Climate impacts on Coastal Communities

Tropical storm impacts:

Recent Trends in Hurricane Activity-In the Atlantic only: Purple: Tropical Storms Orange: Hurricanes Green: Cat 4-5 Hurricanes

Hensen, Rough Guide to Climate Change WORLD WIDE: In last 30 years, the number of Cat 4 and 5 Hurricanes has nearly doubled.

Size of Hurricanes - Katrina

Tropical cyclone genesis areas and related storm tracks Climate Change- Changes in wind patterns  unpredictable tracks

Other Impacts Storm surges Presently, half of the deadly tropical storm surges occur in eastern India and Bangladesh (Texas and Louisiana are more protected by wetlands though recent storms are weakening that protection) Flooding

Damage to Human lives/property Property damage is expected to increase. Causes: 1. Increased building on the coast 2. Possible climate change Human injury and death: Expected to decrease in areas of good warning systems and evacuation plans. Expected to increase in areas/countries which lack adequate warning and evacuation.

A one-foot increase in sea level would cover approximately 402 square miles of Texas coast. A three-foot rise in sea level would submerge nearly 1,000 square miles. (For context, the City of Dallas covers 380 square miles. Big Bend National Park covers 1,100 square miles.)

Possible but less likely 10 ft rise in sea level

Chapter 14: Nonrenewable Energy Sources

FIGURE 1: Changing options: Energy consumption in the United States by fuel type

FIGURE 02a: The U.S. energy profile: Energy sources FIGURE 02b: The U.S. energy profile: Energy consumers

14.2 What is Energy?  Energy comes in many forms. Adapted from D. D. Chiras, et al. Management for a Sustainable Future, Ninth edition. Pearson Education (2005): Upper Saddle River, NJ.

FIGURE 5: Energy systems

.. Crude Oil © Hugh Rose/Accent Alaska

FIGURE 6: Products from a 44-gallon barrel of oil Data from the American Petroleum Institute.

FIGURE 8: A mountain-top coal mine © Jim Wark/Peter Arnold, Inc. FIGURE 7: Diagram of contour strip mining

Courtesy of H.E. Malde/USGS Photo Library, Denver, Colorado FIGURE 09: Strip Mining

FIGURE 10a: Cross section of a normal lung © Biofoto Associates/Photo Researchers, Inc. FIGURE 10b: Cross-section of a lung from a deceased coal miner who suffered from black lung disease © Ken Eward/Science Source/Photo Researchers, Inc.

 One of the biggest environmental problems from coal mining results from the release of sulfuric acid from abandoned underground mines.  The acid poisons thousands of miles of streams in the eastern United States Drawbacks to Coal Consumption Courtesy of D. Hardesty/USGS

Natural Gas

Oil Shale

Tar Sands Tar Sands Open Pit Mining, Alberta, Canada

Coal Gasification and Liquefaction /howgasificationworks.html

14.3 Fossil Fuels: Meeting Future Demand  Oil: The End Is Near  Global oil supplies appear to be quite large.  When one calculates how long they will last (based on historical increases in energy consumption), it appears that oil supplies may last only 20 to 40 years.  Long before the last drop of oil is removed, shortages will appear, with serious social and economic repercussions.