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Understanding Climate Change
Gord MillerEnvironmental Commissioner of Ontario
Climate Change is RealIt will Affect YOU!
. . . And maybe your dog too.
Absorbed Solar RadiationDetermines the Climate
Did you spend last summer in the water?
Or did you spend it bundled up?
Most ‘earthlings’ spent it on the beachMost ‘earthlings’ spent it on the beach
Temperature Anomalies Relative to 1952 – 1980 Average
It was the second warmest ‘earth’ summer in 130 years
Earth’s climate depends on the net amount of solar radiation that our planet absorbs
Climate change – fact or fiction?
= How much we get – how much we loseEarth Net Absorbed Solar Radiation
Why?Why?Climate has always changed on a long term cycle
How much we get(Solar energy hitting earth)
depends on earth’s. . .
OrbitEccentricity
Axis Tilt Solar Cycle
Eccentricity changes are on a 100,000 yr cycle
get picture for tilt
Earth Axis Tilt Changes from 24 degrees to 22.5 degrees40,000 year cycle - agrees with glacial cycles
Glacial periods end whenthe earthreaches
a position ofmaximum
tilt
Earth axis tilt now
From: James Hansen, Storms of My Grandchildren
Solar energy output is on an 11 year cycle
How much we keep depends on . . .
Albedo(sunlight reflected
by our planet)
Greenhouse Gases(capture infra-red light
and re-radiate it)
AlbedoOcean
Ice
Land
Presently the Earth should be gradually sliding into a new ice age cycle but, due to human activities…
“ice ages will never occur again – unless humans go extinct”
James Hansen
The whole process has changed …
Greenhouses gases are accumulating at a tremendous rate because of the activities of humans …
This increases ‘how much we keep’
But . . .
Figure SPM.6. Projected surface temperature changes for the late 21st century (2090-2099). Temperatures are relative to the period 1980-1999.
It’s your world . . .
Get involved !