Climate Change Lesson 3

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

Lesson 3: Handout 2

What is the cause of

?

Climate Change The natural greenhouse effect has been keeping the earth warm for millions of years. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap some of the earth’s warm rays and raise the earth’s temperature to a comfortable level. However, things like cars, planes, agriculture and energy production are all dramatically increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. This produces a thick blanket of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

This massive increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere means that too much heat is being trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere and the Earth is heating up. This overall heating of the planet has different affects on climate systems around the world. Floods are becoming more frequent in some parts of the world and droughts are happening more often in other parts. In general the changes we are causing are increasing the number and frequency of extreme climatic events across the globe.

K

(What I know)

W

(What I would like to know)

Climate change is linked to global warming

What causes Climate Change

It affects poorer countries

What can I do?

L

(What I have learned)

12

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

e c n e r e f if d e h t is t Wha ? e t a m li c d n a r e h t between wea

Brainstorm�as�a�class

13

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

? e u s is n a e g n a h c e t a Why is clim While weather can change dramatically in the course of a day, climate usually takes thousands of years to change. The reason why people are concerned now is because the climate is changing more quickly than before. People from the developing world who have done the least to cause the problem of Climate Change are being worst affected. While rich countries consume and use energy levels far beyond what is fair and sustainable, the greatest impact is being felt by the poorest people, who are least able to cope.

Click�here�to�print�handout

14

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it’s here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster.

Barack�Obama.�April�3rd�2006.� Energy�Independence�and�the�Safety�of�Our�Planet.� Chicago

Click�here�for�video

15

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

Global warming’s chief causes are burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, and releasing them into the atmosphere, and the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases due to human activities such as industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion, and deforestation. Though our planet has warmed and cooled several times, yet now there seems to be a rapid warming, all due to our activities.

16

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

The amazon rainforest is being destroyed. Massive deforestation brings with it many ugly consequences. Air and water pollution, soil erosion, malaria epidemics, the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the eviction and decimation of indigenous Indian tribes, and the loss of plants and animals. Fewer rainforests mean less rain, less oxygen for us to breathe, and an increased threat from global warming.

17

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

The Polar Ice caps are melting at an alarming rate. By one recent measure, several Greenland ice sheets have doubled their rate of slide. By the end of the century, the world could be locked in to an eventual rise in sea levels of as much as 20 ft. According to NASA scientists, 2005 was one of the hottest years in more than a century.

18

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

Coral reef ecosystems will not survive the global warming and acidification of the oceans. The rise of carbon dioxide emissions and the resultant climate warming from the burning of fossil fuels are making oceans warmer and more acidic, which is triggering widespread coral disease and stifling coral growth. Without the reefs there is no habitat for the thousands of lifeforms that call these coral reefs home.

19

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

Mangroves have declined by up to half over the last 50 years. Destruction of these tropical coastal woodlands accounts for about 10% of carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation, the second largest source of CO2 after fossil fuel combustion. The tidal waters in which the trees thrive are a natural nursery for dozens of species of fish and shrimp essential to commercial fisheries around the world.

20

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

As the climate has changed over the last century, the world’s land ice cover has responded. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in mountain glaciers. The world’s glaciers have, on average, lost more ice than they have gained over the past century, so they have a “negative mass balance”. This meltwater inevitably makes its way into the oceans, where it contributes to sea level rise. Estimates from thousands of gauges throughout the world suggest that sea level has been rising about 2 mm a year for most of the century. Most of this sea level rise is due to thermal expansion of the ocean as the world warms, but glaciers also make a significant contribution.

21

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program issued a report predicting an increase in extreme weather in North America, including both floods and droughts, as a result of global warming. There is strong evidence that heavy downpours will become more common and more severe along with the rise in global temperature. But what, you might ask, does this have to do with droughts? “When it rains, it rains harder and when it’s not raining, it’s warmer – there is more evaporation, and droughts can last longer.”

22

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

Locheramoe Kuwom from the village of Kaaruko in Lokori, northern Kenya. “I am getting weaker every day. I have not had a proper meal in seven days. I had nothing yesterday except for tea. The day before I had a bit of palm fruit. There is a lot of hunger here. If this situation goes on, most of the people who live here will die.�

24

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

Children in the school greenhouse in the community of Falukani, Bolivia. The greenhouse provides a healthy addition to the childrens diet. In the harsh altiplano region water can be scarce here and food hard to grow.

25

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

El Salvador has a tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons. The rainy season extends from May to October, this time of year is referred to as invierno or winter.

Almost all the annual rainfall occurs during this time. Trocaire has helped Jose and the people in his village of Los Conces build a water storage system and water point which provides the village with water during the long dry season.

26

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity

End of lesson

Climate Change A call for stewardship and global solidarity