Republic of the Philippines
Bulacan State University
College of Business and Administration
City of Malolos, Bulacan
Climate Change
Prepared by:
BSA-1A (Group 2)
Members:
CRUZ, Glance P.
CRUZ, Lady Maxzen R.
CUADRA, Ellysa Mae H.
DE LEON, Mary Angela A.
DELA CRUZ, Niña Kriselle F.
DELA CRUZ, Paula D.
DELA LUNA, Mikaela Joy S.
DELA PACION, Merry Grace A.
DIAZ, Janela R.
ESTEBAN, Princess Nhicole A.
EVANGELISTA, Aira Anne Riezle S.
FRANCISCO, Leela Ricci D.
I.
Definition of Climate Change
Weather is the state of the atmosphere—its temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall and so
on—over hours to weeks. It is influenced by the oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, which
together with the atmosphere form what is called the ‘climate system’. Climate, in its broadest
sense, is the statistical description of the state of the climate system.
Climate change describes a change in the average conditions — such as temperature and
rainfall — in a region over a long period of time. NASA scientists have observed Earth’s surface
is warming, and many of the warmest years on record have happened in the past 20 years. It
describes a change in the average conditions — such as temperature and rainfall — in a region
over a long period of time. For example, 20,000 years ago, much of the United States was covered
in glaciers. In the United States today, we have a warmer climate and fewer glaciers.
Climate change is a change in the statistical properties of the climate system that persists
for several decades or longer—usually at least 30 years. These statistical properties include
averages, variability and extremes. It may be due to natural processes, such as changes in the Sun’s
radiation, volcanoes or internal variability in the climate system, or due to human influences such
as changes in the composition of the atmosphere or land use. As a result of unbalancing the weather
of Earth, the sustainability of the planet’s ecosystems is under threat, as well as the future of
humankind and the stability of the global economy.
Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in
a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole. Climate change
may cause weather patterns to be less predictable. These unexpected weather patterns can make it
difficult to maintain and grow crops in regions that rely on farming because expected temperature
and rainfall levels can no longer be relied on. These has also been connected with other damaging
weather events such as more frequent and more intense hurricanes, floods, downpours, and winter
storms. Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in
a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole. Climate change
may cause weather patterns to be less predictable. These unexpected weather patterns can make it
difficult to maintain and grow crops in regions that rely on farming because expected temperature
and rainfall levels can no longer be relied on. Climate change has also been connected with other
damaging weather events such as more frequent and more intense hurricanes, floods, downpours,
and winter storms.
In polar regions, the warming global temperatures associated with climate change have
meant ice sheets and glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate from season to season. This
contributes to sea levels rising in different regions of the planet. Together with expanding ocean
waters due to rising temperatures, the resulting rise in sea level has begun to damage coastlines as
a result of increased flooding and erosion.
Climate change is an area of science that has been studied for many years. The fossil
record has taught humankind much about conditions on Earth long prior to our arrival. We now
live in a unique time in that our scientific abilities have not only given us a precise age of the
planet, but of the universe itself.
NASA’s definition of climate change says it is “a broad range of global phenomena
created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add heat-trapping gases to Earth’s
atmosphere. These phenomena include the increased temperature trends described by global
warming, but also encompass changes such as sea-level rise; ice mass loss in Greenland,
Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain glaciers worldwide; shifts in flower/plant blooming; and
extreme weather events.”
II.
The World Before and After Climate Change
Our planet contains life that sustain every being. Across the time, we can see our planet
changing, seeing it differently from before. The choices we make impacts the way we live and
how we change our world. And now, we can see the consequences of our actions. A place that
once so beautiful and vivid, is now slowly and dying.
Natural and man-made climatic changes are both disruptive. Extinction of many species,
population migrations, and significant changes in land surface and ocean circulation have all
occurred as a result of past climate changes. Climate change is occurring at a faster rate than any
previous occurrences, making adaptation more difficult for humans and the natural world.
The environment Is affected in a variety of ways by a continuously warming globe.
Melting glaciers, increasing sea levels, warming oceans, and more extreme weather events such as
storms, droughts, forest fires, and floods are all linked to rising global temperatures, which are
mostly caused by man-made greenhouse gases.
We can see how our planet has changed over the years. Glaciers are massively melting
due to changing climate over the past years. Disappearance of lakes, reducing of water levels, and
decreasing of forest percentage.
Scientists believe that global warming will make droughts even more severe in the future
that will result for higher reducing percentage of water.
How we decide to treat it today will determine our future.
VIDEO LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDqwKoTspVw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv7OHfpIRfU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFlLDcppwpI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7txs0SPaJw
III.
Causes of Climate Change
First, solar variability, one of the main causes of climate change, is the changes in our sun.
The intensity of the sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface can be affected by changes in the sun.
The strength of the sun can produce either warming, during periods of higher solar intensity or
cooling, during periods of lower solar intensity. The sun goes through a natural 11-year cycle of
small intensity ups and downs, nevertheless there is an effect in Earth’s climate change. According
to NASA, studies show that solar variability has played a role in past climate changes. For
example, a decrease in solar activity coupled with an increase in volcanic activity is thought to
have helped trigger the Little Ice Age between approximately 1650 and 1850, when Greenland
cooled from 1410 to the 1720s and glaciers advanced in the Alps.
Human activities are sometimes protective but most of the time destructive in our
environment. Greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels is one of the human
activities influencing the amount and rate of climate change. Additionally, human activities like
deforestation and dumping of waste in landfill has significantly increased the greenhouse gasses
in the atmosphere that causes climate change. In fact, based on Fifth Assessment Report conducted
by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, human activities have raised atmospheric
carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to about 417 parts per million in the last 151
years. They also concluded that there's a better than 95 percent probability that human-produced
greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have caused much of the
observed increase in Earth's temperatures over the past 50-plus years. Hence, it is obviously seen
that human activities are a major cause of climate change.
The third one is the changes in the Earth’s Orbit and Rotation in which in the past changes
in the earth's orbit and rotation axis had a significant impact on climate. For example, variations
in the planet's orbit appear to be the principal cause of historical cycles of cold temperature, in
which the earth has undergone extended periods of frigid temperatures more commonly known as
ice ages, as well as shorter interglacial periods or periods between ice ages of relatively warmer
temperatures.
Volcanic eruption is a natural occurrence that has a significant impact on global climate
change. Volcanoes may influence global temperature by spewing dust and gaseous debris into the
upper atmosphere, which block some solar radiation from reaching Earth. The main effect
volcanoes have on the climate is short-term cooling, not warming. Eruptions produce aerosol
particles that cool Earth, but they also release carbon dioxide, which warms it. Substantial volumes
of gasses and ash can have a long-term impact on climate patterns by increasing planetary
reflectivity and cooling the atmosphere.
Ocean currents transfer warm water and precipitation from the equator to the poles, and
cold water from the poles back to the tropics, much like a conveyor belt. The global circulation
system of the ocean is critical for dispersing heat energy, controlling weather and climate, and
cycling essential nutrients and gasses. Using a climate model, a group of researchers found that
increased evaporation has a cooling effect on the global climate. Ocean water evaporates
constantly, raising the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air and forming rain and
storms that are subsequently blown long distances by trade winds. Clouds form low in the
atmosphere as a result of increased evaporation, reflecting the sun's warming rays back into space;
this has a cooling influence.
Continental drift was a groundbreaking hypothesis that explained how continents move
over the Earth's surface. This drift had an impact on the climate because it significantly changed
the physical features of the landmass, their position and the position of water bodies. It also alters
ocean currents and global atmospheric circulation, causing climate change.
IV.
Effects of Climate Change
The effects of climate change, which has been a global concern for the past few decades, are
undeniably visible and harming almost every aspect particularly the:
▪
Individuals
➢ Health Risks
- According to the World Health Organization, if this phenomenon will continue,
“climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths
per year” for the next few years. The continuous warming of the earth will also
result to the rising records of casualties or worse, fatalities and illnesses caused
by heat stress, heatstroke, and cardiovascular and kidney disease. Aside from
that, when the air pollution worsens because of climate change, our respiratory
health will be at risk especially the 300 million people suffering from asthma.
➢ Shortage of Necessities
- As humans, we always rely to the environment to amend our needs. However,
the environment takes the biggest damage caused by climate change so in
return, the environment may not be able to provide us our necessities such as
clean air, food, water, shelter, and security (Balbus et al., 2016).
➢ Mental Health
- The effects of climate change are not always visible and can be seen through
our eyes. Sometimes, it could trigger something within us, within our minds.
Mild stress and high-risk coping behavior such as increased alcohol
consumption, and, on rare occasions, mental disorders such as depression,
anxiety, and post-traumatic stress are among the mental health repercussions of
events linked to a changing global climate (Morganstein, 2019).
▪
Species
➢ Habitat Loss
- Habitat loss caused by climate change might increase to the point where already
endangered species face extinction. The study found that shrinking ranges for
mammals, amphibians, and birds had already resulted in an 18 percent loss of
prior natural ranges, with the figure anticipated to rise to 23 percent by the end
of the century (Nairn, 2020).
➢ Altered Food Chains
- Climate change's effects on even the tiniest species can endanger ecosystems
and other species up and down the food chain. Increased sea-ice melt and ocean
acidification, for example, are lowering krill populations in the Arctic Ocean,
putting the existence of whales, penguins, and seals which rely on krill as a key
food source in jeopardy. The full effects of species extinction may not be seen
for decades because species at the bottom of the food chain are often the first to
be impacted by climate change (Foden et al., 2016).
▪
Environment
➢ Extreme Weather
- Watery areas become wetter when weather patterns change, whereas dry areas
become dryer. Storms, floods, heat waves, and droughts, to name a few, are
intensified and occur more frequently as temperatures rise.
➢ Unbalanced Ecosystems
- Climate change is putting more pressure on species to adapt quickly to changing
habitats. Many species are migrating to cooler temperatures and higher
elevations, changing their seasonal activities and changing their migration
patterns. These changes have the potential to drastically alter entire ecosystems
as well as the intricate webs of life that rely on them. As a result, one-third of
all animal and plant species could become extinct by 2070, according to a 2020
research. Another study found that mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and other
vertebrate species are vanishing at a rate several times quicker than they should
be, a phenomenon linked to climate change, pollution, and deforestation, all of
which are interconnected concerns.
➢ Acidic Oceans
- The seas absorb one-quarter to one-third of our fossil fuel emissions, and they
are currently 30% more acidic than they were before the Industrial Revolution.
Underwater life, particularly animals with calcified shells or skeletons like
oysters, clams, and coral, is at risk from acidification. It has the potential to be
disastrous to shellfisheries, as well as the fish, birds, and animals that rely on
shellfish for food. This impact extends to human populations in coastal towns
where fishing and seafood production support the local economy, eroding
livelihoods and putting communities at risk of economic disaster. Rising ocean
temperatures are also affecting the distribution and population of undersea
species, as well as contributing to coral bleaching episodes that have the
potential to wipe out entire reefs.
▪
▪
Economy
➢ Agriculture
- According to a 2011 National Academy of Sciences research, every degree
Celsius that the global thermostat rises reduces overall crop productivity by 5
to 15%. Corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, cotton, and oats, for example, do not grow
well over particular temperature limits. Crops will also be damaged by reduced
water and groundwater availability, increased pests and weeds, and the risk of
fire. As farmers battle to stay afloat by adapting to changing conditions, prices
are likely to rise, which will be passed on to consumers (Cho, 2019).
➢ Business and Financial Markets
- The frequency and intensity of extreme weather can damage factories, supply
chain operations, infrastructures, and disrupt transport. Thus, the opportunities
to make money and improve economic status gets delayed or worse, gone (Cho,
2019).
Society
➢ Risk of Armed Conflicts and Violence
- Extreme weather and disasters caused by climate change can harm economies,
reduce agricultural and livestock productivity, and exacerbate social
inequalities. When these elements are paired with other conflict causes, the
likelihood of violence increases (Ryan, 2019).
Climate change has been devastatingly affecting us, the present generation, and if this global issue
gets worse and we don’t make actions, the future generation will suffer from these:
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
Temperatures will continue to rise which will make some areas unbearable to sustain life
because of the heat.
Extreme changes in precipitation patterns
More droughts and heat waves
Typhoons will become stronger and more intense
Sea level will rise 1-8 feet
Arctic likely to become ice-free
V.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Solutions
1. Power your home with renewable energy.
- As our world is a finite one, we should take advantage of clean and renewable
energy like solar, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal power and change our
energy sources so as to lessen the use of fossil fuels. Choose a utility that gets
at least half of its energy from wind or solar and has been certified by Green-e
Energy, a non-profit that evaluates renewable energy options. If that isn't an
option, check your power account; many utilities now mention additional
options to support renewable energy on their monthly statements and websites.
Invest in energy-efficient appliances.
- Many appliances produce loads of carbon dioxide in the air. Hence, choosing
the right appliances for your home equates to less of these and a healthier
atmosphere.
Keep our homes cozy through insulating walls and roofs.
- Aside from being comfortable in a cozy yet 'green' home, we can also save up
money and prevent climate change. To avoid feeling too warm or too cold in
your house, you can start insulating walls and roof instead of using boilers that
produce carbon.
Pull the plugs if not in use.
- Taken together, the outlets in your home are likely powering about 65 different
devices—an average load for a home in the U.S. Audio and video devices,
cordless vacuums and power tools, and other electronics use energy even when
they're not charging. This "idle load" across all U.S. households adds up to the
output of 50 large power plants in the U.S. So don't leave fully charged devices
plugged into your home's outlets, unplug rarely used devices or plug them into
power strips and timers, and adjust your computers and monitors to
automatically power down to the lowest power mode when not in use.
Actually, eat the food you buy.
- Approximately 10 percent of U.S. energy use goes into growing, processing,
packaging, and shipping food—about 40 percent of which just winds up in the
landfill. “If you’re wasting less food, you’re likely cutting down on energy
consumption,” Haq says. And since livestock products are among the most
resource-intensive to produce, eating meat-free meals can make a big
difference, too.
Improve farming and encourage vegan diets.
- One of the best ways for individuals to help stop climate change is by reducing
their meat and dairy consumption, or by going fully vegan. Businesses and food
retailers can improve farming practices and provide more plant-based products
to help people make the shift.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Reduce water waste.
- Saving water reduces carbon pollution, too. That's because it takes a lot of
energy to pump, heat, and treat your water. So, take shorter showers, turn off
the tap while brushing your teeth, and switch to Water Sense-labeled fixtures
and appliances.
Reduce plastic.
- Aside from the fact that plastics often become the problem as they are hard to
decompose, plastics are also hard to create. The process of making one includes
extracting, refining and turning oil into plastic and all of these produce a great
amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
Reduce how much people consume.
- Our transport, fashion, food and other lifestyle choices all have different
impacts on the climate. This is often by design – fashion and technology
companies, for example, will release far more products than are realistically
needed. But while reducing consumption of these products might be hard, it’s
most certainly worth it. Reducing overall consumption in more wealthy
countries can help put less strain on the planet.
Restore nature to absorb more carbon.
- As trees and plants consume carbon dioxide as their food, restoring their
number would mean that our emissions would be absorbed before it damages
our ozone layer more.
Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle.
- Gas-smart cars, such as hybrids and fully electric vehicles, save fuel and money.
And once all cars and light trucks meet 2025’s clean car standards, which means
averaging 54.5 miles per gallon, they’ll be a mainstay.
Maintain your ride.
- Taking good care of your vehicles does not only mean a comfortable ride but
also a healthier environment. For instance, a proper tune-up can reduce gas
consumption.
Speak up.
- Talk to your friends and family," Haq advises, "and make sure your
representatives are making smart judgments." You can show that you care about
global warming by voicing your concerns on social media or, better yet, directly
to your elected officials. Encourage Congress to pass new legislation limiting
carbon emissions and requiring polluters to pay for their pollution. "The major
reason elected politicians undertake difficult things is because their constituents
demand it," Haq argues. Here's where you can help save public lands, stop
offshore drilling, and more.
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