Global Climate Change

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Global Climate Change

• First Fridays Talk
• 4 November 2005
• Crispin Pierce, Ph.D.
• 836-5589
• piercech_at_uwec.edu

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Overview

• What is global climate change?
• What are the historical temperature and weather
  pattern trends?
• The greenhouse effect.
• How has human activity altered climate?
• Costs of extreme weather events.
• Greenhouse gas generation and half-lives.
• Global warming in Wisconsin.
• What can be done.

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What is Global Climate Change?

• Average air, water, soil temperatures
• Mean sea level changes
• Patterns of precipitation, wind currents, water
  currents, storms, tornados, hurricanes, el nino
  and la nina.
• Droughts and floods

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Historic Temperature Trends

• Surface temperature
• Water temperature
• Atmospheric temperature (satellite data)

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Measured Sea Level Changes
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The Greenhouse Effect
http//www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/images/climatechange/
greenhouse_effect.jpg
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Human Influence

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Aerosol emissions
• Deforestation

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Costs of Extreme Weather Events
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Overall framework
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Greenhouse Gas Half-Lives

• Due to the slow conversion of greenhouse gases
  such as CO2 into other chemicals (e.g., H2CO3,
  carbonic acid), human additions will take
  hundreds of years to balance.
• The half-life of CO2 in the atmosphere is about
  100 years.

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Global Warming in Wisconsin
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• Likely effects include
• Warmer, wetter winters
• Hotter, drier summers (increased heat-related
  deaths, particularly amongst the elderly).
• More frequent forest fires.
• More frequent drought, damaging crops.
• Less water available for drinking, showers, and
  irrigation.

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What can be done?

• Stabilize world population
• Greater foreign aid to support health
• Reduce AIDS incidence
• Provide food and clean water
• Increase health services, including birth control
  options
• Support expanded roles for women internationally
• To own property
• To hold public office
• To work outside the home

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• Revise energy policies
• Mandate conservation and fuel efficiency.
• Shift towards non greenhouse gas-producing
  sources wind, solar, hydroelectric, and nuclear.

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• Protect and expand carbon dioxide sinks
• Protect forests.
• Plant additional native trees.
• Provide landowners with financial incentives to
  maintain wooded areas.

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• Make smart personal choices
• Modest housing near city centers.
• Fuel-efficient cars driven sparingly.
• Vegetable/fruit/grain-centered diet.

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