The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an intergovernmental organization that was created in 1988 by the United Nations Environmental Programme. It is a global body that aims to bring scientists, policymakers and other people together to discuss climate change and to find solutions. The IPCC's mission is to educate the public about climate change and suggest possible solutions.
The Panel is an impartial body made up of representatives from governments. These government representatives pick qualified scientists to represent their interests at IPCC meetings. Representatives also recruit experts, draft reports and make recommendations. A government can also nominate its own scientists for the Panel. This does however not necessarily mean that the government endorses any scientist's views.
IPCC's structure includes three working groups that focus on different aspects of climate science. One group focuses on physical science and the two other groups focus on adaptation or mitigation. Each member of each working group is led by a Chair. Both Co-Chairs also belong to the IPCC Bureau. They advise the chair on the selection of authors and the preparations for meetings.
The Working Group I is the first group. It focuses on climate change and its effects. Its members include the Met Office Hadley Centre, one of the world's leading climate research centres.
The Working Group II assesses the effects of climate change on people and ecosystems, and proposes measures to mitigate climate change. It includes the Australian Government, which contributes to IPCC decisions and manages DFAT Trust Fund.
The third working group, the Working Group III, examines mitigation options and considers the impacts of climate change on the economic and social dimensions. It includes the United States Agency for International Development, World Bank, and other organisations.
The IPCC's reports are created by hundreds of scientists around the world in volunteer groups. They examine scientific literature to make recommendations based primarily on new research. An IPCC assessment report is a comprehensive review of current climate change knowledge. A report may be published in up to four parts.
Summary for Policymakers (or the summary) is an overview of the complete IPCC report. This report is most often of interest to journalists and the general public. The IPCC reports can be accessed by everyone and are reviewed regularly by many experts. The IPCC worked with communication professionals and practitioners for the Fifth Assessment Report.
IPCC held a February 2016 Expert Meeting on Communication. The IPCC made a variety of recommendations to improve communication. Some of these recommendations were implemented into the IPCC outreach activities and the IPCC web site.
In September 2019, the IPCC published the Special Report of Ocean and Cryosphere under Changing Climates. The IPCC is currently preparing to release the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). This comprehensive review of climate change knowledge will be released in September 2019. As with previous assessment reports, this report will be published in parts.
FAQ
What impact does climate change have on biodiversity and ecosystems
Climate change has many effects on biodiversity and ecosystems. The most pressing issues facing wildlife and ecosystems are rising temperatures, extreme weather events, sea level rise, and increased acidity.
These shifts in climate conditions can cause shifts in habitat areas, disrupt food chains or affect population numbers or species distributions, with potentially dramatic consequences for biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. Changes in the hydrological cycles can also have an impact on water availability for species that live in aquatic environments.
Moreover, changes to climate result in rising temperatures and more frequent extremes such as droughts and floods which puts more stress on already fragile systems such as coral reefs or tropical rainforests. The climate change will lead to the extermination or decline of as many as 30% of animal species in 2050. This could cause further destruction of ecological communities.
Climate change poses a grave threat to biodiversity, but also to human societies that are dependent on functioning ecosystems to provide food, fresh water and timber. To mitigate its effect efforts must be made at all levels to reduce global warming trends and future damages should be avoided where possible with careful management practices.
What is the impact of land use change and deforestation on climate change?
Deforestation, land use change and other factors have an immediate and direct impact on climate. If trees are cut down, or burned, carbon dioxide, one the most important greenhouse gases, is no longer absorbed. This is why less carbon dioxide is removed when trees are cut down or burned for agricultural reasons.
Changes in land use can release more greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. For example, when forests are replaced with agricultural lands for livestock production, fertilizer, and pesticide use may increase emissions of nitrous oxide and methane. Also, clearing can increase soils containing large amounts of carbon; these soils may be exposed to farming activities that turn them over or disturb them, which will release more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The effects of land-use change, deforestation, and increased greenhouse gas emissions can have a negative impact on the quality of regional air. The smoke from deforestation's burning events has been linked to poor visibility and other health concerns, such as asthma or other respiratory diseases. The cumulative effects of these changes in local air quality could have an impact on global climate change. Higher temperatures can be caused by more sunlight reaching the Earth's surface due to lower aerosol particles.
Deforestation and changes in land use have contributed significantly to the increase in global greenhouse gas emissions. They also have had adverse effects on local air quality, which further contributes to climate change. If serious efforts towards mitigating climate changes are to be made quickly, then reducing these practices must be a priority.
What role does the energy sector play in climate change? How can this be addressed?
The role of the energy sector in climate change is immense. The burning of fossil fuels is a primary source of global warming, caused by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, trapping heat, and leading to an increase in average temperatures on Earth.
This is why energy sources need to shift away from carbon-emitting resources like coal and natural gas and instead switch towards renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal. This transition can be made through both government policy and incentives, as well as investments in innovative technology like hydrogen fuel cell. Businesses and households can both reduce their carbon footprints while also lowering their electricity bills by investing into infrastructure that supports this use of renewable resources.
Other methods include transitioning away from polluting transportation options like petroleum-fueled cars and moving towards electric vehicles or public transport. The government has great power to help societies transition away from oil-based infrastructures. They can support research into battery technology and encourage consumers to invest in cleaner modes.
In order to reduce their carbon footprint, companies need to adopt green business methods. These include installing better insulation systems in offices and creating energy efficiency plans for manufacturing facilities. This can dramatically reduce operational costs, while improving environmental performance metrics.
These initiatives must be promoted not only at the company but also at government level in order to be effective. By increasing taxes on pollutants, individuals are encouraged to abandon harmful practices. However, this will not force them to outcompete polluters financially. In addition to creating a sustainable market for products with low carbon content, vouchers and subsidies for these products will be provided to encourage continued sustainability efforts. This is why tackling climate changes requires both private industry as well as private citizens to make a difference. By switching to green energy and adopting environmentally friendly practices, we can help to ensure that the future generations of people are affected positively.
What can we do to help the climate change process?
Climate change is caused primarily by human activity. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, humans have contributed more than 70% of global warming since mid-20th century.
Burning fossil Fuels: The atmosphere is effected by the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. This raises the already existing atmospheric levels of CO2 which acts as an "greenhouse gas", trapping heat from Earth's surface and increasing temperatures. This leads to higher ocean levels as Arctic ice melts and scrambles weather patterns around the world leading to deadly storms, droughts, and floods which could affect food production and endanger human health.
Deforestation is the removal of trees that store atmospheric carbon dioxide in their trunks. This happens when they use it during photosynthesis. Deforestation also raises albedo (the amount of reflected solar radiation that is returned into space) and reduces solar heat absorption by earth's surface, thereby promoting global warming. The deforestation of forests can also affect the local air quality, which is directly linked to respiratory problems.
Farming is responsible for 14% to 18% of all anthropogenic greenhouse emissions globally each year. Because animal waste is rich in methane bacteria, large amounts of methane are released into the atmosphere. This can lead to a significant increase in global warming.
In conclusion, human activity has been drastically impacting our environment for centuries now, but with rapid advances made in technology such as renewable energy sources availability we have started turning our heads towards the future leaving behind carbon-emitting heavy industries results will soon start speaking themselves clearly when we leverage on technology through green innovation paving away toward eco-friendly efforts combatting climate change efficiently keeping everyone safe under prosperous nature purview.
Statistics
- The 100 least-emitting countries generate 3 per cent of total emissions. (un.org)
- This source accounts for about 10% of all the water that enters this highly productive farmland, including rivers and rain. (climate.nasa.gov)
- Fossil fuel production must decline by roughly 6 percent per year between 2020 and 2030. (un.org)
- According to the 2014 report on Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability (page 8) from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, governments at various levels are also getting better at adaptation. (climate.nasa.gov)
- Indigenous peoples and local communities receive less than 1% of all climate funding despite scoring wins for people and nature Africa's broken food markets must be fixed to tackle hunger (climatechangenews.com)
External Links
How To
How to Educate Your Community About Climate Change and Mobilize Action
You can learn about climate change through many different methods, from interactive online tools and educational resources to classroom activities and simulations to experiential learning programs and classroom activities. The following are key components to effective climate change education:
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arming people with practical knowledge about the subject
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Demonstrating the many ways individuals can make positive changes
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Participating in an open dialogue regarding potential solutions
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Shared experiences inspire action
Teachers can assist their communities in reducing their environmental footprint by teaching them comprehensive lessons about climate change.
It is also possible to connect scientific research with real-world examples, which can be a unique way of engaging audiences in meaningful dialogue. The best practices and case studies can provide participants with the chance to experience positive outcomes firsthand. This can help them innovate or create replicable measures in their own communities.
Participants are empowered by incorporating action-oriented activities in educational curriculums. This gives them the mental tools needed to create campaigns, petitions, and take local actions. It also allows them to be agents for social and political change or sustainability improvement initiatives. In addition, individual agency emphasizes the importance of participating in reducing emissions. It also shows participants' collective contributions to a greater outcome. Stakeholders should be included early in policy-making, which encourages participation at all stages. This will result in equitable outcomes for all parties. By combining our efforts to raise public awareness about the impact of climate change with appropriate actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, we may be able create an environment in which these urgent matters are addressed with special attention where it is most needed. This will allow us to work together to implement successful measures that will help us achieve our collective goals.