DEFINITION

• WEATHER
consists of short-term
changes in
atmospheric variables
such as the
temperature and
precipitation in a
given area over a
period of hours or
days
 DEFINITION
• CLIMATE
climate is determined by
the average weather
conditions of the earth or of
a particular area, especially
temperature and
precipitation, over decades
to thousands of years. The
minimum period
considered is usually 3
decades.
The structure and
dynamics of earth’s
climate systems. It seeks
to understand how
global, regional, and
local climates are
maintained as well as the
process by which they
change over time.
• Climate science, by contrast, aims to explain
and predict the working of a global climate
system – encompassing the atmosphere, oceans,
land surface, ice sheets and more.
• The emergence of climate science is closely
linked to issues of anthropogenic climate
change.
 BRIEF HISTORY

• Earth formed ~4.6 billion years ago

• Originally very hot
• Sun’s energy output only 70% of present
• Liquid water present ~4.3 billion years
• Life appeared ~3.8 billion years ago
 BRIEF HISTORY
• Photosynthesis began 3.5-2.5 billion years ago
– Produced oxygen and removed carbon dioxide
and methane (greenhouse gases)
– Earth went through periods of cooling
(“Snowball Earth”) and warming
• Earth began cycles of glacial and interglacial
periods ~3 million years ago
• On the standard characterization,
Earths climate system is the
complex, interactive system
consisting of the atmosphere,
hydrosphere, cryosphere,
lithosphere, and biosphere.

• Those aspect of the atmosphere,

are jointly determine the values of
paradigmatic climate variables,
such as average surface
temperature and rainfall, in
response to the external
influences.
• There are many possible mechanisms that can
cause the warming of the atmosphere, for
example:
– Natural variation – the climate becomes
warmer by internal chaotic dynamics of the
earth-atmosphere system (that is, no external
influence).
– Solar activity – either direct increase of solar
energy output or indirect “trigger” mechanisms
due to solar activity (though nobody knows
how) may cause the surface temperature to go
up.
 – Greenhouse effect – increasing “greenhouse”
gases such as CO2, CH4, NO, CFC,…etc.
(actually H2O is very efficient, too, but at
present it is assumed to be in steady state).
• The last one is presently thought to be the most
likely cause of the global warming and hence we
will examine it here in this chapter..
How Global Warming Works

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

What’s the difference between
“global warming” and “climate
change”?
 Difference
GLOBAL WARMING CLIMATE CHANGE
is the increase of the is a broader term
Earth’s average that refers to long-
surface temperature term changes in
due to a build-up of climate, including
greenhouse gases in average temperature
the atmosphere. and precipitation.
 Example of the
Greenhouse Effect
The Sun’s energy
passes through the
car’s windshield.

This energy (heat)

is trapped inside
the car and cannot
pass back through
the windshield,
causing the inside
of the car to warm
up.
Sun Greenhouse Effect
 Earth’s Atmospheric Gases
Nitrogen (N2)
Non-
Greenhouse
Gases
Oxygen (O2)
99%

Water (H2O)

Greenhouse
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Gases
1%
Methane (CH4)
The (Atmospheric) Greenhouse Effect

• Examples of greenhouse gases: H2O, CO2, CH4, CFC.

• Currently, CO2 is the main suspect of causing the global
warming since the 20th century because combustion of fossil
fuel naturally injects CO2 into the atmosphere and it has
increased dramatically since last century.
• Physically, via the greenhouse effect.
• The connection is usually made via the use
of a climate model.
• Control run versus scenarios.
• If the scenario run results show warmer
surface condition than the control, then it
is plausible to suspect that the increasing
CO2 concentration in the atmosphere may
cause warming.
 FEEDBACK EFFECT
• The climate system is very complicated. A
change in one component of the system
may cause changes in other components.
Sometimes the changes in other
components enhance the initial change,
then we say that these changes have
positive feedback to the system. If the
changes result in the reduction of the
original change, then they have negative
feedback.
 FEEDBACK EFFECT
• Both positive and negative feedback
processes may exist in the climate
system. In studying the global climatic
change, we cannot make conclusions
based on intuition, but have to take
all such possible complicated effects
into account. A good climate model
would have treated all of them
realistically.
 An example of positive
feedback
• When the climate becomes warmer (either due to
the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere or other
unknown mechanisms), the ocean may also
become warmer. A warmer ocean has lower
solubility of CO2 and hence will release more CO2
into the atmosphere. This may cause the climate
to become even warmer than before. Thus the
dependence of solubility of CO2 on temperature
has a positive feedback on the climate system.
• Consider a clear region over the ocean. Since
there is no cloud, the sun shines on the ocean
surface, causing it to warm up. This makes this
part of the ocean warmer than other parts and
the air over it tends to rise (causing convection).
As we have learned before, rising air expands
and cools, causing clouds to form. The formation
of clouds will block out the sun and the solar
heating of the ocean surface will cease. The
surface will start to cool down. Thus the cloud
formation due to surface heating and convection
is a negative feedback to the climate system.
Rising Sea Level Increased Temperature

Habitat Damage and

Species Affected Changes in Water Supply
Burning of Fossil Fuels

Pollution from coal,

natural gas, and oil
Impacts of Climate Change
Wind Power Solar Power Fuel-Efficiency
We can stop global warming!
 Turn off your computer or the TV
when you’re not using it.

Take shorter showers. Heating water uses energy.

Keep rooms cool by closing the blinds, shades, or

curtains.

Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Use compact fluorescent bulbs.

Be Bulb Smart—Use CFLs
What’s the Compact
Incandescent difference? Fluorescent

500 lbs.
of coal

•1,430 lbs. CO2 pollution avoided

•$30 saved
 Simple Things To Do
Dress lightly when it’s hot instead of turning up
the air conditioning. Or use a fan.
Dress warmly when it’s cold instead of turning
up the heat.
Offer to help your parents keep the air filters on
your AC and furnace clean.
Walk short distances instead of asking for a
ride in the car.

Plant a tree.
Recycle.
 Seatwork 1
1. What are the main causes of climate
change?
2. How do greenhouse gas emissions
contribute to climate change?
3. How do rising global temperatures
affect ecosystems and biodiversity?
4. What are some strategies for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions ?
 HOMEWORK 1
1. DISCUSS THE COMPONENTS
OF AGRICULTURE AND THE
ISSUES ON THE PEST
MANAGEMENT
2. ILLUSTRATE THE SHIFTING
AGRICULTURAL METHODS
 PROJECT
Group yourself into 10 members and do
this project.
1. MAKE A S L O G A N A N D P O S T E R
COMBINATION ON HOW TO
PROTECT MOTHER EARTH AND
DEVELOP SELF AWARENESS.
2. Make this project on a 16'' x 16''
canvas.