1. Global Climate Change

2. Why Climate Change and not Global Warming
What is Climate
The statistics (averge temperature, precipitation, etc) over long periods of time
Global Warming implies that everything is just heating up and nothing else is changing
However a change in temperature has large and often unexpected effects on factors like; precipitation amounts/type/timing, wind, ecosystem balance (maybe it shifts to be too dry for some plants or too wet for others)
The proper term is Global Climate Change

3. Rising Temperatures

4. Rising Temperatures
The average global temperature has been rising for the past years.
However the rate of increase changed dramatically in the last couple of hundred years
We believe that the rapid change is due to human activities, beginning with the Industrial Revolution

5. Effects of Rising Temperatures
Easy to see evidence is the amount of ice that stays throughout the year has reduced

6. Effects of Rising Temperatures
Easy to see evidence is the amount of ice that stays throughout the year has reduced
As more ice melts the sea levels are rising

7. Effects of Rising Temperatures
Easy to see evidence is the amount of ice that stays throughout the year has reduced
As more ice melts the sea levels are rising
More difficult to see and to explain is the change in Climate for various locations

8. Factors that cause rising temperatures
Greenhouse gases (Water vapor, CO2, Methane CH4, Nitrous Oxide N2O, Ozone, etc)
Urbanization
Albedo

9. Greenhouse Gases Most abundant Water vapor, second is CO2
CO2 isn’t the most powerful at raising the temperature but it is increasing rapidly
Mauna Loa Observatory
Note the annual rise and fall, why is that?

10. Greenhouse Gases Most abundant Water vapor, second is CO2
CO2 isn’t the most powerful at raising the temperature but it is increasing rapidly
Mauna Loa Observatory
Note the annual rise and fall, why is that?

11. Urbanization Cities are hotter than rural areas, particularly at night
The large amount of concrete and the height of the buildings contribute to this
Also urban environments have more people/cars/energy demands and so also produce more greenhouse gases and waste heat

12. Urbanization

13. Albedo
The measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation received by an astronomical body. (How much light an object in space reflects)

14. Albedo A high albedo will actually lower the global temperature
Ice and snow reflect large amounts of light raising the albedo
Urbanization utilizing lighter colors also will raise the albedo
However as ice and snow melts the albedo drops, so the remaining ice and snow melts even faster.