Global Warming: What does it mean to me?

1. Global WarmingGlobal Warming
by
Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ho Sinn-Chye
Vice-Chancellor & CEO
What does it meanWhat does it mean
to me?to me?

2. GLOBALIZATION OF
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
SEE, OBSERVE,
MEASURE AND
MODEL TO
UNDERSTAND
AND FORECAST
OUR OCEAN IN ALL ITS MOODSOUR OCEAN IN ALL ITS MOODS

3. THE DIGITAL
AGE OF OCEAN
SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
Ocean Data Logging
Sea-Bed Mapping
Remote Sensing

4. Great Ocean Conveyor BeltGreat Ocean Conveyor Belt
Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA

5. 1) Does “global warming” mean the
same as “climate change”?
Five basic questionsFive basic questions
2) What are the causes and impacts of global
warming?
3) What will happen to our world if global
warming was allowed to continue?
4) What choices do we have for responding to
the impacts of global warming?
5) What can we do to slow global warning?

6. Does “global warming”
mean the same as
“climate change”?
Question 1Question 1

7. Definitions:Definitions:
Global warming – An overall warming of our
planet Earth, based on average temperature
over the entire surface of the Earth.
Climate change – Changes in regional
climate characteristics, including amount of
sunshine, temperature, humidity, rainfall, air
pressure, wind, and severe weather events.
(Note: Climate change can also mean global cooling,
which ended 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age.)

8. There’s also a differenceThere’s also a difference
betweenbetween weatheweather andr and climateclimate..
• Weather is the mix of events that
happen each day in our atmosphere
including temperature, atmospheric
pressure, rainfall and humidity.
• Climate is the average weather pattern
in a place over many years, usually 30
years.

9. The Climate SystemThe Climate System
Source: Image from Dave Briggs, Met Office, Hadley Centre, UK
(simplified diagramme)(simplified diagramme)

10. Sun drives our climate system
Sunlight
brings
energy to
Earth.
Most of
this
energy is
absorbed
by the
oceans
and land.
Source: "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_energy_budget"
100%
51%
30%
19%
70%

11. Green-House Gas EffectGreen-House Gas Effect
Figure from Koshland Science Museum (US) website.
Global warming is caused mainly by carbon
dioxide from burning coal, oil and gas.
Higher concentrations of
CO2 and other human
produced greenhouse
gases such as methane,
the halocarbons (CFCs),
nitrous oxide, and
ozone trap more infrared
energy in the
atmosphere than occurs
naturally.

12. Earth’s average temperature has risen about 0.6ºC
in the past 100 years and has been projected to
increase by 1.1º to 6.4ºC by the year 2100.
Global Temperature RiseGlobal Temperature Rise
Source: Graph from http://globalwarmingart.com.

13. How do scientistsHow do scientists
study how warmstudy how warm
planet Earth is?planet Earth is?

14. Global Sea Surface Temperature
The satellite measurement is made by sensing the ocean radiation in two or
more wavelengths in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
(measured from an orbiting satellite)

15. Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE)
How do we measure the oceanHow do we measure the ocean
temperature at greater depths?temperature at greater depths?

16. Global Temperature HighlightsGlobal Temperature Highlights
• The world wide ocean surface temperature was
the highest for any March on record, 0.56ºC
above the 20th
century average of 15.9ºC.
• The global land surface temperature was 1.36ºC
above the 20th
century average of 5.0ºC (the
fourth warmest on record).
• The combined global land and ocean average
surface temperature for March 2010 was the
warmest on record at 13.5ºC, which is 0.77ºC
above the 20th
century average of 12.7ºC.
Source: NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA)
(March 2010)

17. What are the causes
and impacts of
global warming?
QuestionQuestion 22

18. Global WarmingGlobal Warming
Climate ChangeClimate Change
Life on EarthLife on Earth

19. Causes of Climate ChangeCauses of Climate Change
a) Natural causes
b) Man-made causes

20. Volcanic eruptions - Volcanic dust acts as a shield to
solar radiation and causes cooling in the atmosphere.
Natural CausesNatural Causes
Sunspots - Changes in the Earth's solar radiation levels
can have impact on the Earth's climate. Increased solar
activity can cause short-term warming cycles on the Earth.
Earth’s orbital variations - As the Earth spins, it does
not achieve perfect rotation. Such variations exposes the
northern and southern latitudes to more and less solar
radiation. This behaviour has been causing changes in the
temperature of the atmosphere for many millions of years.

21. Yes, and our activities presents serious
challenges to all of us on this planet.
Common factors include:
Are human activities the major cause ofAre human activities the major cause of
recent warming?recent warming?
Man-made CausesMan-made Causes
• Fossil fuel burning
• Deforestation
• Forest fires
• Air pollution

22. • Increases in world temperatures
• Melting of the north and south poles (sea-ice)
• Melting snow and ice-caps on mountains
• Sea level rises (affecting coastal populations)
• Ocean acidification due to dissolved CO2 excess
• Some regions become warmer and dryer (El Niño),
other regions become colder and wetter (La Niña)
• Changes in plant and animal life when ecological
conditions are altered (e.g. coral bleaching)
Impacts of global warmingImpacts of global warming

23. • coastal populations (sea level rise,
coastal erosion, climate refugees)
• water resources (supply, quality)
• traditional cultures (natives, livestock)
• health and diseases (pollution, malaria)
• agriculture (crop yield, irrigation)
• natural habitats (loss of biodiversity)
Socio-economic ImpactsSocio-economic Impacts

24. Evidence of sea-level riseEvidence of sea-level rise
Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Amsterdam
Swinoujscie
Brest

25. Global Sea Level RiseGlobal Sea Level Rise
Sea level has already
risen due to warming and
is projected to rise much
more with increasing rise
in global temperature.

26. Earth cannot do without itsEarth cannot do without its
oceansoceans! Neither can we!! Neither can we!
1. Oceans store heat. They play important role in
the climate system by regulating the amount of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
2. Oceans produces 50% of Earth’s oxygen and
absorb 30% of man-made carbon dioxide.
3. Like terrestrial plants, marine plants play an
important role in natural carbon sequestration.
4. Global warming is causing ocean acidification
which affects marine life and ecosystems.

27. Global Carbon CycleGlobal Carbon Cycle
• The carbon cycle supports life on earth and keeps its climate stable.
• Human activities have thrown the carbon cycle out of balance.

28. OCEAN – ATMOSPHERE INTERACTIONS
Source: World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), WMO, ICSU, IOC, 2005
BIO-GEO-
CHEMICAL-
PHYSICAL
INTERACTIONS
AND FEEDBACKS
OCEAN
ATMOSPHERE

29. Ocean AcidificationOcean Acidification
Source: Image from publication of University of Maryland, USA
Average pH of seawater = 8.179

30. What is carbon sequestration?What is carbon sequestration?
Carbon sequestration – The removal
and storage of carbon from the atmosphere
in carbon sinks (such as oceans, forests or
soils) through physicochemical or biological
processes (i.e. photosynthesis).

31. Bio-sequestration occurs in oceans.
More than 80% of human-produced
CO2 emissions will in the end be
absorbed by the oceans.
OceansOceans

32. Rainforests are carbon stores and CO2 sinks. They
absorb about 18% of CO2 emitted from fossil fuels,
processing it through photosynthesis and storing it
as carbon through biological sequestration.
RainforestsRainforests

33. How is global warming relatedHow is global warming related
to El Niño?to El Niño?
El Niño events in recent decades are due to
warmer ocean temperatures resulting from
global warming.
Higher global temperatures are increasing
evaporation from land and adding moisture
to the air, thus intensifying the storms and
floods associated with El Niño.

34. What will happen if
global warming is
allowed to continue?
Question 3Question 3

35. If the world warms by ...If the world warms by ...
1ºC Climate becomes more intolerable
2ºC Ocean life in danger
3ºC Heat wave fatalities
4ºC Great cities wash away
5ºC Civilization collapses
6ºC Mass extinction occurs
the consequences will be:

36. What choices do we have for
responding to the impacts of
global warming?
Question 4Question 4

37. What can be doneWhat can be done??
Protecting the world’s climate by stabilizing
atmospheric concentrations of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gasses will
require enormous reductions in current
emissions. Who should be involved?
• International Organizations and Treaties
• National and Local Governments
• Private Sector Companies (Businesses)
• Scientists and Researchers
• Citizens (Individuals, both young and old)

38. Some key players and rolesSome key players and roles
• Climate Scientist
Produce the scientific data behind climate change and better
measuring instruments or tools to study global warming.
• Policy Analyst
Apply laws, state and local policies to reduce fossil fuel consumption.
• Economist
Study the economic impacts associated with global warming and
convince business leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Energy Expert
Develop alternative technologies to reduce fossil fuel energy needs
for producing electricity.
• Urban Planner
Promote the use of sustainable materials and energy efficient
designs to make a house more energy efficient.

39. An international and legally
binding agreement called the
Kyoto Protocol
COP15 - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
It requires countries that signed up to it to reduce
the CO2 emissions they put into the environment.

40. What are the binding conditions of the
Kyoto Protocol?
COP15 - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• Industrialized countries will need to cut their combined
CO2 emissions into the environment to 5.2% below the
1990 levels by 2008-2012.
• Individual governments of the countries that signed up to
the Protocol will need to implement their own policies to
ensure that their country meets its obligation.
• If countries do not reduce their CO2 emission to the level
required, they will need to purchase ‘carbon credits’ from
those countries (or companies) that are emitting fewer
carbon emissions than they are offsetting through forests,
or who have reduced their emissions below the required
level. This is known as ‘carbon trading’.

41. Global CO2 Concentration
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA

42. Annual Carbon EmissionsAnnual Carbon Emissions

43. Annual COAnnual CO22 Emissions (2007)Emissions (2007)
Source: International Energy Agency website http://www.iea.org

44. Annual COAnnual CO22 Emissions (2007)Emissions (2007)
Source: International Energy Agency website http://www.iea.org

45. Total CO2 emissions per capita (2006)Total CO2 emissions per capita (2006)
Country Amount
Qatar 56.2
USA 19.0
Singapore 12.8
UK 9.4
Malaysia 7.2
China 4.6
Thailand 4.3
Indonesia 1.5
India 1.3
Vietnam 1.2
Philippines 0.8
(Unit: thousands metric tons CO2 per 1000 people)
Source: International Energy Agency website http://www.iea.org

46. Earth’s COEarth’s CO22 HomepageHomepage
Source: Earth’s CO2 Homepage at http://co2now.org
In 2009, the average
concentration for atmospheric
CO2 (Mauna Loa Observatory,
Hawaii, USA) was 387.35 parts per
million (ppm).
In 2008, it was 385.57 ppm.
What level is safe?
The upper safety limit for
atmospheric CO2 is 350 ppm.
Atmospheric CO2 levels have
stayed higher than 350 ppm since
early 1988.

47. Three principal areas of focus to reduceThree principal areas of focus to reduce
global COglobal CO22 emission:emission:
a) Energy efficiency (e.g. energy
efficient lamps and appliances)
b) Renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind,
hydro, tidal, biogas, bio-diesel, etc…)
c) Carbon sequestration (with help
from technology)
Global R&D NeedsGlobal R&D Needs
About 60% of the current global CO2 emission level
is from the Energy Sector (IPCC Report, 2007).

48. COCO22 reduction by means ofreduction by means of
carbon sequestrationcarbon sequestration
Three main methods:
1.Near-term storage in the terrestrial biosphere
where vegetation would soak up the C02 and
store it in biomass and soil.
2.Long-term storage in the earth’s soil by pumping
CO2 into existing or drilled/excavated sub-
surface (underground) reservoirs.
3.Long-term storage in the earth’s oceans where
CO2 would be injected thousands of feet deep
and trapped by the water.

49. Geologic Carbon SequestrationGeologic Carbon Sequestration

50. Question 5Question 5
What can we as
individuals do to help
reduce global warning?

51. About carbon footprintAbout carbon footprint
• You and your carbon footprint
• Ways to reduce your carbon
footprint
• How to calculate your carbon
footprint
Your carbon footprint is the sum of all
emissions of CO2 which were induced by
your activities in a given time frame.

52. Important definitions:Important definitions:
Carbon footprint – A measure of the impact
our activities have on the environment, especially
climate change, often reported as units of tons (or
Kg) of CO2 each of us produce over time (1 year).
Carbon neutral – A situation that arises when
the amount of CO2 released into the air equals the
amount of CO2 removed from the air, for example
by planting trees, or the amount saved by using
renewable energy sources to produce the same
amount of energy.

53. Another definition:Another definition:
Carbon offset – A unit, equal to one ton of CO2,
that individuals, companies or governments buy to
reduce short-term and long-term emissions of
greenhouse gases.
The payment usually funds projects that generate
energy from renewable sources such as wind or
flowing water.

54. To be carbon neutral …To be carbon neutral …
… is to balance the amount of CO2 released
into the atmosphere by a particular activity,
like flying, driving, or planting a tree, with an
equal amount of carbon sequestration or
carbon offsets from a third party. To be
considered carbon neutral, an individual or
organization must reduce its carbon footprint
to zero.

55. Your carbon footprint …Your carbon footprint …
… is a very powerful tool to
understand the impact of
your personal behaviour on
global warming!

56. 1. Do an energy audit, save electricity
2. Walk, bike, bus, car-pool, take the LRT
3. Read, to be better informed
4. Talk to your family and friends about
global warming and climate change
5. Plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide
6. Use less, reuse, recycle
7. When you buy, consider local stuff first
8. Switch to green power, etc., etc.
You can make a difference!You can make a difference!

57. Concluding remarks …Concluding remarks …
• Global warming is happening and it is going to
get worst if we do not do anything about it.
• There is no single cause of global climate
change, and there is no single answer.
• Technologies that reduce emissions or remove
carbon from the atmosphere all play a role.
• Government policies and actions that
encourages businesses to develop and use
these technologies are very important.
• As responsible individuals, we can also strive to
reduce our own carbon footprints.

58. The End
Homepage: http://www.wou.edu.my