1. Global warming is causing polar bears to drown due to lack of sea ice and threatening their food sources. 2. Scientists have predicted for over 30 years that increased greenhouse gases will cause unnatural climate changes, including rising sea levels and temperatures. 3. Evidence shows the planet is warming faster than ever before in the past 65 million years, leading to more extreme weather and fastest extinction rate on record. Urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gases.

1. Global Warning
on Global Warming
YW Chow
2007
1

2. Since 2000, Polar Bears have been found
drowned due to absence of Ice to rest on
The Polar Bears are dying
And we are next.....
No Ice to Live on
No Food to Eat
2

3. 3

4. Climate change
• For over 30 years, scientists have predicted increased
greenhouse gasses that will cause unnatural changes
• In 2000:
✓Antarctic sea ice break-ups
✓Antarctic Peninsula warming
✓Arctic sea ice melting
✓11°F Arctic warming
✓Sea level rise
✓Melting of small glaciers and ice caps
✓And more…
4

5. Some Climate change facts
• Globe 1°F warmer than 100 yrs ago
• Last glacial max. was only 5°F cooler
• Not equally distributed
• Some areas have warmed 11°F
• Winter and night increasing fastest
(~5 times faster)
• Weather becoming more variable and
more severe
5

6. The climate has always changed
6

7. Some consequences
• Fastest extinction rate in 65 M years (1000x normal
rate)
• Increased disease (e.g. asthma, malaria)
• Increased poverty and hunger
• Sea level rise
• More extreme weather
• Droughts
• Flooding
• Heat-waves
• Storms
7

8. Evidence from the Earth
8

9. Global instrumental
temperature record
5 Warmest years so far:
1. 2005
2. 1998 (El Niño year)
Departures in temperature (°C)
from the 1961-1990 average
3. 2002
4. 2003
5. 2004
9

10. 390
2006
380
Carbon Dioxide Concentration (ppmv)
370
360
350
340
330
320
310
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
10

11. Reconstructed Surface Temperatures
11

12. Reconstructed CO2 concentrations
380
370
Carbon Dioxide Concentration (ppmv)
360
350
Mauna Loa (1958 - present)
340
330 Siple Station (1750 - )
320
310
300
290
280
270
1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
12

13. CO2 concentration after 50
years of unrestricted fossil
fuel burning (600 ppmv)
8-12 o
Celcius
2050
Present CO2
concentration (381
ppmv)
300
270
CO2 (ppmv)
240
210
180
Temp.
Proxy
800 600 400 200 0
Thousands of Years Before Present
Petit et al., 1999; Siegenthaler et al., 2005; EPICA Community members, 2004
13

14. 2xCO2
GFDL model simulations of
Surface Air Warming (°F)
4xCO2
Northern hemisphere mid-
continent average warming is
15-25°F! ➙
This is a roasted world.
14

15. Signs of climate change
• Sea level rise
– by thermal expansion AND ice melt
• Sea ice melting (Arctic and Antarctic)
• Glaciers melting worldwide
• Arctic and Antarctic Peninsula heating up fastest
• Melting on ice sheets is accelerating
• More severe weather (droughts, floods, storms,
heat waves, hard freezes, etc.)
• Bottom line:
– These changes do not fit the natural patterns unless we add
the effects of increased GHGs
15

16. Hurricanes
16

17. Hurricanes are Getting More Severe
120
Number of Hurricanes/Category
100
Cat 1
80
Cat 2-3
60
Cat 4-5
40
70-74 75-79 80-84 85-89 90-94 95-99 00-04
Years
P. J. Webster, G. J. Holland, J. A. Curry, H.-R. Chang, 2005.
17

18. Cyclones are more destructive
0.4
Atlantic Potential Destructive intensity (PDI) 0.2
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Emanuel, K. (2005), Increasing destructiveness of tropical cyclones over the past 30 years, Nature, 2005
18

19. Numbers of CATEGORY 4 and 5 hurricanes
in last two 15 year periods by ocean basin
85
West Pacific
116
24
Indian
57
36
East Pacific
49
10
Southwestern Pacific
22
1975-1989
1990-2004
16
North Atlantic
25
0 30 60 90 120
19

20. In 2004, one in five homes in Florida was
damaged by a hurricane.
JEAN
NE –
IVAN – SEPT. 2-24, 2004
SEPT
.1 3-28,
2004
CHARLEY – AUG. 9-14, 2004
FRAN
CES
– AU
G. 25
-SEP
T. 8,
2004
20

21. 21

22. Katrina Rita Wilma
(Aug 28 ’05) (Sep 21 ’05) (Oct 19 ’05)
22

23. Change in global land & ocean surface temperature
from the 1961-1990 baseline
5 Warmest years so far:
2005, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004
Temperature anomaly (°C)
23

24. Glaciers
24

25. Kilimanjaro
2000
1993
25

26. Kilimanjaro
1970 2005
26
26

27. 1978
Qori Kalis glacier
2002
(part of the tropical
Quelccaya ice cap,
Peru)
27
27

28. Is Greenland Melting?
28

29. Greenland satellite melt record
1992 2002
29
29

30. Rising Seas
30

31. Sea-level rise
• Thermal expansion
• Addition of water
• Freshening of water
• Melting ice sheets
– Greenland: 7.4 m (25’) potential
– Antarctica: 74 m (250’) potential
• West Antarctica (7 m)
• East Antarctica (67 m)
31

32. 32

33. Tsunamis
33

34. 34

35. Floods
35

36. What can you do?
36

37. What can you do?
• Cut back on consumption (energy, plastics, rich
foods)
• Plant trees (-20 lbs of CO2 / year)
• Drive less / carpool (+25 lbs of CO2 / gallon)
• Buy the right CAR, appliances, and light bulbs
(compact fluorescent)
• Use alternative energy sources (pos. energy bal)
• Make informed choices
• Don’t freeze in the summer or bake in the winter
– keep the thermostat reasonable
• UNPLUG! Turn off your TV, and unnecessary lights
and appliances
– even “standby” modes use electricity (6 power plants worth per
year)
• Improve home insulation, insulate your water heater
• Tons more…
Get involved! Don’t remain happy in silence.
37

38. Standby energy loss
• Some of the biggest • 5% of home’s electricity
energy wasters: use
– adapters for battery-powered
• 65 billion kilowatt-hours /
electronic devices (cordless
year
phones, cell phones, digital
cameras, etc.)
• $5.8 billion annually
– appliances or electronic
equipment with standby • 87 billion pounds of CO2
capability (such as televisions
and computer monitors), a
remote control, or a clock
(microwaves, DVD players,
stereos)
38

39. Our voracious appetite for energy
won’t end – we need to switch to
clean alternatives!
What are you doing?
39

40. CO2 concentration after 50
years of unrestricted fossil
fuel burning (600 ppmv)
8-12 o
Celcius
2050
Present CO2
concentration (381
ppmv)
300
270
CO2 (ppmv)
240
210
180
Temp.
Proxy
800 600 400 200 0
Thousands of Years Before Present
Petit et al., 1999; Siegenthaler et al., 2005; EPICA Community members, 2004
40

41. I know it as already
too late.......
The earth is dying.....
41

42. but at least we can try
to delay it.......
42

43. For our children and
probably a few more
generations to come....
43

44. Come and join me....
At least we can tell
our children that
we have tried.....
44