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What is
Climate Change?
Module 1:
EARTH
Global temperatures
are rising because of an increase of
greenhouse gases (like carbon
dioxide) in the atmosphere
human activity is a major cause of
climate change90%We are more than
certain Actually it's more certain than that
Passive Carbon(fossil fuels)
Carbon is always moving between plants, the atmosphere and the oceans.
Passive carbon is 'locked away' underground.
Burning fossil fuel releases passive carbon into the atmosphere.
If we didn’t burn it, this carbon wouldn’t return to the atmosphere for millennia.(through the weathering of rocks)
Passive Carbon(fossil fuels)
71% includes Energy (25.9%), Transport (13.1%), Agriculture (13.5%) and Industry 19.4%).
Residential & Commercial
Waste & Wastewater
Forestry
come from
burning fossil fuels
71% of all human-causedgreenhouse gas emissions
What does climate change look like?.
Steppe Fire in Russia. A steppe fire at night in the Volgogradsky region, 2010.Forest fires are set to increase as climate change intensifies. © Greenpeace
Fires
Villagers wade through rising flood waters from the Chao Phraya in 2006. Earlier in the year, scientists warned that Thailand would experience more frequent extreme weather events due to the impacts of climate change. © Greenpeace
What does climate change look like?.
Floods
Drought is severely affecting farmers and graziers in Australia. The situation is dire for those relying on the giant Murray-Darling River system, which in some places has reduced to just a trickle. © Greenpeace
What does climate change look like?.
Droughts
The only solution is to CUT FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS
These regions will be hardest hit (judging the physical impacts of climate change, taking into account countries' ability to cope)
These regions did the most harm (based on historical carbon emissions per person)
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in 1992:
'the largest share of historical and current global emissions of greenhouse gases has originated indeveloped countries...
… the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof'
Countries meet under the UNFCCC to tackle climate change
In 1997 they generated the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol commits developed countries to cut collective emissions to 95% of 1990 levels by 2012.
1990 2000 2010 2020
1990 2000 2010 2020
Almost all scientists agree the cuts need to be much deeper to be effective:80-95% by 2050
Active Carbon
56% fossil fuels
Forestry (incl. deforestation)
17.4%
Human-induced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
REMEMBER
Proposals are on the table to develop schemes to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation.
See module 2: What is REDD ?
Unlike forest emissions, burning fossil fuels releases carbon not normally part of the active carbon cycle.
Planting more trees or protecting forests will not fix this.
REMEMBER
The only solution is to CUT FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS
Module 3: What is carbon trading?
Module 4: Forests and carbon trading
Module 2: What is REDD?
Module 1: What is Climate Change?
Module 5: REDD and communities
Module 6: Lessons from FLEGT for REDD