Climate Change Impacts

Nasa compiled a list of current and future impacts that will be felt as a result of climate change. They separated them by region of North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe and Africa. Then, there are tables of current impacts and future impacts listed by likelihood.

NASA Climate Change Impacts

The Nature Conservatory also a list of impacts. However their list is sorted by type of impact, like economic, environmental, wildlife and landscape.

Nature Conservatory Impacts

Here is a chart taken from the Tennessee Department of Health that shows the potential impacts of climate change and how they will affect human health

Potential Impacts on Human Health

Renewable Resources

The EPA lists everything you need to know about renewable resources. Both the benefits of it and the barriers of it. Policies regarding renewable resources and programs to help renewable research or resources.

EPA on Renewables

Here is a picture showing a bunch of different sources of renewable energy including wind, hyrdro, solar, biomass pyrolysis and hydrogen storage. Full size link below picture

Renewable Resources

MA Climate Change

Being from Massachusetts myself, this article about confronting climate change in the northeast specifically Massachusetts hits close to home.  It discusses all the effects that will be felt from temperature to flooding and droughts.

MA Climate Change

Massachusetts has an official climate change report as of 2011, signed by Deval Patrick which has the adaptations and impacts listed in it. Along with other key infrastructure effects that will be felt if something is not accomplished.

MA 2011 Climate Change Report

Carbon Footprint

A Carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities. The Global Footprint Network put together an overview about carbon footprints.

Carbon Footprints

Curious about your own carbon footprint? The EPA put together a carbon footprint calculator, simply answer the questions and find out what your emissions equal.

Footprint Calculator

Want to reduce your footprint? National Geographic came up with a seven step plan to help you reduce your carbon footprint.

Reduce Carbon Footprint How-to

The EPA has a 25 step plan to help YOU reduce GHG emissions at home, school, work, or on the road.

EPA Reducing Carbon Footprint

Climate Change Prezi

Here is a creative presentation on climate change, put together by Kendahl Holley. This presentation covers many of the main topics of climate change like the causes, impacts, difficulties, and ways to combat the issue.

Climate Change Prezi

Fracking

Heres a educational summary about fracking: what it is, why it is done, and the effects of it.

Facts about Fracking

Here is the EPA's webpage dedicated to hydraulic fracturing. Including all of the measures that the EPA is taking to ensure that fracking does not affect public health.

EPA on Fracking

Climate Myths

Climate Change disputers often bring up the Medieval Warm Period to counter climate change claims. However climate scientists understand that increased solar radiation and decrease in volcanic activity. Read more from the website of Texas University below:

Medieval Warm Period

The Little Ice Age is also a subject that people bring up to dispel climate change but scientists say that the little ice age coincides with an increase in volcanic activity and the ice-albedo affect. Learn more by clicking the link below.

Little Ice Age

Abrupt Climate Change

Abrupt Climate Change is an article written by Richard Alley for the Scientific American, he writes that  dramatic climate changes can happen quickly and may be inevitable. He also details the effects that could be faced. He writes "It appears likely that humans are pushing certain aspects of climate closer to the thresholds that could unleash sudden changes".

Abrupt Climate Change

Instead of the climate changing gradually, scientists are finding evidence to support abrupt climate change, one of their sources is ice cores. In a summary report the author lists the evidence, triggers, and ways to adapt to abrupt climate change.

Inevitable Surprises

Dr. Jeffrey Masters wrote an article about the science behind abrupt climate change and came to the conclusion that not only is it possible but it seems to be normal for climate to change rapidly.

Science of Abrupt Climate Change

Emission Scenarios

From the World Meteorological Organization, here is an overview of emission scenarios including a definition of what emission scenarios are and then a background to emission scenarios. Then it shows the SRES scenarios and gives the story behind each scenario.

What Are Emission Scenarios?

Here is an up-close look at the graphs included in the link above complete with captions.

SRES scenario graphs

Here is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's full report on the emission scenarios, the summary for policy makers, and how the scenarios should be used.

IPCC Emissions Report

Building a Green Economy

Article on the NY Times website written by Paul Krugman, explaining the basics of environmental economics, the cost of implementing various actions in terms of percent of gross domestic product, the cost of inaction, and the two different ways the government can implement a carbon tax either a ramp or big bang.

Building a Green Economy

The United Nations Environment Programme has a green economy report which outlines the pathways to sustainable green economy, which includes: investing in natural capital, investing in energies, and supporting the transition to a green economy.

Pathways to a Green Economy

Climate Science as Culture War

Article written by Andrew Hoffman for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, he writes about the gaps between scientific consensus, the cultural processing of climate science, how to introduce a consensus-based discussion, and the different types of views of Americans on climate change.

Climate Change as Culture War

Ecosystem Economic Value

Article written by Robert Costanza about the economic value of ecosystems that contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly. In the article they estimate the current value of 17 ecosystems and 16 biomes. For the entire biosphere the value is averaged to 33 trillion dollars per year.

The Value of the World's Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital

Here is a summary report on the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. The report covers why ecosystems are economically important and why it makes sense to value them economically, reasons to invest in natural capital, and improving the distribution of costs and benefits.

Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Climate Modeling Continued

Here is a youtube video talking about climate modeling and the grid resolution. How detailed can the models be?

Climate Modeling: Grid Resolution

Here is more information about the accuracy of climate models from SUNY Suffolk.

Climate Model Accuracy

Climate Modeling 101

From the NOAA website, a basic introduction to climate modeling to predict and understand both natural and human caused climate change. The website says what climate modeling is and why they do it, and it describes some of the data they collect like temperature variability.

Modeling Climate

Here is a youtube video called "Climate Modeling with Supercomputers.

Climate Modeling with Supercomputers

Rising Global Temperatures over the last 11,300 years

Article written by Shaun Marcott, Jeremy Shakun, Peter Clark, and Alan Mix from Oregon State University. They reconstructed the temperature over the past 11,300 years using 73 climate proxies.

A Reconstruction of Regional and Global Temperatures for the past 11,300 Years

Here is the press release from from the article above. It contains a summary of the findings and the report, while cutting out some of the scientific terms.

Reconstruction of Temperature History Shows Significance of Recent Warming

Here is an article from the NY Times which also has a summary of the findings from Marcott et al. like the press release does but this article does not have the same bias that the press release might have.

Global Temperatures Highest in 4,000 Years

The Changing Climate in the Northeast

A summary written by the Union of Concerned Scientists based on Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast. This summary breaks up the effects by season and gives some solutions at the end.

Changing Northeast Climate

Also, here is the link to the original report prepared by the NECIA that the summary above is based on.

Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast

A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030

Energy resources that are available to supply world with their energy needs without detriment to society are considered renewable, sustainable resources. Currently, ethical principles seem likely to influence energy policies. Learn more about the sources of renewable energy sources in the link below.

Sustainable, Renewable Energy

In an article written by Mark Z. Johnson and Mark A. Delucchi that was published in the Scientific American, they provide solutions to the energy questions and state that wind, water and solar technologies can provide 100% of the world's energy.

Sustainable Energy

Life After Oil and Gas

NY Times article written by Elisabeth Rosenthal, stating that the U.S. can generate more power from renewable resources like wind and water and could cut its oil usage in cars in half by 2030.

Life After Oil and Gas

Speleothem and Paleoclimatology

Report written by Dominik Fleitmann, Pauline Treble, Francisco Cruz Jr., Julie Cole, and Kim Cobb. The report details findings in caves with speleothems such as stalagmites, stalactites, and flowstones and what they tell us about past climates and climate change.

Speleothem Climate Proxy

Climate over the Quaternary Period

An article written by National Geographic about the Quaternary Period, last 2.6 millions years, and how the climate has changed many times over that period.

Quaternary Period

Here is the Quaternary Period's climate but put in terms for kids to understand. This could be a useful educational aid or a good way to take a break from all the science jargon!

Quaternary Period for Kids

Paleoclimatology: Microbes

Webpage from the Science Education Resource Center that explains what paleoclimatology is, and why microbes such as forams and diatoms are helpful in understanding climates of the past.

Microbial Life as Climate Proxy

Also form the Science Education Resource Center, a list of resources including articles, journals, surveys, and academic reviews that deal specifically with microbes as proxies from climate change.

Microbe Climate Proxy Resources

How did Humans First Alter Global Climate?

Hypothesis presented by William F. Ruddiman proposing that evidence suggests greenhouse gases were being emitted by our ancestors by clearing forests and irrigating fields over the past millenia.

How Did Humans First Alter Global Climate?

Hansen on Environmental Effects

While accepting the 2013 Ridehour Courage Prize, Dr. James Hansen summarizes the key points and issues that we face in terms of climate change.

Hansen on Environmental Impacts

Here are Dr. James Hansen's credentials explaining why he is a reliable source of information when it comes to climate change.

Hansen's Credentials

Expiration of Kyoto Protocol

Article written by Quirin Schiermeier detailing the shortcomings of the Kyoto Protocol such as the assumption that fossil fuels would become scarcer and the prices would rise.

Hot Air

However there is now a new Kyoto Protocol phase being drafted that is stemming off of the last one. The IPCC released a press release reviewing the first draft of the revised supplementary methods. The terms of reference, chapter outline, and work plan has been approved and put on the website for download.

IPCC on 2013 Kyoto Protocol

Confronting Climate Change

Executive summary that gives very clear recommendations for what the international community and nations must do to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The main points are avoiding the unmanageable, managing the unavoidable and combining mitigation and adaptation to achieve multiple benefits.

Confronting Climate Change

The National Resources Defense Council also gives ways to help fight climate change/global warming.  From energy solutions, to transportation, this list gives a full spectrum of things we can help with.

Help Against Climate Change

Guidelines for Carbon Dioxide Capture, Transport, and Storage

Publication about the guidelines to follow when implementing carbon capture and storage. The guidelines are:

• Protect human health and safety
• Protect ecosystems
• Protect underground sources of drinking water
• Ensure market confidence
• Facilitate cost effective, timely deployment

CCS Guidelines


A matrix that compares the other CCS systems to the one though up by the World Resource Institute.

Comparability Matrix

Carbon Capture and Storage

World Resources Institute overview on carbon capture and storage, Also, includes the answers to frequently asked questions.

WRI on CCS

Flowchart detailing the process of carbon capture and storage

CCS Flowchat

Market-Based Environmental Policy

Discussion paper written by Robert Stavins of Reasourcces for the Future, discusses market-based policies, economic incentives, tradeable permits, and emissions taxes. Includes 9 tables at the end that show the policies in place in different countries.

Market-Based Policies

This report is from Tufts University claiming that a market-based environmental policy is not a good idea because the market is a good tool for policies but not a blueprint for them. Read more about it by clicking the link below.

No Market Based Policies

Cap and Trade

The EPA's quick facts about climate change. Shown  a slideshow. Includes examples of successful cap and trade programs.

EPA-Cap and Trade

Featured article about managing costs in a cap and trade system. Has quick points at the bottom of the article and includes a link to a discussion paper written by Harrison Fell and Richard Morgenstern.

Managing Costs in Cap and Trade

Carbon Tax

This link has answers to frequently asked questions about Carbon taxation from the Center of Climate and Electricity Policy. There is also a link on the webpage for a PDF file with the same information. It covers everything from what the tax is to interactions with government policies regarding the tax.

Carbon Tax FAQs

This link has Dr. James Hansen's idea for a carbon tax with a 100% dividend that is returned to the public. Many people believe this is the best idea to initiate a cause and effect that will lower CO2 emissions.

Carbon Tax & Dividend

Global Warming/Ozone Hole

List of basic facts about global warming, including impacts, risks, and how to avoid dangerous climate change by Professor Stefan Rahmstorf, an oceanographer and climatologist.

Climate Change - State of the Science

A paper written by Susan Solomon and Marie-Lise Chanin detailing how science and politics met in the Montreal Protocol and Kyoto Protocol to help fix the "ozone hole".

The Antarctic Ozone Hole: A Unique Example of the Science and Policy Interface

Global Warming Tipping Point

Paper written by the head of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies, and Columbia University professor, James Hansen, about his presentation made to congress in 1988 and global warming in the present.

Global Warming Twenty Years Later: Tipping Point Near

World Energy Projections

The BP energy outlook for 2030

Link for youtube video

Greenhouse Gases

Here are a list of greenhouse gases, explained by the National Climate Data Center. Gases include: Methane, Water Vapor, Carbon Dioxide, Ozone, and Nitrous Oxide, among others.

NCDC on Greenhouse Gases

The EPA also has its webpage on GHGs which includes what the major ones are, how they are emitted, the leading causes of GHG emissions and the leading nations responsible for the most GHG emissions.

EPA on GHGs

This image depicts the greenhouse effect when the suns rays get reflected and trapped in the atmosphere. You can see the full-size image by clicking the link below.

Full Size Greenhouse Effect

Montreal Protocol

Dave Doniger wrote an article about how the world's governments came together under the Montreal Protocol to phase out the use of CFC's and HFC's

"The Montreal Protocol is proof positive that the Earth's nearly 200 countries can cooperate to save their citizens from a planetary pollution catastrophe." - (Doniger,2012)

Montreal Protocol

This UNEP webpage contains an overview touching on all the important aspects of the Montreal Protocol and has the downloadable links to read the adjusted Montreal Protocol along with amendments made to it.

UNEP Montreal Protocol

Climate Change - What is it?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency gives information on Climate Change.

EPA Climate Change Basics


Good Ozone vs. Bad Ozone

The EPA also has a very informative page on ozone in the atmosphere.

http://www.epa.gov/oaqps001/gooduphigh/index.html caption

Ozone - Good Up High, Bad Nearby