CO2 and Climate Change
Co2 (Carbon Dioxide) and Climate Change
The EPA states that since the Industrial Revolution in the 1700’s, human activities, such as the burning of oil, coal and gas, and deforestation, have increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. In 2005, global atmospheric concentrations of CO2 were 35% higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution. - EPA website.
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change) states that evidence for a discernible warming of the planets climate system is now “unequivocal” and that human caused emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are “very likely” responsible for the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century. More alarmingly, the IPCC found that climate change was already having an impact on many natural systems and warned that these impacts are likely to intensify if current warming trends continue. - IPCC website.
The American Meteorological Society states that there is adequate evidence from observations and interpretations of climate simulations to conclude that the atmosphere, ocean, and land surface are warming; that humans have significantly contributed to this change; and that further climate change will continue to have important impacts on human societies, on economies, on ecosystems, and on wildlife through the 21st century and beyond. Focusing on the next 30 years, convergence among emission scenarios and model results suggest strongly that increasing air temperatures will reduce snowpack, shift snowmelt timing, reduce crop production and rangeland fertility, and cause continued melting of the ice caps and sea level rise. - AMS website
The US Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) is sponsored by 13 federal agencies including the DOA EPA, DOC, DOD, DOE, DOT, DHHS, DOI, DOS, NSF, NASA and NOAA. They agree with the IPCC findings in that burning fossil fuels and deforesting large areas of land have had a profound influence on Earth's climate and that there is clear evidence of human influences on our climate system. - CCSP Website. CCSP assessment activities significantly contributed to the IPCC's increased confidence attributing much of the temperature increase since the mid-20th century to human activities. - NOAA Research Feb 15th 2007
OAA Research Feb 15th 2007
