The Leaflet 9.27.17 | Vol. 4 Issue 2
CLIMATE CHANGE
CLIMATE CHANGE issue Recently the world has been afflicted by a seemingly nonstop stream of natural disasters, from Hurricane Harvey to the earthquake in Mexico City, and raging wildfires across the western United States. Many people are beginning to speculate whether all these events are the results of everrising global temperatures. We at The Leaflet have decided to dedicate this issue to researching the causes, effects, and costs of climate change.
We will not only explore how different animals and habitats have been affected, but we will also delve into what these environments will look like 100 years from now. Further, we will cover how climate change has woven its way into media and pop culture. We hope this issue helps to inform you on the ever-changing environment and encourages you to inform others and do all you can to prevent any more damage to our Earth.
Taylor Close & Sydney Evans
staff members Jenna Bao Natalie Brinkman Lindsey Brinkman Ally Bonhaus Morgan Brownell Emily Chien Adhiti Chundur Taylor Close Sydney Evans Maya Goldenberg
Ben Green Yasmine Guedira Harsitha Kalaiarasan Anisa Khatana Everett Kohinke Hannah Lee Abigail Lefton Emme Loon Jessica Lu Harsimran Makkad
Leaflet Editors-in-Chief Taylor Close Sydney Evans Executive Editor Jenna Bao Associate Editor Adhiti Chundur Print Editors-in-Chief Nathalie Brinkman Adhiti Chundur
This issue Sara Margolis Anne Marsh Lydia Masset Claire Myers Aidan Noble Yvanna Reyes Madeleine Suh Kirsten Thomas Sydney Weiss Jack Wolfe
Executive Web Editor-in-Chief Harsimran Makkad Social Media Director Sydney Weiss Creative Projects Directors Taylor Close Yasmine Guedira Anne Marsh Sydney Weiss
p2: green house gases p6: Climate change in Media p8: Costs of CLimate Change p12: Coral Reefs p14: Animals and Plants p18: Hurricanes p20: 100 years from now p22: how can you help? The Leaflet, the official digital newsmagazine of Sycamore High School, serves as an educational tool in the training of student journalists. We provide information and editorial leadership concerning school, national, and world issues. We also provide a public forum for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints and give coverage to newsworthy events directly related to our diverse school population. These viewpoints are purely from the staff of The Leaflet and not the administration.
Sycamore High School 7400 Cornell Road Cincinnati, OH 45242
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Greenhouse Gases CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) Released through natural processes (respiration and eruptions) and human interactions (burning of fossil fuels, deforestation) Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, humans have increased CO2 emissions by 33 percent
CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCS) Released through synthetic compounds made industrially Found in most aerosol cans Causes destruction to the ozone layer
WATER VAPOR The most abundant greenhouse gas Increases with the warming of Earth’s atmosphere Causes an increased abundance of clouds and rain, making them good indicators of the greenhouse effect
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Source: https://www.epa.gov
METHANE Released through human interference such as decomposition of waste and agriculture The negative effect of methane is 23 times worse than that of C02 Cows produce 70 -120 kg of methane annually, so if everyone in the US ate no meat for 1 day a week, it would equate to taking 5 million cars off the road
NITROUS OXIDE Released through soil cultivation, such as the use of fertilizers (commercially and organically) and combustion of fossil fuels
N 20
Also known as “laughing gas”
CONSEQUENCES On average EARTH WILL BECOME WARMER. Warmer temperatures means SOME REGIONS WILL GET WETTER
WHILE SOME WILL GET DRYER, and
SEA LEVELS WILL RISE DUE TO GLACIER AND ICE MELTING. Design by Taylor Close Information by Taylor Close
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GOVERNMENT ACTION Paris Climate Accords Historic pact made on Dec. 12, 2015 by 195 nations in Paris Developed nations expected to give at least $100 bill to help developing ones transition to green energy Each nation should have own long-term plan (read: decades) and framework in place for these changes by 2020. There will be evaluations every 5 years
Goals
cut down on climate change emissions
cope with climate change consequences
limit the rise of global temperatures
adopt green energy sources
help developing countries accuire clean energy
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Source: https://www.theatlantic.com
support transparency and accountability in a global effort
UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTION
$3,000,000
commited to developing countries in Paris Agreement
15-19%
emissions below 2005 levels by 2025
53%
of energy capacity in the US expected to come from renewable sources by 2020
Design by Yasmine Guedira Information by Jenna Bao
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Climate change in media Movies “The Day After Tomorrow” “Chasing Coral”
“Racing Extinction”
“Before the Floods” “Blade Runner”
“Snowpiercer”
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Source: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog
Books “Six Degrees” by Mark Lynas
Music “Love Song to the Earth” by Paul McCartney
“Annihilation” “Flight Behavior” by Jeff Vandermeer by Barbara Kingsolver
“Monkey Gone to Heaven” by The Pixies
“Earth Song” by Michael Jackson
Design by Taylor Close Information by Taylor Close
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Cost of climate change From January to July 2017 there have been
2
flooding events
3
1
freeze event
severe storms
3 tornadoes
Recent disasters’ estimated costs: 8
Source: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov
Harvey
$190 billion
Irma
$100 billio
on
Top three most costly natural disasters (before 2017) $160 billion
Katrina
Sandy
$70.2 billion
$47.8 billion
Andrew
0
50,000,000
100,000,000
150,000,000
200,000,000
Maria
Mexican Earthquake
$30 billion
$2-4 billion Design by Taylor Close Information by Adhiti Chundur
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SEA LEVEL
Top three causes of rising sea levels
Glacial melting
The global average surface temperature has increased between 1.1 and 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.6 to 0.9 degrees Celsius) since 1906. Furthermore, the global mean sea level has risen by four to eight inches (10 to 20 cm), and it has been rising at a speed twice that of the previous 80 years.
2018 (?) 2017 2016 2015 2014
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In 2014, global sea level was 2.6 inches above the 1993 average— the highest annual average in the satellite record (1993-present). The sea level continues to rise at a rate of about one-eighth of an inch per year. http://www.nationalgeographic.com, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov
This increase in sea level to more destructive storm surges which will slowly re inland. The damages are to become 300 to 900 pe frequent than they were ago.
Thermal Expansion Carbon emissions have caused a rise in temperatures on Earth’s surface, and approximately 80 percent of this heat is absorbed by the oceans. This extra heat not only contributes to glacial melting but further causes oceans to rise quicker. As the ocean heats up, water molecules expand and take up more space. Thermal expansion can be attributed to half of the past century’s rise in sea level.
Ice Loss from Greenland and West Antarctica Increasing global temperatures have accelerated the pace at which ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica are melting off into the sea. As temperatures rise water melts and sea water underneath the glaciers become streams which facilitate the movement of the ice into the oceans. This causes ice shelves extending off of Antarctica to weaken and melt from below, breaking into the sea.
Melting Glaciers and Polar Ice Caps Glaciers and the polar ice caps naturally melt each summer and reform during winter snows. However as global temperatures increase, glaciers begin to melt more during the summer, and the winter snowfall diminishes due to a later start to winter and an earlier spring. This imbalance results in a net loss of glacial ice and an increase in sea levels.
ls could lead ms and storm reach further e estimated ercent more 50 years Design by Sydney Evans Information by Sydney Evans
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CORAL BLEACHING WHAT IS CORAL?
Coral is composed of a symbiotic relationship between a calciumcarbonate skeleton and plant like cells/algae called zooxanthellae, which live in the soft tissue.
healthy coral
WHAT IS CORAL BLEACHING? stressed
Warm water temperatures can cause a process called coral bleaching, where corals expel the zooxanthellae in their living tissue, causing the coral to turn white.
bleached
CAUSES OF CORAL BLEACHING
1 2pollution 3 4 disease
warmer ocean temperatures
overexposure to sunlight
The zooxanthellae (algae) leave the tissue when the coral becomes stressed, often due to warmer water temperatures. Source: www.greatbarrierreef.org; www.livescience.com;
12 nytimes.com; oceanservice.noaa.gov; teachoceanscience. net
Without the algae, corals turn white. The coral is not dead, but is under more stress and more likely to die from disease.
To learn more, watch the documentary “Chasing Coral� on Netflix.
THE GREAT
BARRIER REEF The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, stretching along Australia’s northeastern coast. It is longer than the Great Wall of China, and the only living thing on Earth visible from space.
HOW LONG IS IT? The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than
1,600 miles
WHO BENEFITS? The Great Barrier Reef is home to thousands of marine organisms. Thirty species of whales, porpoises, and dolphins call the reef home, as well as 1,500 species of fish, 5,000 species of mollusks, turtles, snakes, and crocodiles.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS Due to overheated sea water, huge sections of the Great Barrier Reef in the northern sector were killed. However, the middle section of the reef which escaped bleaching, is now potentially at risk for another round of coral bleaching. Photo courtesy of MCT Photohoto
Design by Adhiti Chundur Information by Adhiti Chundur
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ANIMALS and PLANTS
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) finds that as global temperatures rise, many life-forms are moving north or into deeper waters to survive as their habitats shift. “Winners in this transformation will be adaptable
species that a many weeds invasive spec said Peter Alp biology at the
North Atlantic cod Off the northeastern coast of North America North Atlantic Cod populations have plummeted and not recovered since the 1990s due to changing ocean currents. Photo by © Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons
Coral Coral is extremely sensitive to minute temperature changes. The Acropora cervicornis species used to be widespread in the Caribbean but has since been restricted to a few areas.
Golden toad Last seen in 1989 and living in Central America, the golden toad disappeared due to drought and other climate changes. Photo by Charles H. Smith vergrößert von Aglarech (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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Source: http;//new.nationalgeographic.com
Photo by Adona9 at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
Adélie penguin The Adelie penguin lives off of krill, a type of crustacean living under ice sheets. As the amount of ice sheets decreases, the number of krill decreases also. This means the penguins have to travel further and expend more energy to find food, making them less successful at raising their young. Photo by Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons
are expanding their ranges, including and pests, and also cold-sensitive, cies like the Burmese python in Florida,” pert, program director in environmental e U.S. National Science Foundation.
“The losers,” said Alpert, “will likely be the species that are highly specialized in what they eat or where they live, especially those whose habitats disappear completely.” These highly specialized animals can include polar bears and koala bears.
Polar bear
As Arctic ice retreats, polar bears have to look for alternative food sources such as goose eggs. These new food sources require them to travel further and expend more energy for less benefit. "Some media reports have suggested that this might mean polar bears could just come ashore and eat terrestrial foods and somehow do fine without the sea ice. We have absolutely no evidence that they have the ability to do this," said Steven Amstrup, chief scientist for Polar Bears International. Photo by Christopher Michel [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Orange-spotted filefish
Quiver tree A succulent tree from South Africa and Namibia, these trees are now some of the most vulnerable species to climate change, being unable to grow and disperse quickly enough to keep up with the climate. Photo by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen (Own work by uploader, http://bjornfree.com/) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Due to declining coral reef habitats and a high sensitivity to high water temperatures, the Orange-spotted filefish went extinct in Japan in 1988. By User:jaredzimmerman (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Sbw01f (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia
Design by Sydney Evans Information by Sydney Evans
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Hurricanes How do they form? As the warm air rises from the ocean’s surface, it causes a pocket with lower air pressure below. Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure pushes in to fill the low pressure area. Then that “new� air becomes warm and moist and rises as well. This cycle continues as air swirls and cool clouds are formed. As the whole system grows it rotates faster and faster, and an eye forms in the center. How often did strong storms occur in the past vs. now? An average hurricane season produces 12 tropical storms, with six that end up becoming hurricanes and three that end up being Category 3 or higher. This year has already seen seven hurricanes: Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, and Maria. September has been the most active month for hurricanes on record. It is abnormal for storms to form backto-back and for multiple hurricanes to make landfall in the U.S. in a single season.
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Sources: spaceplace.nasa.gov, oceanservice.noaa.gov, scienceline.ucsb.edu, earthobservatory.nasa.gov, time.com, www.washingtonpost.com
the SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE MINIMAL DAMAGE
MODERATE DAMAGE
EXCESSIVE DAMAGE
Category
Category
Category
75-95 mph winds
96-110 mph winds
111-129 mph winds
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1
3
EXTREME DAMAGE
CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE
Category
Category
130-155 mph winds
155+ mph winds
4
5
How does climate change make them more severe? As temperatures continue to rise, more water can evaporate into the atmosphere. More heat and water in the atmosphere and warmer sea surface temperatures provide more fuel to increase the wind speeds of tropical storms. Due to global warming, sea levels have risen an average of eight inches globally since 1880. Storm surges that occur during hurricanes do enough damage without the additional water for them to use. Climate change can also steer hurricanes to areas where they can do the most damage.
Design by Harsimran Makkad and Natalie Brinkman Information by Harsimran Makkad
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Wildfires scorch southwest Why the flames? The southwestern region of the U.S. is expected to become much hotter. It is predicted that temperatures will increase 3.6 to 9 degrees. So far, the average temperature has increased by 1.9 degrees since 1970. Also, the Southwest is becoming drier--precipitation is predicted to be lower by 15 percent, and hotter temperatures mean more rapid evaporation. This combination of heat and dryness creates the perfect conditions for wildfires.
Average number of wildfires:
~140
Wildfires
1980-1989
~160 Wildfires
~250 Wildfires
1990-1999 2000-2012
Wildfires vs. wildlife Typically, wildfires are viewed as healthy and regenerative occurrences; however, when such an unprecedented amount of fires burn, wildlife is harmed. Many creatures are unable to escape the deadly flames, such as baby birds who struggle to fly. Even animals who are physically able to escape can become trapped by fire. Furthermore, habitats are destroyed, which puts stress on the surviving animals, trying to find a new habitat, where their basic needs can be met.
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Source: earthquakes.ok.gov cbsnews.com ucsua.org nwf.org
Number of earthquakes per year in Oklahoma:
16 20
20
15
14 20
13 20
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Seismologists have found a link between the dramatic increase in earthquake occurrences in Oklahoma and wastewater disposal. Wastewater is unearthed when extracting oil such as petroleum. The wastewater is flushed back underground, in a layer called the Arbuckle. The Arbuckle is above a layer of rock littered with earthquake faults known as the crystalline basement. This water makes its way into the faults, forcing them apart, which results in slipping and fault movement (earthquakes).
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Shaky ground
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67 35 110 579 903 623
Taking Action Currently the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) and Oklahoma Geological Survey have been researching this seismic activity. Based on the belief that the increase in earthquakes is connected to wastewater disposal, the OCC has been creating an outline for how to better inject this wastewater.
EARTH QUA
KES 19
Designed by: Sydney Weiss and Maya Goldenberg Information by: Maya Goldenberg
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At the end of this century, the world will be on average three degrees or so Fahrenheit above where it is now.
More extreme storm surges, wildfires, and heat waves are on the menu for 2070 and beyond.
100
50% increase
Even if we curb emissions, summers in the tropics could increase their extreme-heat days by half after 2050.
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Longer, more intense heat waves will become more common. Storms, floods, and droughts will generally be more severe as precipitation patterns change. Hurricanes may increase in intensity due to warmer ocean surface temperatures.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com, https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
Oceans will also continue to acidify in the tropics. Oceans absorb about a third of all carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, making them become too warm and more acidic.
YE FR NO
Hardest hit will be those living in low-lying coastal areas and residents of poorer countries who do not have the resources to adapt to changes in temperature extremes and water resources. As tropical temperature zones expand, the reach of some infectious diseases, such as malaria, will change.
EARS ROM OW
Migrating animals have to start seeking food sources earlier. The shift in seasons may already be causing the life cycles of pollinators, like bees, to be out of sync with flowering plants and trees. This mismatch can limit the ability of both pollinators and plants to survive and reproduce, which would reduce food availability throughout the food chain.
Warmer temperatures have already shifted the growing season in many parts of the globe. The growing season in parts of the Northern Hemisphere became two weeks longer in the second half of the 20th century. Spring is coming earlier in both hemispheres.
If climate change continues unabated, nearly all coral reef habitats could be devastated. Under the best-case scenario, half of all tropical coral reefs are still threatened.
Oceans are on track to rise two to three feet by 2100. Even a sea-level rise below 3 feet could displace up to 4 million people.
2-3ft Design by Adhiti Chundur Information by Adhiti Chundur
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How can YOU help? Increase the efficiency in your home If you are not using an appliance... turn it off Replace old electrical appliances with newer, more energy efficient models Insulate your home in order to use less energy with heating
Get involved locally and internationally Find out about local events and attend them as much as possible Help fundraising and awareness efforts whenever you can
Check out how Cincinnati is going green here: 22
Source: www.preventclimatechange.co.uk
Change your life style... GO GREEN Do not fly or travel during holidays. Enjoy a stay-cation every now and again Decrease the number of times you drive to the store by making a list When you go out, walk or ride your bike as much as possible
Change your work/ school habits Take the bus or carpool with fellow employees Shut down your computer instead of just logging off each day Speak with your employers/administrators about incorporating greener methods into the work place
Eat less meat According to the Worldwatch Institute report, animal agriculture causes 51 percent or more of carbon and methane emissions. This includes the consumption of eggs and dairy products. Design by Sydney Evans Information by Sydney Evans
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