Since national records started in 1910 Australia’s climate has heated up, especially since 1950. Since 1910 the surface air temperature has increased by 0.9°C . Over the same period the daytime maximum temperature has increased by 0.8°C and heated up by 1.1 °C over night. During the period of 1951 to 1980 very warm months occurred just over 2 per cent over that period of time, nearly 7 per cent of the time during 1981 to 2010. Over the past 15 years it has increased by 10 per cent…
Global climate change is possibly one of the most significant environmental issues facing our society. It has been recognised as a global concern by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2002 Global Ecology and Biogeography). A case study of the Kosciuszko national park in Austrailia demonstrates the effects climate change can have on a protected area. The alpine zone around Australia’s highest peak, Mt Kosciuszko is of high scenic, scientific, education and natural conservation significance (crctourism). In alpine Australia, some of the effects of climate change are already evident and park managers have come to terms with increased threats from large-scale fires and noticeable reductions in annual snow depth and cover (Wyborn, 2009). This concerning issue is due to the rise in temperature which has directly affected both the alpine species and snow levels in this area. Research suggests that a temperature rise of only 10 degrees would threaten a number of alpine species currently living at the upper limit of their temperature range. (environment &Heritage 2011) . The predicted worst case scenario by 2050 could see a loss of total loss of 30-95% of snow and the possible loss of the alpine ecosystems (Environment &Heritage 2011).…
* - Member of the Board of the Climate Change Authority of the Government of Australia…
There are few paleovegetation records in Australia before 18,000 years ago. To find out the history of the Australian fauna scientists used stable carbon isotopes from the emu eggshell (a flightless bird native to Australia). The samples were largely taken from Lake Eyre. The carbon composition of the eggshell tells us the composition of the bird's diet (over 3-5 days). The emus are mixed feeders herbivores, eating leaves, shoots, fruits, flowers, shrubs and grasses. The variation of the carbon values reflect the changes in the birds diet and hence the composition of the flora.…
In recent years, climate change has become a catastrophic issue that globally depletes resources at an unsustainable rate for survival. Rising temperatures associated with climate change are due to the greenhouse effect, in which humans play a huge role. The greenhouse effect is the trapping and buildup of heat in the Earth’s atmosphere due to carbon based human activities, such as transportation, electricity, and consumer habits(EPA, 2013). Global climate change includes substantial change to local and global temperatures, wind patterns, rainfall patterns, which last over extended periods of time (EPA, 2013). Current, unsustainable rates of human population growth contribute to the extra greenhouse gasses are added into the atmosphere.…
The impact that climate change summarises some of the potential impacts we can expect from these changes, informed by both actual research and examples described overseas. It is hoped that by exploring these potential impacts that we can facilitate thinking on how we can begin to moderate risks and prepare for change.…
The idea of climate change, for many, is an opinionated subject with much discussion of whether it is a real issue or just a natural phenomenon. However in recent years it is clear to see that trends in the Earth’s climate and surface temperature has spiked to levels never seen before. Despite all the evidence of the high levels of greenhouses gases and the rise in temperature, many still believe that there is no connection between the two, and that the Earth is just going through its natural cycle.…
The environment is a very meaningful issue to all Australians. It affects pollution, climate change, and most importantly, the drought. The drought affects the Australian Agricultural industry dramatically as it relies heavily on the decreasing water supply. Many Australians are farmers, and they are suffering the effects of global warming. Australians must save every drop of water they can, and must endure strict water restrictions, especially during summer. The environmental issues in Australia are very grave,…
Global warming is a resultant of Heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. The release of these gases has increased in the last 500 years since the industrial revolution. There is an expectation that global warming will result to rising sea levels, droughts, fires, heat waves, extreme storms, heavy rainfall, floods, and melting of snow and ice. These changes as envisaged would affect agriculture and general food availability with devastating consequences for existence of life on earth. In additional, life would change completely because many systems are tied to the climate. For example, temperature changes would affect breeding cycle of insect, and this has implications on pollination and food availability for humans. Although short-term weather variations are normal and expected, long-term changes are deleterious to the environment and life on earth (Houghton, 2004).…
Now Bush fire has become a big problem in Australia and lead heated discussions among all social strata irrespectiveness of social, educational background (web). This is more far weighed to climate change (web). Changing climate is an ongoing, long term continuous process. . “Nobody on the planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change.”Chairman of the IPCC, Rajendra Pachauri. According to Professor Mark Adams, Program leader at the Bushfire Co-operative Research Centre, Bushfires are probably in the top of high priorities list that needs high care in regard to effects of climate change. Ecosystem of Australia has been evolved to the new severe dangerous climatic conditions and civilians are just facing a very dangerous decade he mentioned further. Apart from this, these fire weather events mainly have major socio-economic impacts on the Australian population. (Climate change report 2017). They are associated with more frequent intensive extreme heat events, particularly…
The most vulnerable impact of climate change in Canada is the production of forestry. Every year, almost 6 billion trees are cut down leaving not only pollutants of factories that produce greenhouse effects, but leaving ecosystems destroyed and animals vulnerable. In addition, as a result of human activities in Canada-that produce immense amounts of CO2-causes ice sheets and alpine glaciers to melt- taking a substantial toll on Arctic ecosystems. Moreover, the rising levels of CO2 affects Canada's weather and climate patterns as some regions may experience more extreme heat while others may cool slightly. Flooding, drought, and violent storms and other extreme weather events are some of the consequences and issues that affect our society.…
The most well-known effect of global warming is that the rise in temperature could cause ice caps, glaciers and sea ice to melt. Since the 1950’s arctic sea ice has reduced by 10-15%, and the Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland retreated by 10km between 1997 and 2007, both of which are evidence that the recent increases in temperature are causing ice to melt. This melting of ice, along with thermal expansion of water, caused by increased temperatures will lead to rise in sea levels; average global sea levels could rise almost 1m between 1990 and 2100. A rise in sea levels could have devastating social impacts on low lying coastal areas; a 1m rise in sea levels could flood over…
The Murray Darling Basin is also one of Australia’s most important agricultural regions, containing over 40% of all Australian farms and produces one-third of Australia’s food supply. It provides wool, cotton, wheat, sheep, cattle, dairy produce, rice, oil-seed, wine, fruit and vegetables for both domestic and overseas markets whilst also producing over 70% of Australia’s irrigated agriculture. There is also a large variety of climatic conditions present in the basin, from sub-tropical conditions…
The aspects of climate change we are certain of are as follows, increased water availability in moist tropics and high latitudes, and decreasing water availability and increasing drought in mid-latitudes and semi-arid low latitudes, hundreds of millions of people exposed to increased water stress causing localized negative impacts on small business and coastal areas, and increased damage from floods and storms, and leading to erosion in coastal areas in addition based on satellite observations since the early 1980s there is high confidence that there has been a trend in many regions towards earlier “greening” ( measured by the normalized difference vegetation index) Of vegetation in the spring linked to longer thermal growing seasons due to recent warming. About which we are uncertain is many of the long term effects of climate change.…
Thousands of coastal cities and even whole islands are at risk of being claimed by the ocean due to sea levels worldwide rising at a rate of 0.14 inches per year since the early 1990s (Sea). This increase in sea levels is generated by global warming. Global warming, also known as climate change, is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and oceans, that could have a permanent and devastating effect on the world (Global). It has existed ever since the beginning of the Industrial revolution back in the 1880s due to fossil-fueled mechanisms (Ocean). Many indicators of climate change include: a rise in sea levels, polar ice caps and glaciers melting, ocean acidification and an…