Introduction to Global

Warming & Climate

Change

Outline
Q&A
The (Enhanced) Greenhouse Effect
Manifestations of Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
What is Climate Change?
Impacts of Climate Change
Combating Climate Change
What can we do?
Mitigation
Adaptation

Introduction
Most serious environmental threat
facing mankind
Effects threaten the capacity of the
earth to sustain life
How it came to be? What is
greenhouse effect?

Greenhouse Effect
is the process by which
greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere absorb and re-emit
heat being radiated from the Earth,
trapping warmth. (International
Energy Agency 2013)

GHG Sources

Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect

Water vapor. The most abundant
greenhouse gas, but importantly, it
acts as a feedback to the climate.
Water vapor increases as the Earth's
atmosphere warms, but so does the
possibility of clouds and precipitation,
making these some of the most
important feedback mechanisms to
the greenhouse effect.

Source: www.sawater.com.au/.../0/diag_water_cycle.gif

Carbon dioxide
(CO2). This is the most

Source: World Bank and Government of

Norway documentation. 2005.
Philippine Climate Change in
Coastal Areas A Communitybased Adaptation Approach.

important
long-lived
"forcing" of climate change.
It is released through
natural processes such as
respiration and volcano
eruptions
and
through
human activities such as
deforestation,
land
use
changes, and burning fossil
fuels.

Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect

A hydrocarbon gas
produced both through natural sources
and human activities, including the
decomposition of wastes in landfills,
agriculture,
and
especially
rice
cultivation, as well as ruminant digestion
and manure management associated
with domestic livestock. On a moleculefor-molecule basis, methane is a far more
active greenhouse gas than carbon
dioxide, but also one which is much less
abundant in the atmosphere.

Methane

Source: World Bank and

Government of Norway
documentation. 2005.
Philippine Climate Change in
Coastal Areas A Communitybased Adaptation Approach.

Nitrous
(N2O).

(CH4).

Oxide

This
is
a
powerful greenhouse gas
produced by soil cultivation
practices, especially the
use of commercial and
organic fertilizers, fossil
fuel combustion, nitric acid
production, and biomass
burning.
Source: World Bank and Government of Norway documentation. 2005. Philippine Climate Change in Coastal Areas A Community-based Adaptation

Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect

Chlorofluorocarbons
(Hydrofluorocarbons,
Perfluorocarbons and
Sulfur Hexafluoride).
These are synthetic compounds entirely of
industrial origin used in a number of
applications, but now largely regulated in
production and release to the atmosphere
by international agreement for their ability
to contribute to destruction of the ozone
layer.

Source: World Bank and Government of Norway

documentation. 2005. Philippine Climate Change in
Coastal Areas A Community-based Adaptation

1994 Philippines GHG Emissions from the Energy Sectors, Agriculture,

Industry and Wastes (Source: UNFCCC Official website)

12

1994 Philippines GHG Emissions with the LUCF Sector (Source:

UNFCCC Official website)

13

Manifestations of Enhanced
Greenhouse Effect

15

Melting and disappearance of glaciers

Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

Source:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/06/meltzone/balog-photography

Rise in sea surface temperature and ocean heat

Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

Rise in sea level

This is due to thermal

expansion and melting of
glaciers and ice sheets.

Frequent occurrence of strong cyclones and typhoons

Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

Source: World Bank and Government of Norway documentation. 2005. Philippine

Climate Change in Coastal Areas A Community-based Adaptation Approach.

What is Climate Change?

UNFCCC: Climate change: a change of
climate which is attributed directly or
indirectly to human activity that alters
the composition of the global
atmosphere and which is in addition to
natural climate variability observed over
comparable time periods
IPCC: any change in climate over time,
whether due to natural variability or as
a result of human activity.
22

Impacts of Climate Change

23

Above +2C impacts will be large

Water

2C

1C

0C
Food

3C

4C

5C

Falling crop yields in many areas,

particularly developing regions
Possible rising yields in
some high latitude
regions
Small mountain
glaciers disappear
water supplies
threatened in several
areas

Falling yields in
many developed
regions

Significant decreases in water

availability in many areas,
including Mediterranean and
Southern Africa

Sea level rise

threatens major
cities

Ecosystems

Extensive
Damage to Coral
Reefs

Rising number of species face extinction

Extreme
Weather Events Rising intensity of storms, forest fires, droughts, flooding and heat
waves

Risk of Abrupt and

Major Irreversible
Changes

Increasing risk of dangerous feedbacks

and abrupt, large-scale shifts in the
climate system

Combating Climate Change

25

Important Timelines
1992, United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
Objective:
stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the climate system

26

UNFCCC Guiding Principles

The precautionary principle- the lack of full
scientific certainty should not be used as an
excuse to postpone action when there is a
threat of serious or irreversible damage.
"common but differentiated responsibilitiesassigns the lead in combating climate
change to developed countries.
Other principles: special needs of developing
countries and the importance of promoting
sustainable development.
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Important Timelines
2 degrees C goal

A 20C rise in global temp. from pre-industrial

levels is the highest rise the world can afford if
we want a 50% chance of avoiding the worst
effects of climate change

450 ppm
Concentration of CO2 equivalent in the
atmosphere that the world must stay to stay
true to the 2 degrees goal
28

Important Timelines
395 ppm

the current concentration of CO2 in the

atmosphere

280 ppm
Pre-Industrial Revolution level of CO2 (This level
has gone up by 41% from then till now)

29

Important Timelines
1995, Kyoto Protocol
legally binds developed countries to emission reduction
targets (by an average of 5% of 1992 levels)
Adoption of Flexibility Mechanisms to aid Developed
Countries meet their emission reduction targets:
1. International Emissions Trading allows Annex I country
to trade part of their assigned cap
2. Joint Implementation Annex I Countries helping each
other in reducing their emission reduction targets
3. Clean Development Mechanism allows the
sponsorship and implementation of project activities in
non-Annex I Countries.
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Your Governments Effort to

Combat Climate Change

31

National Climate Change

Action Plan

What can we do?

37

PROPOSED MEASURES

Efforts to avoid the

negative impacts of climate
change were segregated
into MITIGATION and
ADAPTATION

38

PROPOSED MEASURES
MITIGATION refers to reducing greenhouse
gas emissions or removing GHGs in the
atmosphere

ADAPTATION refers to reducing the

individual or communitys vulnerability from
the effects of Climate Change

39

Climate Change Mitigation

Measures

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CONSERVE ENERGY

42

PROPER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

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USE ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF

TRANSPORTATION or JUST WALK

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Climate Change Adaptation

Measures

45

CONSERVE WATER

46

DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCES

47

Help Clean our Waterways

48

Organize An Emergency Response Team

49

Train Emergency Team in First Aid

50

Properly Equipped Emergency Team

51

Establish An Early Warning System

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Thank You!

55

QUESTIONS?