Date post: | 10-May-2015 |
Category: |
Environment |
Upload: | abcic |
View: | 27 times |
Download: | 3 times |
CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW For more information: African Biodiversity Conservation and Innovations Centre, PO Box 100882 – 00101, Tel: +254 20 2330014, Mobile: +254 720 529884 , Nairobi, Kenya,
www.abcic.org, [email protected]
A significant change in the state of the climate and/or the variability
of its properties and that persists for an extended period and
include changes in temperature, rainfall, snow, and wind patterns
lasting for decades or longer.
Gases in the air around the earth keep it warm, just like a
greenhouse keeps the plants inside warm. These natural gases are
known as greenhouse gases (Table 1). Over the last 50 years,
human beings have produced more greenhouse gases, making the
air have a greater greenhouse effect (Figure 1). This is called the
enhanced greenhouse effect and has caused the temperature of
the earth’s surface to rise, changing the world’s climate. Natural
causes of climate change include changes in the sun’s energy,
changes in ocean circulation, variations in solar radiation and
volcanic eruptions.
What is climate change?
How does it happen?
What can you do?
The future climate change outlook
How can we tell that the climate is changing?
Table 1: Greenhouse gases
The six main gases are:-
CO2 Carbon dioxide (Industries)
CH4 Methane (Farms and solid waste landfills)
HFCs Hydrofluorocarbons (Industries)
PFCs Perfluorocarbons (Industries) N2O Nitrous oxide (Farms and industries)
SF4 Sulphur hexafluoride (Industries)
• Rising sea level
• Melting of snow and ice e.g. on Mts. Kenya and Kilimanjaro
• Widespread changes in extreme temperatures
• Changes in rainfall patterns
• Shrinking of the arctic sea-ice
• Prolonged and severe droughts (Figure 2) and floods
One of the key factors affecting future climate change is the amount
of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. This depends on
among others population growth, economic development,
technology and changes in people’s behaviour (Figure 3). Climate
takes a while to respond to greenhouse gases; so any greenhouse
gases released into the atmosphere now will still affect the climate
50 years to come.
Figure 1: Greenhouse effects
Figure 2: The main photo shows the impact of climate change on maize
in a farm in Kenya. The other shows loss of livestock as a result of
extreme drought in the Horn of Africa
• Use alternative sources of energy, renewable, which will not
release harmful emissions such as solar and wind
• Adopt energy saving tips e.g. using energy-saving appliances like
the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, switching off our
electrical appliances when they are not in use
• Use the public transport; reduce the use of automobiles or use
eco-friendly or fuel efficient car
• Reduce Reuse Recycle: to produce less waste
• Take part in forest conservation and re-forestation efforts: plant
and adopt a tree
• Practice sustainable and organic agriculture
• Introduce climate change education in the school curriculum
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABCIC would like to thank CIC Insurance Group for funding the
development of this poster.
Effects on/of humans
activities
Ozone depletion and
Global warming Land degradation and
desertification
Biodiversity loss Freshwater decline
Population
displacements
Water quality decline
Agro ecosystem
productivity decline Ultraviolet exposure
Greenhouse gases (from
industries, agriculture) Cha
ng
es in
rain
fall a
nd
tem
pe
ratu
re
CLIMATE CHANGE
Decline in ecosystem
services
Figure 3: Relating climate change occurrence and human activities