dioxide emissions, one-fifth of methane emissions, and a large quantity of nitrogen dioxide. It also produces oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, which are not GHGs but do influence the atmospheric chemical cycles that produce or destroy GHGs.

The emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have increased greatly over the last two centuries as a result of certain economic activities and demographics growth. The principal activities associated with the increased emissions include burning of large quantities of oil, gasoline, and coal; deforestation; and inappropriate farming methods. These developments have resulted in global temperatures rising and the geographical pattern of weather becoming increasingly unpredictable. This has led to an undesirable climate phenomenon aptly termed climate change. The term insinuates a negative trend in the pattern of weather. Although many greenhouse gases occur naturally, human activities have increased their levels and added new ones. Greenhouse gases of concern include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Scientists say increased levels of these gases are contributing to climate change. Water vapour is the most abundant greenhouse gas, but human activity is not considered a direct cause of changes in its concentration.