What is climate change?
Climate change is the most pressing challenge humankind has ever faced. It has a number of impacts on humans and natural environments today and particularly in the future. It is due to human activities, but a severe catastrophe can still be avoided.
Climate change is a complex web of environmental and sustainability issues and solving it requires major lifestyle changes. In order to tackle sustainability challenges sufficiently, it is necessary to get to the bottom of the problem and find the best solutions. Compared to many other sustainability issues, climate change is by definition a large-scale and multifaceted phenomenon. Therefore, this guide lacks concepts like “sustainable development”, and focuses instead almost solely on climate change.
The Value Web
This text consists of the following chapters:
Contributors and Consequences of Climate Change
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Need more Information?
Understanding Climate Change through different Disciplines
– 1. Climate Change in Natural Sciences
– 2. Climate change and social sciences
– 3. Climate Change and Humanities
– 4. Climate Change and Art
– 5. Climate Change and Doing
Contributors and Consequences of Climate Change
Louis Vest
Climate change is attributed to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Certain gases in the atmosphere act like glass walls of a greenhouse: they let the Sun’s light onto the Earth’s surface, but trap the heat that reflects back up into the atmosphere. This greenhouse effect keeps the Earth warm enough to sustain life: without it, the average temperature of the Earth would be -18°C, 33°C less than now.
However, humans produce large quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which intensifies the natural greenhouse effect. As a consequence, the climate of the Earth changes. The most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Most of the CO2 emissions come from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas used in transport and energy production. Also, greenhouse gas emissions are adding to the atmosphere through agriculture, industrial production, landfills and forest fires.
Climate has always changed, but since the Industrial Revolution, the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, has skyrocketed. A fundamental source behind climate change lies in unjust social structures. Their construction is closely tied to the Industrial Revolution, increasing consumption, energy politics and global market economy. In-depth understanding of climate change issues requires knowledge about natural sciences, mechanisms of society, morals, values and justice.
As the level of greenhouse gases rises, it affects precipitation, temperatures and gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Changes vary from place to place, but generally global temperature is rising and extreme weather is becoming frequent: droughts and heavy rainfall events increase and storms get stronger. There is less snow, glaciers are melting and sea level is rising. In nature, many species adapted to a certain climate may become threatened when they are not able to adapt to climate change fast enough. However, some species will benefit from the changes. Besides changing environments, climate change threatens social stability, equality, health, human rights, food availability and balanced economy.
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Steve Oliver Too
According to current knowledge, stopping climate change is not completely possible. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities will remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, warming the globe even without new emissions. However, climate change can be slowed down significantly enough that harmful impacts on humans and the environment are not insurmountable. Climate change mitigation should cover all areas of society: government, municipalities, businesses, schools and citizens.
Climate change mitigation requires significant changes in our entire lifestyle: in energy production, the industrial sector, transport, housing and agriculture. In addition, increasing the carbon content of natural carbon pools like forests should be fostered. Social change is possible through developing new solutions and putting them into practice through legislation, incentives, taxation, urban planning, education and research; developing sustainable products and services, and keeping up constructive but critical climate change communication.
Because the consequences and impacts of climate change can’t be totally prevented, adaptation is needed. It seeks to reduce the vulnerability of biological and social systems to the effects of global warming. Adaptation efforts can include taking changing climate conditions into consideration in land use planning and building, developing new types of insurance systems and protecting wetlands, forests and agricultural biodiversity.
Need more Information?
UN ISDR
Thousands of texts of various lengths have been written about climate change. If you want to read more about the topic, check out the following websites:
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports provide a profound and up-to-date summary on the scientific results. The latest report was published in 2013–14 and it contains a contribution from three working groups and the synthesis report that draws on the assessment made by the groups.
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/ - NASA’s website provides diverse data on climate and climate change. https://climate.nasa.gov/
- Climateguide.fi is a website created by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Finnish Environment Institute and the Aalto University YTK Land Use Planning and Urban Studies group. It pools research-based information produced by various actors into compatible and comparable data: http://ilmasto-opas.fi/en/
- Climate.Now. is a multidisciplinary study and teaching module produced by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the University of Helsinki, Lappeenranta University of Technology and the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The study module can be completed as a part of higher education studies, and the material can also be used in elementary schools and high schools. http://www.climatenow.fi/
- Al Gore explains the current state of climate debate (The Case For Optimism On Climate Change): https://medium.com/@algore/the-case-for-optimism-on-climate-change-251a955681b1#.e9k0c9xi1
Understanding Climate Change through different Disciplines
Michael Dorausch
Different disciplines approach climate change from different perspectives and put emphasis on slightly different matters. Some put more focus on contributors and consequences, some on solutions. Although these approaches may sometimes seem contradictory, in reality they complement each other. In addition to scientific data, this guide provides tips on how to put knowledge into action in daily life.However, it is good to bear in mind that the criteria of scientific knowledge varies from discipline to discipline. Without being aware of this, the research findings in a field we are not familiar with may seem unscientific. While a critical social scientist is careful not to believe in one particular approach only, and puts emphasis on context, values and interests, a natural scientist focuses on facts: the findings of climatology are based on observations and measurements reflecting changes, and critical observations typically lead to a logical true conclusion. For example, rising sea levels, warming seawater and atmosphere, ocean acidification, melting mountain glaciers and other changes in climate are not a matter of opinion. By contrast, there are plenty of opinions about the politics of climate change, and it depends on particular values, perspectives and contexts how they are valued and prioritized.
Next we discuss – perhaps in a slightly stereotypical way – the views different scientific disciplines have on climate change. The aim is to introduce the diversity of perspectives and provide in-depth knowledge on climate change.
The Greenhouse effect is defined as the warming of the lower atmosphere caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (such as water vapour, methane and nitrous oxide). Climate change is defined as human expansion of the greenhouse effect and it occurs when large quantities of carbon dioxide are stored in the atmosphere, and radiative forcing increases due to human activities. The Climate has always changed, but current climate change occurs many times faster than in the past.
As a consequence, precipitation, temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are expected to increase around the world and the resulting climate feedbacks will amplify climate changes. This poses a fundamental threat to humans and other species that are not able to adapt to rapid changes. Furthermore, climate change intensifies other environmental issues, such as ocean acidification, deforestation and the decrease in biodiversity. Mitigation strategies include adopting renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, and conserving natural carbon sinks. Adaptation measures include protecting wetlands, forests and agricultural biodiversity.
For further information, read the texts about biology, physics, chemistry, geography, mathematics, and health education.
Bernd Thaller
Climate has always changed and the changes have impacted the rise and fall of civilizations. Driving forces behind the current climate change are the Industrial Revolution, increasing consuming, energy politics and market economy, which failed to put a price tag on carbon emissions. In essence, the causes lie in social structures. Changes in the natural environment pose a threat to social stability, human rights and economic balance.
Current social systems have not been able to solve the climate change they have caused and therefore a major social change is urgently needed. It means switching to a low-carbon or zero-carbon economy. Tackling climate change requires large-scale action at all levels of society: government, municipality, business, and among citizens themselves. Social change is possible through developing new solutions and putting them into practice through legislation, incentives, taxation, urban planning, and research; developing sustainable products and services, and keeping up constructive but critical climate change communication. The goal is to increase use of clean energy, which means a revolution in the world of work. Climate adaptation seeks to reduce the vulnerability of social systems to the effects of global warming.
For further information, read the texts about social studies, philosophy, history, geography and guidance counselling.
United Nations Photo
Over thousands of years – and particularly over the last two hundred years, inventions that have boosted our wellbeing and eased our daily life have quite imperceptibly and without us seeking to do so, accelerated climate change. We live in times when an ordinary Western lifestyle, even without unreasonable consuming, produces excessive amounts of greenhouse gases. Climate change has a major impact on the natural environments, but from a human point of view it is above all a social issue: it causes a lot of suffering ranging from physical and mental illnesses to social injustice and unrest, human rights issues, and major shifts in food production.
To understand climate issues, questions of morals, values and justice must come into focus. Humans have caused climate change and taking action together is the only way to solve the problem. Important steps towards a sustainable world include international negotiations, social collaboration, effective communication, and re-thinking and re-fixing our relationship with nature.
For further information, read the texts about ethics, history, foreign languages, psychology, health education, philosophy, religious and moral education, and mother tongue and literature.
The Elders
Solving climate change and other environmental issues requires fundamental changes in us humans and in society itself. Art aims to critically observe and influence our fixed ideas and current state of affairs, which makes it an effective tool for social change. Art also discusses topics, values and meanings through emotions, unlike fact-driven natural sciences and engineering.
Artistic approaches can be applied to making a difference in many ways. They include improving communication and thinking skills as well as supporting emotional processing and finding practical solutions. Art also provides a platform to introduce a wide range of topics and show them from a wholly new angle. Art complements methods and strategies used by politics, journalism and non-governmental organizations and also questions them. Changes achieved through art are not necessarily straightforward and immediately obvious, but have nevertheless the potential to change the ways in which we perceive the world.
For further information, read the texts about visual arts, music, and mother tongue and literature.
.Martin.
Climate change affects human activities and natural environments now and particularly in the future. The burning of fossil fuels for power, transport, building and industry produce two thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions. The most emissions produced by individuals come from housing, transport and food production throughout entire lifespans. Emissions can vary enormously depending on an individual’s lifestyle.
New consumer trends and economic activities, such as the rise of the sharing economy, circular economy and bioeconomy help to tackle climate change. Moreover, renewable energy is already significant and gaining momentum with each passing year, and big steps toward energy efficiency are constantly being taken. While climate change, mitigation and adaptation create new jobs and economic growth in many sectors, other jobs will be at risk.
Considering the environmental impact at different stages of the product life cycle helps us to see the bigger picture of how natural resources are being used, both at an individual and a collective level. Heating and water cause most of the emissions from housing. Individuals can reduce their own emissions from transport by walking, cycling, skateboarding, rowing, sailing, green driving, using public transport or by carpooling. Food carbon emission can be tackled by reducing meals with meat and cutting food waste.
For further information, read the texts about physical education, home economics, textiles and technical work. Also, the texts about guidance counselling and health education are also relevant.
Visit Lakeland
