The term “global warming” refers to the warming of the Earth in recent decades and its projected continuation, implying a human influence. The effects of global warming on the environment and human life are numerous, varied, accelerating and taking scientists studying global warming by suprise. I cant stress the seriousity of this situation enough.
Australia is vulnerable to changes in temperature and precipitation projected for the next 50 to 100 years, because it already has extensive arid and semi-arid areas, relatively high rainfall variability from year to year, and existing pressures on water supply in many areas. In addition, vulnerability arises due to high fire risk, Australian ecosystems sensitive to climate change, and invasion by exotic animal and plant species introduced by human activity.
Australia is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases in the developed world. In Australia by 2033-
Wind speeds will increase by 10%
10% increase of Malaria
Forrest fires will increase by 10%
20% increase of tropical rainfall
100% increase in exposure to flooding
It seems that by the sea levels raising on an upwards gradient, Australia will be out of our current drought and into an era of having an over exposure to water levels.
The 2005 CSIRO Melbourne report informed us of the effects and consequences that climate change will have on Melbourne. Changes expected are as follows.
An increase in average summer temperatures, an increase of 1 degree Celsius by 2020 and a 2.5 degree increase by 2050.
Reduced rainfall. Rainfall is expected to drop 1% by 2050.
More extreme events such as storms and prolonged heat waves.
Scenarios studied by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict that global warming will continue and get worse much faster than was expected even in their last report. The IPCC reports attribute many specific natural phenomena to human causes. The expected long range effects of recent climate change may already be observed. Raising sea levels, glacier retreat, which is the breaking of glaciers causing them to recede, Arctic shrinkage, which is the noted decrease in Arctic sea ice, and altered patterns of agriculture are cited as direct consequences of human activities. Predictions for secondary and regional effects include extreme weather events, an expansion of tropical diseases, changes in the timing of seasonal patterns in ecosystems, and drastic economic impact.
The probability of warming having unforseen consequences increases with the rate, magnitude, and duration of climate change. Additionally, the United States National Academy of Sciences has stated, “greenhouse warming and other human alterations of the earth system may increase the possibility of large, abrupt, and unwelcome regional or global climatic events.
The IPCC reports that the effects of global warming will be mixed across regions. For smaller values of warming (1 to 3 C), changes are expected to produce net benefits in some regions and for some activities, and net costs for others.
Most of the consequences of global warming would result from physical changes: sea level rise, higher local temperatures, and changes in rainfall patterns, but synergystic affects such as warming causing the release of methane hydrates or clathrates; oceans forests and species dying off create many unforseen impacts such as a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere. Sea level is generally expected to rise 18 to 59 cm by the end of the 21st century.
Renewable energy contributes 6% of Australia’s total energy consumption, big contributors being wind power, generated by windmills in high wind areas. Solar power, and Biomass which is an energy supply drawn from waste streams encompassing photosynthesis to produce energy.
I have certainly made an attempt at reducing my own greenhouse gas emissions, I am however not without my flaws, recycling and turning lights off were the easy parts to overcome but I still take too long in the shower and I have my parents drive me places I could easily walk THANKS GUYS.
We can all contribute to the mitigation of this intensifying climate problem, in saying this I would like to ask all of you some quick questions. I ask you to simply think back to before you left your homes tonight; did you turn all the lights off? Did you leave any taps running? Is the air conditioning or heating system still on? Asking yourself these questions before leaving your home will help ease the climate change problem to a great extent. I do firmly believe that if I have persuaded only one you to change the way you live slightly then I have done my part.
