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10 simple points about climate change

IT'S either the end of the world and we're going to die or it's an overblown threat. This is your guide to climate change.

DANIEL PIOTROWSKI

NewsComAuOCTOBER 31, 20133:56PM

10 simple points on climate changeSource:DailyTelegraph

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CLIMATE change is confusing. It's either the end of the world and we're all going to die. Or it's an overblown threat involving "warmists" and the "IPCC".

If you feel like you don't fully understand what's going on, you're not alone.

Plenty of people have an opinion on what is happening. But what are the facts and how does it affect you?

1. WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?

She gets climate change now. So will you. (Hipster glasses optional). Picture: ThinkstockSource:ThinkStock

Climate change is global warming. The two are the same thing. It is the world getting hotter.

No one doubts it is happening. The last decade, 2000 to 2010, was the hottest on record. The big controversy is about what is causing it.

Warming up the planet is like knocking over the first domino. It has massive knock-on consequences which can affect all of us.

The big one is food security. A rapidly warming climate will make some places wetter and others drier. This could affect the quality and quantity of available food on the table of every single person on the planet.

And a hot planet is not good for the world's great glaciers, such as the ones that cover Antarctica and Greenland. More water flows into the ocean as those glaciers melt. Sea levels creep up. They are already unusually high.

Then you get trouble. Flooding, for instance. You can see how this just gets worse and worse.

2. RIGHT. BUT DID HUMANS CAUSE IT?

Lord Monckton, a prominent climate change sceptic. Picture: News Corp AustraliaSource:NewsComAu

Yes. But it's understandable if you're not convinced. Plenty of people don't believe it. And sceptics have plenty of questions: What if the solar flares make the world hot? Doesn't the climate always change? Isn't it a good thing?

All of these have serious answers from very smart people. You can find these busted myths at the bottom of this piece.

But you do need to know one small statistic: 95 per cent.

That's how certain the United Nations climate science panel is that climate change is manmade.

Scientists are notorious for never being completely sure about anything. Even gravity, what keeps us stuck to the ground, is just a "theory".

But they have little doubt the huge changes they have witnessed in the environment were caused by humans.

3. REMIND ME HOW IT WORKS

He has a BIG influence on climate change. Picture: ThinkstockSource:NewsComAu

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Science boffins named John Tyndall and Svante Arrhenius figured out how it works in the late 19th century. It's simple. Basically:

Heat + Manmade gases that keep heat = Hot Earth

Global warming is caused by so-called "greenhouse gases". The gases, such as carbon dioxide, absorb heat and keep the planet warm enough for us to live on.

But humans - and yes, cows farting - have added so many tonnes of it into the atmosphere over the past hundred years that it has warmed up the planet.

4. SO IT WILL BE REALLY HOT?

Our summers are already getting longer by a day or two each decade, heatwave expert Sarah Perkins told news.com.au. Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common in the cooler months.

Then there's the kicker. By 2070, Australia is expected to warm between 1.0 to 5 degrees Celsius, according to the CSIRO.

It's the difference between a cool day and a scorcher where you melt into a little puddle. Just like this ice cream.

This disaster has been linked to climate change. Picture: ThinkstockSource:NewsComAu

5. SO HOT IT CAUSES BUSHFIRES?

There's been a divisive debate over the Blue Mountains fires and climate change. Picture: Daily TelegraphSource:DailyTelegraph

Peoples' ruined homes were still smouldering from the NSW bushfire crisis when Greens MP Adam Bandt launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister's climate change agenda.

"This is what global warming in Australia looks like and it's going to mean more fires happening more often and some of them more severe when they happen," he told the ABC.

Some thought it was insensitive. Others wondered - if we can't talk about climate change now, when can we talk about it? So DOES climate change actually cause bushfires?

It's difficult to say. Arsonists cause fires. So do lit cigarettes, dry conditions and the high fuel load of bushland.

But heatwaves and predicted drier conditions in southern Australia can help create the conditions where bushfires are more likely to happen, heatwave expert Sarah Perkins told news.com.au.

And when they do happen, the blazes will be worse.

"It can influence increased bushfire risk," Ms Perkins, from the ARC Centre for Excellence in Climate Systems Science at UNSW said.

"These sorts of bushfires are not solely due to climate change, but they're certainly at increased risk."

6. WHAT ABOUT SEA LEVELS?

THIS. IS. NOT. REALITY. Picture: SuppliedSource:NewsComAu

Floods are not going to smash through Australia all the way to Uluru in some kind of Day After Tomorrow apocalypse.

But yes - you should expect more floods, especially along the country's coastline.

On average the nation will experience a 300-fold increase in "flooding events" by the year 2100, according to a report released by Australia's Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre. That means one-in-a-hundred year floods will become considerably more common.

That figure is what would happen if the country experiences an average sea level rise of half a metre.

The CSIRO said we will feel it the most during big storms when we will see the most land inundated.

7. AT LEAST YOU DON'T LIVE HERE

Can you imagine what another few metres would do? Picture: AFPSource:NewsComAu

We are actually lucky compared to the poor folk of the small nation of Tuvalu, found halfway between Australia and Hawaii.

It's easily one of the countries that will suffer the most. Much of the country could be flooded.

"This is a 'life or death' survival issue for Tuvalu," the country's now leader, Enele Sopoaga, pleaded with the world in 2010.

The entire population of the tiny chain of nine Pacific Islands lives under 2m above sea level. As you can see.

The global average sea level could rise by a metre by the end of the century if emissions remain high. If they are lower, levels could rise between 28cm and 60cm.

They have it tough enough already when a cyclone hits. "There are no mountains to climb, no inland to run to. Of course, there are coconut trees," Mr Sopoaga said.

Another low-lying nation, the Maldives, has reportedly weighed up moving its population to Australia.

8. THE GOOD NEWS ... AND THE ACID NEWS

If you love the beach, you're in luck! Unless you're a fish.Source:ThinkStock

Finally. Some good news from this global warming mess. More time at the beach for you!

You're in luck if you live on the east coast of Australia and find the ocean too cold most of the time. The water's getting warmer much quicker than the rest of the ocean.

Over the past hundred years the water has warmed three times faster than the global average, by 1.5 degrees instead of the 0.5 degrees average.

Sucks if you live in the ocean though. The warmer currents will disrupt how tropical fish move around, oceanographer Erik Van Sebille from UNSW's Climate Systems Science Centre said.

Meanwhile, the oceans are becoming more acidic as well. The oceans absorb around 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide humans have emitted into the atmosphere.

That's not good for any sea creatures that need a shell, such as corals, molluscs or sea snails, Mr Van Sebille said, as the ocean dissolves it. "You have deformed animals who can't build their nice beautiful shells," he said.

And that could have a huge impact on our tourist attractions - the Great Barrier Reef a case in point - our fishermen, and the wider environment.

9. WHERE DOES IT END?

Hopefully, it doesn't end here. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

A "tipping point" means we can't go back. The Earth's climate would have changed in a way that's irreversible. At least for thousands of years.

Scientists want to keep the temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius or less, otherwise the IPCC warns we will see "catastrophic" damage.

To prevent that, the international community including the world's biggest polluters, the US and China, needs to sign a deal to slash emissions.

10. CAN I DO SOMETHING?

Makes you feel smaller, doesn't it? Picture: NASASource:NewsComAu

At the end of the day, you're just a sm

Climate Change & its Impacts on Bangladesh

Thema

Auteur: Anne-Katrien Denissen. Datum: 03-04-2012.

Bangladesh is one of the largest deltas in the world which is highly vulnerable to Natural Disasters because of its Geographical location, Flat and low-lying landscape, Population density, Poverty, Illiteracy, Lack of Institutional setup etc. In other words, the Physical, Social as well as Economic conditions of Bangladesh are very typical to any of the most vulnerable countries to Natural Disasters in the world. The total land area is 147,570 sq. km. consists mostly of Floodplains (almost 80%) leaving major part of the country (with the exception of the north-western highlands) prone to flooding during the rainy season. Moreover, the adverse affects of Climate Change – especially High Temperature, Sea-level Rise, Cyclones and Storm Surges, Salinity Intrusion, Heavy Monsoon Downpours etc. has aggravated the overall Economic Development scenario of the country to a great extent.

Bangladesh has got a population of around 150 million (2011) with a life expectancy at birth of around 63 years, and an adult literacy rate of 47.5%. The recent Human Development Report ranks Bangladesh number 140 of 177 nations. Bangladesh has an average annual population growth rate of around 2% (4.6% in urban areas), almost 75% of the population lives in rural areas and a population density of 954.4 (people per sq. km.). Bangladesh is predominantly Agricultural with two thirds of the population engaged in farming or Agro-based industrial activity mainly. The climate of Bangladesh can be characterized by High temperatures, Heavy rainfall, High humidity, and fairly marked three seasonal variations like Hot Summer, Shrinking Winter and Medium to Heavy Rains during the Rainy season.

Climatic Impacts:

Bangladesh experiences different types of Natural Disasters almost every year because of the Global Warming as well as Climate Change impacts, these are:  

Floods / Flash Floods (Almost 80% of the total area of the country is prone to flooding).

Cyclones and Storm Surges (South and South-eastern Parts of the country were hit by Tropical Cyclones during the last few years).

Salinity Intrusion (Almost the whole Coastal Belt along the Bay of Bengal is experiencing Salinity problem).

Extreme Temperature and Drought (North and North-western regions of the country are suffering because of the Extreme Temperature problem).

Sectoral Impacts

Agriculture and Fisheries:

As already mentioned earlier, the economy of Bangladesh is based on Agriculture mainly, with two thirds of the population engaged (directly or indirectly) on Agricultural activities; although the country is trying move towards industrialization slowly during the last one and a half decade almost. So, the overall impact of Climate Change on Agricultural production in Bangladesh would be wide spread and devastating for the country’s economy. Beside this, other impacts of Climate Change such as - Extreme Temperature, Drought, and Salinity Intrusion etc. are also responsible for the declining crop yields in Bangladesh. Temperature and Rainfall changes have already affected crop production in many parts of the country and the area of arable land has decreased to a great extent. The Salinity intrusion in the coastal area is creating a serious implications for the coastal land that were traditionally used for rice production.

The fisheries sector has also experienced an adverse affect because of the impacts of Climate Change. The fisheries sector contributes about 3.5% of the GDP in Bangladesh and people depend on fish products in order to meet up majority of their daily protein requirements. There are around 260 species of fish in the country and almost all the varieties are sensitive to specific salt and freshwater conditions.

Water Resources and Hydrology:

In a high density country like Bangladesh, the effects of Climate Change on the Surface and Ground water resources will be very severe and alarming. Changes to water resources and hydrology will have a significant impact on the country’s economy, where people mostly depend on the Surface water for Irrigation, Fishery, Industrial production, Navigation and similar other activities.

Coastal Areas:

Almost one forth of the total population of the country live in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, where majority of the population are some how affected (directly or indirectly) by Coastal Floods / Tidal Surges, River-bank Erosion, Salinity, Tropical Cyclones etc. With the rise of Sea-level  up to one meter only, Bangladesh could lose up to 15% of its land area under the Sea water and around 30 million people living in the coastal areas of Bangladesh could become Refugees because of Climate Change impacts. Agriculture, Industry, Infrastructure (School, Hospitals, Roads, Bridges and Culverts etc.), Livelihoods, Marine Resources, Forestry, Biodiversity, Human Health and other Utility services will suffer severely because of the same. Salinity Intrusion from the Bay of Bengal already penetrates 100 kilometers inside the country during the dry season and the Climate Change in its gradual process is likely to deteriorate the existing scenario to a great extent. Since most of the country is less than 10 meters above Sea level and almost 10% of the population of the country is living below 1 meter elevation - the whole coastal area is Highly Vulnerable to High Tides and Storm Surges. Moreover, the Bay of Bengal is located at the tip of the north Indian Ocean, where severe Cyclonic storms as well as long Tidal waves are frequently generated and hit the coast line with severe impacts because of the Shallow as well as Conical shape of the Bay near Bangladesh.

Forestry / Biodiversity:

Bangladesh has got a wide diversity of Ecosystems including Mangrove forests at the extreme south of the country. The “Sundarbans” a World Heritage, is the largest Mangrove Forest in the world, comprising 577,00 ha of land area along the Bay of Bengal. A total of 425 species have been identified there, the most significant is the famous Royal Bengal Tiger. Therefore, Climate Change impacts will have negative effects on the Ecosystem of the Forest recourses in Bangladesh while the Sundarbans is likely to suffer the most.

Urban areas:

Cities and Towns situated along the Coastal belt in Bangladesh are at the Front line of Climate Change related Disaster impacts and could experience a severe damage directly because of the Sea level Rise and Storm Surges at any time. Direct impacts may occur through the increased Floods, Drainage congestion and Water logging as well as Infrastructure Damage during extreme events. The important Urban sectors that suffered severely by the previous floods in Bangladesh include Urban Infrastructure, Industry, Trade, Commerce and Utility services etc. As consequence, it hampered usual productivity during and after major floods and hence increased the vulnerability of the urban poor by many folds. It should be mentioned here that, around 40 per cent of the urban population in Bangladesh lives in the Slum and Squatter settlements of the major cities which are highly prone to Disaster risk during Flooding further.

Vulnerable groups:

The Urban poor are therefore directly at the risk of Natural Disasters being enhanced by the impacts of Climate Change - especially in the absence / shortage of the necessary Infrastructure as well as Employment opportunity for them in the major cities of the country. In Bangladesh, Women are especially Vulnerable because of the Gender inequalities in the Socio- economic and Political institutions. During the 1991Cyclone and Storm surge in Bangladesh, the death rate in case of women was almost five times higher than the men. Because men were able to communicate with each other in the public spaces, but the information did not reach most of the women timely.

Conclusion:

Dear Global Citizens... and Friends of the Global Village...!

The Glaciers are Melting, Sea-level is Rising since the World is getting Warmer - our Coast line, Green Villages, Paddy fields, Schools, Hospitals, Markets are sinking... Please, come forward and let’s fight our Common Problems together...!

People are losing their Homesteads, Agriculture fields, Sweet water Ponds, Fishery, Poultry, Livestock and every thing... Becoming Homeless - taking shelter in the roadside Unhygienic Squatters and Slums. Once upon a time – they had Sweet Families along with all the members - Mom-Dad, Brothers-Sisters, Husband-Wife, Sons and Daughters...! They were surrounded by Greeneries, Water bodies, Vegetable gardens and Fruit trees - Cows, Goats, Hens and Ducks were common in every family... now, all are sweet memories...! Small Boats used to play in the Canals and Rivers - were the main mode of Transportation That Village was like a piece of Heaven... they lived for generations...!

Dear Friends, let’s Protect our Lovely Planet as the Safe Home for our future Generation...
Please... Let’s not think, Climate Change as an Individual Problem of any country or nation – Let’s think, it’s our Common Issue, we’ve to face efficiently as “Citizens of the Global Village” from now on...!  

Bangladesh, And Global Warming

More than 1,000 people across south Asia have died as a result of flooding this summer.

09/04/2017 09:58 pm ET Updated Sep 05, 2017

DIPTENDU DUTTA VIA GETTY IMAGES

The pictures that came out of Houston and other areas that were hard hit by Hurricane Harvey were pretty awful. There were numerous photographs of people with young children and pets wading through high water in the hope of being rescued by boat or helicopter. There was also the picture of elderly people in a nursing home sitting in waist high water waiting to be rescued. It was a pretty horrible story.

One thing we can feel good about is that because the United States is a wealthy country, we do have large numbers of boats and helicopters and trained rescue workers able to assist the victims of the storm. We also have places where we can take these people where they will have shelter, as well access to food and medical care. However bad the human toll will be from Harvey, it would be hugely worse without these resources.

Allowing people to emit greenhouse gases without paying for the damage done is like allowing them to dump their sewage on their neighbor’s lawn.

In this context, we may want to take a moment to think about Bangladesh, a densely populated country on the other side of the world. More than 160 million people live in Bangladesh. Almost half of these people live in low-lying areas with an elevation of less than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level.

Bangladesh experiences seasonal monsoon rains which invariably lead to flooding, as well as occasional cyclones. The monsoon rains and cyclones are likely to be more severe in future years as one of the effects of global warming. This will mean that the flooding will be worse.

Bangladesh does not have large amounts of resources to assist the people whose homes are flooded. It does not have the same number of boats and helicopters and trained rescue workers to save people trapped by rising water. Nor can it guarantee that people who do escape will have access to adequate shelter, medical care, or even clean drinking water. This means many more people are likely to be dying from floods in Bangladesh as a result of the impact of global warming.

Ironically, as Houston and Texas were still being hit by Harvey last week, a building collapsed in Mumbai, India, likely the result of the pressure from this year’s monsoon rains and the resulting floods. Nineteen people were reported dead from the collapse with another 30 having been rescued after being trapped in the rubble.

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So far this summer more than 1,000 people across south Asia have died as a result of flooding from the monsoons. We are likely to see many more incidents like this building collapse, as well as more people drowning in floods due to the effects of global warming.

In the U.S. the debate over global warming is often treated as one between those who like government intervention and those who support a free market. This is nonsense.

Allowing people to emit greenhouse gases without paying for the damage done is like allowing them to dump their sewage on their neighbor’s lawn. No one seriously argues that it is a free market principle that they get to dump their sewage on their neighbor’s lawn. Everyone understands that we are responsible for dealing with our own sewage and not imposing a cost on our neighbors.

It’s the same story with the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, even if the chain of causation may be somewhat more complicated. At this point, we have pretty clear evidence that the planet is warming, with the predictable bad effects like rising oceans and more severe storms. We also know that greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause.

For this reason, the dumping of sewage analogy is appropriate. The United States and other wealthy countries are imposing enormous costs, including the loss of large numbers of lives, through our emissions of greenhouse gases.

It is understandable that a rich jerk like Donald Trump might not want to pay for the damage he does to the world, especially when the people most affected are dark-skinned, but it is not a serious position. It has nothing to do with market philosophy; it is just a story of not accepting responsibility.

The emissions from the United States and other wealthy countries will result in a lot of Harvey-like disasters in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the developing world. We should be moving quickly to try to limit the harm. We should also be giving these countries the assistance they need to deal with the disasters that we have caused them. This isn’t a question of charity, it’s a question of whether we think we can get away with ruining the lives of the world’s poor just because we are rich and powerful.

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