Impacts of Global Change on Europe

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Impacts of Global Change on Europe

• Karen Kline
• Minister of Environment
• European Union
• 9 August 2004
• Santa Barbara, California

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The European Union

• Facts About the EU
• 25 Countries as of May 2004 with addition of 10
  new members
• 2003 Population
• 454,552,300
• Land Area
• 3,892,685 km2

Map Source http//europa.eu.int/abc/maps/index_en
.htm
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Population Land Area(2003 Figures)
Sources a) http//www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbr
ank.pl b) http//europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/newcr
onos/queen/display.do?screendetaillanguageenpr
oductYESrootYES/yearlies/c/ca/caa/caa10000 c)
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_UnionMember
_states_and_successive_enlargements
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(No Transcript)
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CO2 Emissions by Source, 1990-1998
http//themes.eea.eu.int/Environmental_issues/clim
ate/indicators/Carbon_dioxide_emissions/index_html
6
Cryosphere

• Glacier extent decreasing
• Austrian glacial retreat reveals Stone Age mummy
  (Haeberli and Beniston)
• Less glacial ice now than at any time in past
  5000 years (Haeberli and Beniston)
• Half of glaciers present in 1980 in Spain gone
  (Martinez de Pison)
• Sea ice extent and thickness
• Arctic ice thickness decreased by gt4 ft since mid
  1990s (Rothrock, et al)
• Spring ice break up in Finland now about 1 week
  earlier than it was 100 years ago (Magnuson, et
  al)

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Agriculture

• Crop yield changes
• Growing season extended
• Nordic region seeing an increase of 10 days in
  its growing season, starting 4-12 days earlier
  (Carter, 1998)
• Increase in
• Pests
• Diseases

8
Weather - Precipitation

• Water shortages
• Extreme events
• Flooding
• Precipitation in Northern Europe increased by
  10-40 in the last century (WMO, 2001)
• Drought
• July 2000, fire consumed 1/5 of the Greek Island
  of Samos, temperatures reached 104F (WMO, 2000)
• Precipitation increase
• 2000 wettest year on record in SE Norway (WMO,
  2001)

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2003 Central Europe Floods
Czech Republic Worst flood in 500 years 70,000
people evacuated Breweries forced to close
Germany 20,000 people forced from their
homes Hospital patients evacuated
Austria Several people dead 60,000 people
forced from their homes Worst flood in 200 years
http//edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/europe.floods
/
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Weather - Temperature

• In the UK, 1995 had 26 days with T gt 68F
  average was 4 days (Hulme, 1999)
• 2001 in the UK had the warmest October in the
  past 343 years (Hulme, 1999)

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Marine/Coastal Environment

• Increase in sea level
• Storm surges
• Increase in shoreline erosion

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Approximately 1/3 of Netherlands currently lies
below sea level Lowest PointNieuwerkerk ann
den Ijssel, -6.74 m (22.11 ft)Highest
PointVaalserberg, 322m (1056.43 ft)Santa Ynez
Mountains1000m (3000 ft)
The Netherlands
http//worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/nl.
htm USA Today, http//www.climateark.org/articles/
2000/4th/codeneth.htm
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Biodiversity

• Birds have shifted northward 12 miles over the
  past 20 years in the UK (Thomas and Lennon, 1999)
• Birds are laying their eggs earlier (8 days) in
  the UK (Crick, et al., 1997)
• Toads, frogs and newts pawning earlier (9-10
  days) over the past 17 years (Beebee, 1995)
• Average first flowing date of plants in Britain
  now 4.5 days earlier (Fitter and Fitter, 2002)
• European plants overall flowering earlier (6
  days), changing colors later ( 5 days) (Menzel
  Fabian, 1999)

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Human Health

• Deaths due to heat waves/flooding
• Increase in allergies/hay fever
• Increase in vector borne diseases
• Mosquitos
• Increase in food/water-borne diseases

15
Global Climate Change Impacts and the European
Union

• Global climate change will impact
• People
• Environment
• Animals
• Plants