Chapter 11

Climate Change, Energy Crisis and

Environmental Awareness
What is climate change and what are the
causes?

a broad range of global phenomena created

predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add
heat-trapping gases to Earth’s atmosphere.
include the increased temperature trends
described by global warming,
but also encompass changes such as sea
level rise; ice mass loss; shifts in
flower/plant blooming; and extreme
weather events.
Causes:
On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse.
Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil
has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide
(CO2). This happens because:
the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with
oxygen in the air to make CO2.
To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture,
industry, and other human activities has increased
concentrations of greenhouse gases.
Causes:
Greenhouse gas emissions
Evidence that CO2 emissions are the cause of global warming is very
robust.
Scientists have known since the early 1800s that greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere trap heat.
Global CO2 emissions from human activity have increased by over 400%
since 1960.
As a result, the concentration of CO2 in the air has reached more than
400 parts per million by volume (ppm), compared to about 280 ppm
in 1750 (around the start of the Industrial Revolution).
 Causes:
Earth’s natural climate cycle
Over the last 800,000 years, there have been natural cycles in the Earth’s climate,
between ice ages and warmer interglacial periods.
After the last ice age 20,000 years ago, average global temperature rose by about
3°C to 8°C, over a period of about 10, 000 years.
Causes:
Solar influences
Sun: primary source of Earth’s heat
relatively small changes in solar output can affect our climate.
Satellite observations since the late 1970s have shown a slight decrease in the sun’s total
energy output. However, instead of cooling, the Earth has warmed over this period.
Also, warming from the sun would heat all of the atmosphere, including the lowest few
kilometers (the troposphere) and the layer above (the stratosphere).
Observations show that the stratosphere is in fact cooling while the troposphere
warms. This is consistent with greenhouse gas heating and not solar heating.
 Impacts:
Climate change
could affect our society through impacts on a number of different social,
cultural, and natural resources.
it may especially impact people who live in areas that are vulnerable to coastal
storms, drought, and sea level rise or people who live in poverty, older adults,
and immigrant communities.
Similarly, some types of professions and industries may face considerable
challenges from climate change.
Professions that are closely linked to weather, such as outdoor tourism,
commerce, and agriculture, will likely be especially affected.
Impacts on Vulnerability and Equity

1.Geographic Location
• Population in coastal areas are more sensitive to
storms, drought, air pollution and heat waves.
• Population in mountainous areas will likely face water
shortages and increased wildfires in the future.
• Arctic residents will likely experience problems
caused by thawing permafrost
Impacts on Vulnerability and Equity
2. Ability to cope
● People who live in poverty may have a difficult time coping
with changes. These people have limited financial resources
to cope with heat, relocate or evacuate, or respond to
increases in the cost of food.
● Older adults may be among the least able to cope with
impacts of climate change.
● Elderly people are particularly prone to heat stress.
● Young children are another sensitive age group, since their
immune system and other bodily systems are still developing
and they rely on others to care for them in disaster situations.
Impacts on Vulnerability and Equity

3. Indigenous people
Climate change
will make it harder for tribes to access safe and nutritious food,
including traditional foods important to many tribes’ cultural practices.
already lack access to safe drinking water and wastewater
treatment in their communities.
expected to increase health risks associated with water quality
problems like contamination
may reduce availability of water, particularly during droughts.
threatens the cultural identities of indigenous people.
As plants and animals used in traditional practices or sacred
ceremonies become less available, tribal culture and ways of life
can be greatly affected.
Impacts on Vulnerability and Equity

4. Urban people
City residents and urban infrastructure have distinct sensitivities to climate
change impacts.
heat waves may be amplified in cities because cities absorb more heat
during the day than suburban and rural areas.
Cities are more densely populated than suburban or rural areas.
As a result, increases in heat waves, drought, or violent storms in cities
would affect a larger number of people than in suburban or
rural areas.
will likely affect the cost of energy, air and water quality, and
human comfort and health in cities.
Impacts on Vulnerability and Equity

4. Urban people
may also be particularly susceptible to vulnerabilities in aging
infrastructure. Includes:
drainage and sewer systems,
flood and storm protection assets,
transportation systems, and
power supply during periods of peak demand, which typically occur
during summer heat waves.
Impacts on Vulnerability and Equity

5. Impacts on Economic Activities and Services

AGRICULTURE
• Communities that developed around the production of different agricultural
crops, such as corn, wheat or cotton, depend on the climate to support their
way of life.
Climate change will likely cause the ideal climate for these
crops to shift.
Certain agricultural products may decline dramatically.
These crops would then have to be imported.
Impacts on Vulnerability and Equity

5. Impacts on Economic Activities and Services

TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
A warming climate and changes in precipitation patterns will likely decrease
the number of days when recreational snow activities such as skiing and
snowmobiling can take place.
Increasing number of wildfires could affect hiking and recreation in parks.
Beaches could suffer erosion due to sea level rise and storm surge.
Changes in migration patterns of fish and animals would affect fishing and
hunting.
Communities that support themselves through these
recreational activities would feel economic impacts as tourism
patterns begin to change.
Countermeasures for Climate Change

United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCC)
was adopted in 1992 as the basis for a global response
to the problem.
The Philippines signed the UNFCCC on 12 June 1992 and
ratified the international treaty on 2 August 1994.
Presently, the Convention enjoys near universal
membership with 194 Country Parties.
Countermeasures for Climate Change

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCC)
has set out an overall 124 framework for intergovernmental efforts to consider
what can be done to reduce global warming and to cope with whatever
temperature increases are inevitable.
Since they recognize that the climate system is a shared resource which is
greatly affected by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases
Its ultimate objective is to stabilize greenhouse concentrations in the atmosphere
at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.
 Countermeasures for Climate Change

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)

Countries are actively discussing and negotiating ways to deal with the climate change
problem within the UNFCCC using two central approaches.
First task: address the root cause by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from
human activity.
The means to achieve this are very controversial, as it will require radical
changes in the way many societies are organized, especially in respect to
fossil fuel use,
industry operations,
land use, and
development
Within the climate change arena, the reduction of greenhouse gas is called mitigation.
 Countermeasures for Climate Change

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCC)
Second task in responding to climate change is to manage its impacts.
Future impacts on the environment and society are now inevitable, owing to the
amount of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere from past decades of
industrial and other human activities, and
added amounts from continued emissions over the next few decades until such
time as mitigation policies and actions become effective.
Taking steps to cope with the changed climate conditions both in terms of reducing adverse
impacts and taking advantage of potential benefits is called ADAPTATION.