Knowledge Commons
Climate Change and Atmospheric Science
Field edited by : Keith Pezzoli
Categories
Earth & Physical Sciences ;
Summary
From the EPA’s Climate Change web site: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html
The Earth’s climate has changed many times during the planet’s history, with events ranging from ice ages to long periods of warmth. Historically, natural factors such as volcanic eruptions, changes in the Earth’s orbit, and the amount of energy released from the Sun have affected the Earth’s climate. Beginning late in the 18th century, human activities associated with the Industrial Revolution have also changed the composition of the atmosphere and therefore very likely are influencing the Earth’s climate.
Narrative
From the EPA’s Climate Change web site: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html
The term climate change is often used interchangeably with the term global warming, but according to the National Academy of Sciences, “the phrase ‘climate change’ is growing in preferred use to ‘global warming’ because it helps convey that there are [other] changes in addition to rising temperatures.”
Climate change refers to any significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or longer). Climate change may result from:
- natural factors, such as changes in the sun’s intensity or slow changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun;
- natural processes within the climate system (e.g. changes in ocean circulation);
- human activities that change the atmosphere’s composition (e.g. through burning fossil fuels) and the land surface (e.g. deforestation, reforestation, urbanization, desertification, etc.)
Multimedia
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ClimateEssentials/
http://www2.ucar.edu/news/understanding-climate-change-multimedia-gallery
http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate/multimedia/living-with-climate-change/view
http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/climatechange/pages/gateway/news-and-media/multimedia
References
Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange: http://www.cakex.org/
Source of quality-confirmed literature and information focusing on adaptation to climate change.