5. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Weather
• Weather refers to conditions
like rain, temperature and
wind over hours to days
• LOOK out the window now.
What is the weather like?
6. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Climate
• Climate refers to average
weather conditions over a
long period of time (30+
years)
• THINK about what the
weather is normally like on
your birthday? - Is it normally
dry or wet / hot or cold?
7. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Climate change
• Climate change is a statistically
significant change in the state of
the climate (average weather) that
persists for an extended period
of time (decades or longer)
– ASK an elder what the weather
was normally like 30 years ago,
in your birthday month? Has it
changed?
9. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
The greenhouse effect
• Sunlight passes through the atmosphere
to earth
• At earth’s surface it’s reflected back
through the atmosphere to space
• However! After it is reflected, greenhouse
gases can trap heat in the atmosphere
• We call this process the greenhouse
effect; as it is similar to a greenhouse
• Greenhouse gases act like a big blanket
around the earth, trapping heat
10. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Greenhouse gases
• Greenhouse gases trap heat from the
sun in the atmosphere, after it is
reflected from earth
• Greenhouse gases occur naturally in
the atmosphere
• Without them, the earth would be
very cold – about minus 18°C ! All
water on earth would freeze, the
oceans would turn to ice and life as
we know it would not exist
11. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Human activity
• Over the last 100 years, since the
industrial revolution, greenhouse
gases have rapidly increased in the
atmosphere
• This is due to human activities
which release greenhouse gases
• Electricity from coal or diesel
generators and industry or pollution
from factories contribute the most
12. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Global warming
• More greenhouse gases trap more heat in the
atmosphere, leading to global warming
• Since 1880, global temp has increased by
almost 1°C
• How much this rises depends on how much
more greenhouse gas is released
• Temp could rise by almost 5°C by 2100
(IPCC, AR5). However, countries around the
world agreed to keep this below 2°C
• Humans have added so much greenhouse gas
to the atmosphere, that even if all emissions
stopped today, the planet would still continue
to warm for decades to come
13. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
1°C or 2°C warmer sounds small?
• 1°C or 2°C - might not sound like much, but think
about what happens when your body temperature is
increased by 1 or 2 degrees?
• You would immediately fall sick and get a fever
14. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Global warming & the water cycle
• Global warming intensifies the water cycle
• Higher temps increase evaporation of water
from sea, lakes, rivers
• Warmer air holds more water vapour, resulting in
more intense rainstorms. This can lead to
flooding
• More floods where water runs off into rivers and
streams, does little to dampen the soil. This and
increased temps can lead to drought
• Weather patterns across the world are effected
over time
• This results in CLIMATE CHANGE
16. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Climate change, hazards &
impacts
• Climate Change is exacerbating a range of weather related
hazards around the world
• Climate change makes some hazards more frequent
• Climate change makes some hazards more intense
• These hazards impact people around the world
• The same hazard can have different impacts for different
people
17. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Scientists project:
• Temperature increase (0.3 – 4.8°C by 2100)
• Heat waves - more often and last longer
• Extreme precipitation events (rain, snow)
- more often and more intense
• Precipitation increases in wet regions
• Precipitation decreases in dry regions
• Increase in tropical cyclone wind speeds
• Decreased snow / ice extent
• Rising sea level
• Warming and acidification of oceans
Source: IPCC 2014, AR5
18. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Here are some climate
& weather events impacted by
climate change
Can you guess which hazards & impacts they
might relate to?
19. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Changing seasons
CHANGINE
SEASONS
HAZARDS
oRainy season
may be delayed
in some regions
•Spring might
come earlier in
other regions
•Seasons may
become more
intense
IMPACTS
Crops may die
Farmers may need
to change crops
Incomes are lost
Transportation is
interrupted
Financial losses
Water availability
20. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Drier & longer droughts
DROUGHT
HAZARDS
Water shortage
Wind erosion
Desertification
Increased risk of
wild fires
IMPACTS
Less or no crops
Animals may die
Less water
supply
Incomes are lost
Financial losses
People become
sick
Migration
21. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Increased temperatures &
heat waves
HIGH
TEMP
&
HEAT
WAVES
HAZARDS
Heat stroke
Water shortage
Increased
malaria
Dengue
Sea level rise
IMPACTS
People get sick
or die
Animals get sick
Crops may die
Water shortage
Food shortage
Damaged forests
22. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Melting glaciers & polar ice
MELTING
GLACIERS
&
POLAR
ICE
HAZARDS
Sea level rise
Less ice to
reflect sunlight,
leads to
increased
warming
IMPACTS
Flooding in low
lying coastal
areas
Coastal areas &
cities threatened
Loss of wildlife /
biodiversity
23. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Sea level rise
SEA
LEVEL
RISE
HAZARDS
Sea level has
risen 17 cm in the
last 100 years.
In the last 10
years, it has risen
twice as fast as in
the previous 90
years
IMPACTS
Coastal erosion
Higher risk of
storms leading to
coastal flooding
Salt water
intrusion in
coastal areas –
impacts drinking
water and health
risks such as
diarrhoea
24. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
More intense rainfall &
increased likelihood of floods
FLOODS
HAZARDS
Flooding
Flash floods
Landslide
Erosion
IMPACTS
Vector-borne
diseases (esp.
malaria and
dengue fever)
Water-borne
diseases (esp.
diarrhoea)
Extreme floods
and population
displacement
25. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
Extreme winds
& stronger storms
EXTREME
WINDS
&
STORMS
HAZARDS
Severe wind
Storm surge
Flooding
IMPACTS
People die
Animals die
Loss of
income
Financial
losses
26. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
What can we do?
Climate Change Mitigation: Action taken to stop climate change by
reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere
Climate Change Adaptation: Action taken to deal with climate change
impacts and reduce the effects on lives, livelihoods and ecosystems
27. Climate Training Kit. Module Youth: Let’s LEARN
References
• IPCC (2014) AR5 Synthesis Report; https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-
report/ar5/syr/SYR_AR5_FINAL_full.pdf
• IPCC WGII (2014) Climate Change and the Ocean;
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg2/docs/WGII-AR5_Oceans-Compendium.pdf
• Nasa Kids (2017)
Graphic accreditations
• Rebeka Ryvola
Photograph accreditations
• Brigitte Rudram
Image accreditations
• The Noun Project
• Y-Adapt images
Editor's Notes
Can anyone explain this?
Major greenhouse gases are shown in the blue box
THE WATER CYCLE
The earth has a limited amount of water. It keeps going around in what we call the “Water Cycle”:
The sun heats water in rivers, lakes or the ocean. Water EVAPORATES becoming water vapour.
The vapour rises into the air. When it reaches the colder atmosphere it CONDENSES to form clouds.
As more water vapour collects in the clouds, the clouds become heavier. When they can't hold the water vapour, water falls back from the clouds back to Earth as PRECIPITATION - such as rain, hail or snow.
The precipitation COLLECTS in the oceans, lakes or rivers, or may end up on land.
We know that changes in the water cycle are increasing the risks of floods and droughts (climaterealityproject).
What do you think that scientists project?
Temperature increase range shows projected increase of global mean surface temperature by the end of the 21st century (2081–2100) relative to 1986–2005, depending on how much greenhouse gas emissions are reduced
Today, climate change is leading to shifts in what seasons used to look like. Spring might come earlier in some parts of the world. Rainy seasons are delayed in other parts. Seasons are getting more extreme too. This is predicted to worsen in the future.
Changing seasons affect farmers. For example if the rainy season is delayed, crops already planted might fail. Farmers might need to change crops to those that grow better to keep up with the new climate conditions.
Changing seasons also affect fresh water availability. In the Northern Hemisphere, an earlier spring causes earlier peaks in snow melt and river flows. This means less water is available in the summer and autumn when demand is often highest (Earth observatory (2017)).
Droughts have been drier and lasting longer in recent years thanks in part to climate change. Higher temperatures increasing evaporation combined with less rain causes can cause more drought.
Droughts can be devastating to the environment. But droughts also have serious consequences for people’s livelihoods. They really affect farmers, but also the water supply and people's health.
Over the longer term some crops and animals will not be able to survive the drier conditions. Farm workers and their families may have to migrate.
The 10 hottest years ever recorded have all occurred since 1998. The hottest year on record is 2016. It broke the record set in 2015, which itself broke the record setting 2014 (climatecentral, 2017).
A long period of unsusually hot weather can cause illness that is especially dangerous to the elderly, small children and sick people. Exposure to the sun could result in fainting, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.One of the worst heat wave was recorded in the year 2003 when more than 70,000 Europeans died .
Another risk related to warming is that mosquitoes like heat! They can fly faster, bite more, breed faster and move into new areas that used to be to cold for them. Mosquitoes can carry diseases.
Water can soak up a lot of heat. When the oceans get warmer, sea ice begins to melt in the Arctic and around Greenland. NASA's satellites show us that every summer some Arctic ice melts and shrinks, getting smallest by September. Then, when winter comes, the ice grows again.
But, since 1979, the September ice has been getting smaller and smaller and thinner and thinner in the Arctic this now decreases 13% every 10 years! (NASA, 2017).
Glaciers are another form of melting, shrinking ice. Glaciers are frozen rivers. They flow like rivers, only much slower. Lately, they have been speeding up (NASA kids, 2017).
As more sea ice and glaciers melt, the global sea level rises.
As the ocean gets warmer, the water actually expands! Sea level has risen 17 centimetres in the last 100 years. In the last 10 years, it has risen twice as fast as in the previous 90 years (NASA kids, 2017).
One immediate risk of sea level rise is that with every storm there is a higher risk of coastal flooding.
Another risk is that a rise in sea level causes salt water intrusion in coastal areas. This can cause problems for drinking water and can lead to more cases of diarrhoea.
Sea levels are projected to continue rising. The rate is expected to be even faster, with some predictions up to 8-16 mm per year.
Higher temperatures are leading to more intense rainstorms. This is because of increased evaporation of water from the sea, lakes and rivers and because warmer air can hold more water vapour. More intense rainfall increases the likelihood of flooding.
The immediate risk is that sudden intense rainfall can cause flash floods where drainage systems are unable to cope with so much water.
In the medium term, wet season flooding may happen more often and the water levels may be higher. Vector-borne diseases (malaria and dengue fever) and water-borne diseases (especially diarrhoea) are linked to flooding.
In the long term, extreme events such as river floods may cause population displacement.
Higher temperatures lead to warmer and wetter environments.
In the future, climate change will likely lead to stronger tropical storms, cyclones and hurricanes. However, it may lead to a decrease in the number of storms (NOAA, 2017).
In general, rainfall will become more intense, which will lead to increased impact from storms.