“Challenges of growth” environmental update study Climate Adaptation Case-Studies Omega Met Office

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Antarctic; Arctic; Antarc*; Climate change; Global warming; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.255.6514; http://publish.eurocontrol.int/sites/default/files/content/documents/official-documents/facts-and-figures/statfor/challenges-of-growth-climate-adaptation-march-2010.pdf

the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia and a mistake in the more detailed sections of the latest IPPC report on climate impacts has renewed interest in climate change issues. However, the overwhelming evidence for global warming remains intact and the last IPCC report (AR4), published in 2007, included the statement that “Warming is unequivocal and very likely (more than 90 % probability) due to man’s activities. ” Since then this has been reinforced by further evidence of global warming affecting heat in the ocean, rising Antarctic temperatures and the shrinkage of Arctic summer sea-ice. Against a backdrop of claim and counter-claim in the field of climate science it is perhaps all too easy to overlook what we do actually know. Here are a number of key facts about our climate: n n Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas, as are methane, water vapour, nitrous oxide and ozone. The fundamental physics that links CO2 concentrations to temperature changes has been known since the late 19th century. Earth receives energy from the Sun and re-emits it back to space. The atmosphere traps some of the outgoing energy and warms Earth. This is known as the greenhouse effect. Without this natural greenhouse effect, Earth would be some 30 °C colder, and life as we know it would not be possible. n