ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Environment, Technology & Society

Course Title: CLIMATE AND CLIMATIC CHANGE
Course code: Hum 4249
Teacher’s name: Benadjih Oiriddine Abdou
03/22/2023
 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Objectives
At the end of this topic, students should be able to:
Define the following
Climate
Climate change
Global warming and other related terminologies
Explain what caused the rapid change in our climate
Point out the consequences of climate change
Review the solutions to climate change

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Definitions
What is weather?
Weather describes the conditions outside right now in a specific place.
For example, if you see that it’s raining outside right now, that’s a way to describe today’s weather.
Rain, snow, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes — these are all weather events.
What is climate?
Climate, on the other hand, is more than just one or two rainy days. Climate describes the
weather conditions that are expected in a region at a particular time of year.
Is it usually rainy or usually dry? Is it typically hot or typically cold?
A region’s climate is determined by observing its weather over a period of many years—generally
30 years or more.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Climate
So, for example, one or two weeks of rainy weather wouldn’t change the fact that
Mecca typically has a dry, desert climate.
Even though it’s rainy right now, we still expect Mecca to be dry because that's what is usually
the case.
Climate is the average weather in a given area over a longer period of time.
A description of a climate includes information on, e.g. the average temperature in different
seasons, rainfall, and sunshine. Also a description of the (chance of) extremes is often
included.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

What is climate change?

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

What is climate change?

Climate change
Describes a change in the average conditions — such as temperature and rainfall — in a
region over a long period of time.
For example, so many thousands years ago, many places of the world were covered in glaciers. In the
United States today, there is a warmer climate and fewer glaciers.
Global climate change
Refers to the average long-term changes over the entire Earth. These include warming
temperatures and changes in precipitation, as well as the effects of Earth’s warming,
such as:
Rising sea levels
Shrinking mountain glaciers
Ice melting at a faster rate than usual in Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic
Changes in flower and plant blooming times.
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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

What is climate change?

Earth’s climate has constantly been changing — even long before humans came
into the picture.
However, scientists have observed unusual changes recently.
For example, Earth’s average temperature has been increasing much more quickly
than they would expect over the past 150 years.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

How Much Is Earth’s Climate Changing Right Now?

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

How Much Is Earth’s Climate Changing Right Now?

Some parts of Earth are warming faster than others. But on average, global air
temperatures near Earth's surface have gone up about 2 degrees Fahrenheit in
the past 100 years. 
Many people, including scientists, are concerned about this warming.
As Earth’s climate continues to warm, the frequency of storms world-wide is expected to
increase.
Droughts and heat waves are also expected to become more intense as the climate warms.
When the whole Earth’s temperature changes by one or two degrees, that
change can have big impacts on the health of Earth's plants and animals, too.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Causes of Climate Change

The climate on Earth has been changing since its formation, approximately 4.5
billion years ago.
Until recently, natural factors have been the cause of these changes.
Natural influences on the climate include volcanic eruptions, changes in the orbit of the Earth,
and shifts in the Earth's crust (known as plate tectonics).
However, since the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, the global temperature has
increased at a much faster rate.
By burning fossil fuels and changing how we use the land, human activity has
quickly become the leading cause of changes to our climate.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Human causes of climate change

Humans cause climate change by releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases into the air.
Today, there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than there ever has
been in at least the past 800,000 years.
During the 20th and 21st century, the level of carbon dioxide rose by 40%.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect

Some gases in the Earth's atmosphere trap heat and stop it escaping into space.
We call these 'greenhouse gases'.
These gases act as a warming blanket around the Earth, known as the
'greenhouse effect'.
Greenhouse gases come from both human and natural sources.
Gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide naturally occur in the atmosphere.
Others, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are only produced by human activity.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming!

When short-wave radiation from the sun reaches Earth, most of it passes straight
through and hits the surface.
The Earth absorbs most of this radiation and gives off longer-wavelength infrared radiation.
The greenhouse gases absorb some of this infrared radiation, instead of it passing
straight out into space.
The atmosphere then emits radiation in all directions, sending some of it back to
the surface, causing the planet to heat up.
This process is known as the 'greenhouse effect’.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming!

The greenhouse effect is critical to our survival on the face of the earth.
In fact, without greenhouse gases, the earth would be about 30 degrees colder than it is
today. Without greenhouse gases and their warming effect, we wouldn't be able to survive.
However, since the Industrial Revolution, we've been adding more and more
greenhouse gases into the air, trapping even more heat.
Instead of keeping Earth at a warm, stable temperature, the greenhouse effect is
heating the planet at a much faster rate.
We call this the 'enhanced greenhouse effect' or simply “Global Warming” and
it's the main cause of climate change.
We produce greenhouse gases in lots of different ways:
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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Burning fossil fuels 

Fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal contain carbon dioxide that has been 'locked
away' in the ground for thousands of years.
When we take these out of the land and burn them, we release the stored carbon
dioxide into the air.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Deforestation 
Forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Cutting them down means that carbon dioxide builds up quicker since there are
no trees to absorb it.
Not only that, trees release the carbon they stored when we burn them.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Agriculture 
Planting crops and rearing animals releases many different types of greenhouse
gases into the air.
For example, animals produce methane, which is 30 times more powerful than
carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
The nitrous oxide used for fertilizers is ten times worse and is nearly 300 times
more potent than carbon dioxide!

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Other sources of Greenhouse Gases

Cement – Producing cement is another contributor to climate change, causing 2%
of our entire carbon dioxide emissions.
Waste Disposal – Waste management methods like landfills and incineration
emit greenhouse and toxic gases - including methane - that are released into the
atmosphere, soil and waterways, contributing to the increase of the greenhouse
effect.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Other sources of Greenhouse Gases

Mining – Modern life is highly dependent on the mining and metallurgical
industry.
Metals and minerals are the raw materials used in the construction, transportation and
manufacturing of goods.
From extraction to delivery, this market accounts for 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
Overconsumption – Finally, overconsumption also plays a major role in climate
change.
In fact, it is responsible for the overexploitation of natural resources and emissions from
international freight transport, which both contribute to global warming.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Natural causes to the climate

The leading cause of climate change is human activity and the release of
greenhouse gases.
However, there are lots of natural causes that also lead to changes in the climate
system.
Natural cycles can cause the climate to alternate between warming and cooling.
There are also natural factors that force the climate to change, known as
'forcings'.
Some of these natural cycles include:

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Milankovitch cycles
As Earth travels around the sun, its path and the tilte of its axis can change
slightly.
These changes, called Milankovitch cycles, affect the amount of sunlight that falls on Earth.
This can cause the temperature of Earth to change.
However, these cycles take place over tens or hundreds of thousands of years and
are unlikely to be causing the changes to the climate that we are seeing today.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

ENSO is a pattern of changing water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
In an 'El Niño' year, the global temperature warms up, and in a 'La Niña' year, it
cools down.
These patterns can affect the global temperature for a short amount of time
(months or years) but cannot explain the persistent warming that we see today.
Natural forcings that can contribute to climate change include:
More details about the El Niño may be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPA-KpldDVc&t=193s

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Solar irradiance 
Changing energy from the sun has affected the temperature of Earth in the past.
However, we have not seen anything strong enough to change our climate.
Any increase in solar energy would make the entire atmosphere of Earth warm,
but we can only see warming in the bottom layer.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Volcanic eruptions
Volcanoes have a mixed effect on our climate.
Eruptions produce aerosol particles that cool Earth, but they also release carbon
dioxide, which warms it.
Volcanoes produce 50 times less carbon dioxide than humans do, so we know
they are not the leading cause of global warming.
On top of this, cooling is the dominant effect of volcanic eruptions, not warming.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Effects of Climate Change (Global Warming)

On humans
Human beings are not spared by these upheavals. Climate change is affecting the
global economy.
It is already shaking up social, health and geopolitical balances in many parts of the world.
The scarcity of resources like food and energy gives rise to new conflicts.
Rising sea levels and floods are causing population migration.
Small island states are in the front line. The estimated number of climate refugees by 2050 is
250 million people.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

On biodiversity
The increase of temperatures and the climate upheavals disturb the ecosystems,
modify the conditions and cycles of plant reproduction. The scarcity of resources
and climate change are changing life habits and migratory cycles of animals.
We are already witnessing the disappearance of many species - including endemic species -
or, conversely, the intrusion of invasive species that threaten crops and other animals.
Global warming therefore impacts biodiversity. It is the balance of biodiversity
that is modified and threatened.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

On oceans
Because of global warming, permafrost and ice are melting massively at the
poles, increasing the sea level at a rate never known before.
In a century, the increase reached 18 cm (including 6 cm in the last 20 years). The worst case
scenario is a rise of up to 1m by 2100.
The acidification of the oceans is also of great concern.
In fact, the large amount of CO2 captured by the oceans makes them more acidic, arousing
serious questions about the adaptability of seashells or coral reefs.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

On the weather
For decades now, meteorologists and climatologists around the world have been
watching the effects of global warming on the weather phenomena.
And the impact is huge: more droughts and heat waves, more precipitations,
more natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, storms and wildfires, frost-free
season, etc.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Global warming prevention

There are ways to reduce global warming.
But how to react to climate change?
What solutions to consider?

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Global warming prevention

Renewable energies
The first way to prevent climate change is to move away from fossil fuels.
What are the alternatives?
Renewable energies like solar, wind, biomass and geothermal.
Energy & water efficiency
Producing clean energy is essential, but reducing our consumption of energy and water by
using more efficient devices (e.g. LED light bulbs, innovative shower systems) is less costly
and equally important.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Global warming prevention

Sustainable transportation
Promoting public transportation, carpooling, but also electric and hydrogen mobility, can
definitely help reduce CO2 emissions and thus fight global warming.
Sustainable infrastructure
In order to reduce the CO2 emissions from buildings - caused by heating, air conditioning, hot
water or lighting - it is necessary both to build new low energy buildings, and to renovate the
existing constructions.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Global warming prevention

Sustainable agriculture & forest management
Encouraging better use of natural resources, stopping massive deforestation as well
as making agriculture greener and more efficient should also be a priority.
Responsible consumption & recycling
Adopting responsible consumption habits is crucial, be it regarding food (particularly meat),
clothing, cosmetics or cleaning products.
Last but not least, recycling is an absolute necessity for dealing with waste.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Ozone layer depletion and its effects

The ozone layer or ozone shield is a particular region of Earth's stratosphere that
absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation.
It contains a high concentration of ozone (O3) in relation to other parts of the
atmosphere, although still small in relation to other gases in the stratosphere.
The ozone layer is mainly found in the lower portion of the stratosphere, from
approximately 15 to 35 km above Earth, although its thickness varies seasonally
and geographically.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Ozone layer depletion and its effects

Ozone layer depletion or simply ozone depletion is the gradual thinning
of Earth’s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by the constant release of
various chemical compound containing gaseous chlorine or bromine from
industry and other human activities. 
Ozone depletion is a major environmental problem because it increases the
amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches Earth’s surface, which increases
the rate of skin cancer, eye cataracts, and genetic and immune system damage.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Effects on Human Health

Ozone layer depletion increases the amount of UVB that reaches the Earth’s
surface.
Laboratory and epidemiological studies demonstrate that UVB causes non-
melanoma skin cancer and plays a major role in malignant melanoma
development.
In addition, UVB has been linked to the development of cataracts, a clouding of
the eye’s lens.

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A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Effects on Plants
UVB radiation affects the physiological and developmental processes of plants.
Despite mechanisms to reduce or repair these effects and an ability to adapt to
increased levels of UVB, plant growth can be directly affected by UVB radiation.
Indirect changes caused by UVB may be equally or sometimes more important
than damaging effects of UVB.
These changes can have important implications for plant competitive balance,
plant diseases, and biogeochemical cycles.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Acid precipitation and its impacts

Acid precipitation also known as acid deposition is a general name for a number
of phenomena, namely acid rain, acid fog and acid mist.
This means it can imply both wet and dry (gaseous) precipitation.
Acid deposition is a rather well known environmental problem.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Forms of Acid Deposition

Wet Deposition
Wet deposition is what we most commonly think of as acid rain.  The sulfuric and nitric acids
formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog, or hail.  
Dry Deposition
Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of
moisture as dry deposition.  
The acidic particles and gases may deposit to surfaces (water bodies, vegetation,
buildings) quickly or may react during atmospheric transport to form larger
particles that can be harmful to human health.
When the accumulated acids are washed off a surface by the next rain, this acidic
water flows over and through the ground, and can harm plants and wildlife, such
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A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

THE END

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THANK YOU
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