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Climate Change

Md Rezwan Siddiqui
Senior Lecturer
East West University

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What is Weather and Climate?

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 Weather and Climate

Weather Climate
What is happening Average weather
in the atmosphere over longer time
at any given time frame
How humans disrupted a cycle essential to all life?

Carbon Cycle

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Human activities have significantly disturbed the natural
carbon cycle by extracting longburied fossil fuels and burning
them for energy, thus releasing CO2 to the atmosphere
How humans disrupted a cycle essential to all life: Carbon Cycle
Book: A Guide to Understanding the Fundamental Principles of Environmental Management 10
Book: A Guide to Understanding the Fundamental Principles of Environmental Management 11
 Global CO2 Level

https://climate.nasa.gov/ 12
 What is Green House Effect?

What is the cause of climate change?

Why is climate changing recently?

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The Gases that Contribute to the Greenhouse Effect

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Earth’s Greenhouse Effect

In the atmosphere, not all the thermal

radiation emitted by the Earth reaches
outer space

Part of it is absorbed and reflected back

to Earth’s surface by GHG molecules and
clouds

GHG is responsible for earth’s livable

temperature (average 14 C, well above -
19 C which would be felt without the
natural greenhouse effect
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 Causes of Climate Change: GHG Effect
Since the beginning of 20th century, scientists have been observing a change in the
climate that can not be attributed to any of the “natural” influences of the past only.
This change in the climate, also known as GLOBAL WARMING, has occurred faster than
any other climate change recorded by humans. The main cause of global warming is
the increased concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution
in the late 18th century.

The increased amount of GHGs which absorbs and re-emit thermal radiation, has
directly led to more heat being retained in the atmosphere and thus an increase in
global average surface temperatures. The increase in temperature is also leading to
other effects on the climate system. Together these affects are known as anthropogenic
(human caused) CLIMATE CHANGE

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 Causes of Climate Change: GHG Effect
GREENHOUSE GASES such as carbon dioxide (CO2) absorb heat (infrared radiation)
emitted from Earth’s surface. Increases in the atmospheric concentrations of these
gases cause Earth to warm by trapping more of this heat. Human activities—especially
the burning of fossil fuels since the start of the Industrial Revolution—have increased
atmospheric CO2 concentrations by more than 40%, with over half the increase
occurring since 1970.

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What is Climate Change?

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 What is climate change?

The planet's climate has constantly been changing over geological time.
The global average temperature today is about 15 degree Celsius, though
geological evidence suggests it has been much higher and lower in the
past.

Climate Change refers to changes in climate characteristics including

temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, and severe weather events over long
periods.

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 What are the evidences that climate is changing,
and is not a natural process/ caused by recent human activity?

1. Looking at earth’s past climate? Paleoclimatology

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 Looking into past temperature/ climate

Scientists take cores from glaciers, ice sheets, and sediments to study past
climates.

By studying glaciers and ice sheets, scientists have been able to deduce global
temperatures over the past few hundred thousand years by studying the gases
and other materials that are trapped in the ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHzADl-XID8&t=181s
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/earth104/node/1267
The data in the graph comes from an ice core taken at the Vostok Research
Station in Antarctica. The graph shows the temperature change from 420,000
years ago to the present, compared to the modern average temperature. (The
present time is shown on the left side of the x-axis; 420,000 years ago is
shown on the right side.) When the temperature on the graph shows a change
of -3°C (or lower), Earth was in an ice age. When the temperature on the graph
 What are the evidences that climate is changing,
and is not a natural process/ caused by recent human activity?

1. Looking at earth’s past climate? Paleoclimatology.

2. Measurement of the sun’s energy and its relationship with global temperature
change

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The Sun provides the primary source of energy driving Earth’s
climate system, but its variations have played very little role in the
climate changes observed in recent decades.

Direct satellite measurements since the late 1970s show no net

increase in the Sun’s output, while at the same time global surface
temperatures have increased
 What are the evidences that climate is changing,
and is not a natural process/ caused by recent human activity?

1. Looking at earth’s past climate? Paleoclimatology.

2. Measurement of the sun’s energy and its relationship with global temperature
change
3. Recent GHG emission and it’s relationship with global temperature change

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 Global CO2 Level

https://climate.nasa.gov/ 33
Global Methane Levels Soar to Record High

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02116-8 34
The present level of atmospheric CO2 concentration is almost
certainly unprecedented in the past million years, during which
time modern humans evolved and societies developed.

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 What are the evidences that climate is changing,
and is not a natural process/ caused by recent human activity?

1. Looking at earth’s past climate? Paleoclimatology.

2. Measuring sun’s energy and its relationship with global temperature change
3. Recent GHG emission and it’s relationship with global temperature change
4. Unprecedented temperature recorded during last 150 years

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 Evidences of Climate Change: Global Warming from 1880 to 2020

https://climate.nasa.gov/ 37
Evidences of Climate Change: Annual global surface temperature (1850−2019)

Nineteen of the warmest years have occurred since 2000, except for 1998. The year 2020 tied with
2016 for the warmest year on record since record-keeping began in 1880 38
Global Temperatures 1850 – 2020
 What are the evidences that climate is changing,
and is not a natural process/ caused by recent human activity?

1. Looking at earth’s past climate? Paleoclimatology.

2. Measuring sun’s energy and its relationship with global temperature change
3. Recent GHG emission and it’s relationship with global temperature change
4. Unprecedented temperature recorded during last 150 years
5. Global decline in ocean ice and glacier

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Evidences of Climate Change: Arctic sea ice extent in winter and summer (1979−2019)

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 The Arctic

An animation showing the annual retreat of Arctic ice between 1989 and 2015.
(Source: NASA)
Evidences of Climate Change: Disappearing Arctic sea ice

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 What are the evidences that climate is changing,
and is not a natural process/ caused by recent human activity?

1. Looking at earth’s past climate? Paleoclimatology.

2. Measuring sun’s energy and its relationship with global temperature change
3. Recent GHG emission and it’s relationship with global temperature change
4. Unprecedented temperature recorded during last 150 years
5. Global decline in ocean ice and glacier
6. Computer modelling

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Scientists use mathematical climate models to try to predict what will happen to Earth's temperature in the
future. The math is very complicated, so scientists use computer programs to do the calculations.
 Global Warming & Climate Change Myths and Skeptics

• Climate's changed before

• It's not bad

• Models are unreliable

• Hurricanes aren't linked to global warming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWXoRSIxyIU
https://skepticalscience.com/argument.php
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11462-climate-change-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/ 46
“The climate system is complex, as are its interactions with humanity, and beyond these
‘big picture’ forecasts lie many more specific questions. How much will sea level rise, and
how quickly? How will forests respond to increased CO 2 and changing precipitation
patterns? Will life be able to adapt to the changing conditions? Research into the nuances
of these and similar questions sometimes yields unclear or conflicting results. The answers
may vary geographically and be confounded by natural variability, so that attribution of
certain events to climate change is difficult. Future answers to these questions are typically
calculated from models based on mathematical representation of processes or statistical
regression of past data, both of which have limitations. Predictions are also uncertain
because human and societal actions are unknown.

All of this makes precise predictions of impacts and timelines challenging. Yet, exactly
these are highly relevant for informing mitigation policies and deciding how to react to the
varied consequences of climate change.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-019-0627-1 47
What are the Impacts of Climate Change?

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Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming:
the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers and the expansion of
seawater as it warms.

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Arctic likely to become ice-free

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http://localslr.climateanalytics.org/location/Grid_22.0_90.0
http://climate.barcapps.gov.bd/
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 Impacts of Climate Change and GHG Emission

• Change will continue through this century and beyond

• Temperatures will continue to rise
• Changes in precipitation patterns
• More droughts and heat waves
• Hurricanes will become stronger and more intense

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/oct/14/climate-change-
happening-now-stats-graphs-maps-cop26?

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 Impact of climate change in Bangladesh
• CC will result in increasing and severe frequent tropical cyclones, with higher wind speeds and
storm surges causing more damages in the coastal region

• Heavier and irregular rainfall during the Monsson will result in:
• Higher river flows, causing over-topping and breaching of embankments, and
widespread flood
• Riverbank erosion resulting in loss of homes and agricultural land
• Increased sedimentation in the riverbeds leading to drainage congestion
• Melting of the Himalayan glaciers will lead to higher river flows
• Sea level rise, leading to the submerge of the low lying coastal region and Saline water intrusion
• Warmer and more humid weather, leading to the increasing prevalence of disease. Climate
change is likely to increase the incidence of water-borne and air-borne disease, bacteria, and
parasites.

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 Impact of climate change in Bangladesh
• Each of these changes is likely to seriously affect agriculture (crops, livestock, and fisheries).
The higher temperature and changing rainfall patterns, coupled with increased flooding,
rising salinity in the coastal belt and droughts are likely to reduce crop yields and crop
production

• Shortage of safe drinking water is likely to become more pronounce, especially in the coastal
belt and in drought-prone areas in the north-west

• Increase riverbank erosion and saline water intrusion in coastal areas are likely to displace
hundreds of thousands of people

• All of these changes threaten the food security, livelihoods and health of the poor

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Who is Emitting how much Green House Gas??

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Global GHG Emissions by Sectors
 Global GHG Emissions by
Countries

https://www.wri.org/blog/2017/04/interactive-chart-explains-worlds-top-10-emitters-and-how-theyve-changed
https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/jan/31/world-carbon-dioxide-emissions-country-data-co2
https://www.wri.org/blog/2017/04/interactive-chart-explains-
worlds-top-10-emitters-and-how-theyve-changed
 Global GHG Emissions Per person

But that is only one way to look at the data - and it doesn't take account of how many people live in each
country. If you look at per capita emissions, a different picture emerges where:

• Some of the world's smallest countries and islands emit the most per person - the highest being
Gibraltar with 152 tones per person

• The US is still number one in terms of per capita emissions among the big economies - with 18 tonnes
emitted per person

• China, by contrast, emits under six tones per person, India only 1.38

• For comparison, the whole world emits 4.49 tones per person
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-
companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change
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Global GHG Emissions by Countries Cumulative CO2 Emissions by World Regions

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GHG Emissions of Bangladesh

World’s Top Emitters Interactive Chart I World Resources Institute (wri.org)

https://www.climatewatchdata.org/
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Climate Change Adaption, Mitigation
and Development

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 What to do?

Mitigation A human intervention to reduce the sources or

enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs).

Adaptation The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate

and its effects.

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What to do?

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 What to do?

Prevent Mitigate Adapt

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 An activity is considered Mitigation if it:

- Contributes to the reduction of GHG intensity per unit of output

- Limits the burning of fossil fuels for energy and uses lower carbon or
renewable sources
- Uses energy more efficiently in agriculture, homes, offices and industries
- Plans transport systems and urban development appropriately
- Reduces emissions from poor forest and land use practices
- Stores carbon in the soil through conserving forests and managing land
more sustainably.

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 An activity is considered Adaptation if it:
- Reduces the risk, exposure or sensitivity of human or natural
systems to climate change and climate variability

- Increases the potential or capability of a system to adapt to effects

and impact of climate stimuli

- Builds problem solving capacity to develop responses to climate

variability and change

- Incorporates climate risk information into decision-making.

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 What to do?

Prevent Mitigate Adapt

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Does it matter if we act or not?
 Climate Action

 Compassionate (feel for) about Environment

 Apathy (An absence of emotion or enthusiasm) to Action

 Be Sensible (Showing reason or sound judgment)
 Turn knowledge into Action
 Think Globally, Act Locally
 Useful Reference to Learn more about Climate Change
• https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/
• https://climatescience.org/
• https://climate.nasa.gov/
• https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/global-maps
• https://www.climate.gov/teaching
• https://www.globalchange.gov/
• https://climateanalytics.org/
• https://skepticalscience.com/argument.php
• https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11462-climate-change-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/
• https://climateanalytics.org/media/decarbonisingasia2019-profile-bangladesh-climateanalytics.pdf

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