The Natural Environment and Its Biodiversity in Greenland During the Present Climate Change

2021 ◽  
pp. 339-358
Author(s):  
Ib Johnsen ◽  
Henning Heide‐Jørgensen
2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.J. Smith ◽  
M. Gomez-Heras ◽  
S. McCabe

The problem of the decay and conservation of stone-built heritage is a complex one, requiring input across many disciplines to identify appropriate remedial steps and management strategies. Over the past few decades, earth scientists have brought a unique perspective to this challenging area, drawing on traditions and knowledge obtained from research into landscape development and the natural environment. This paper reviews the crucial themes that have arisen particularly, although not exclusively, from the work of physical geographers — themes that have sought to correct common misconceptions held by the public, as well as those directly engaged in construction and conservation, regarding the nature, causes and controls of building stone decay. It also looks to the future, suggesting how the behaviour of building stones (and hence the work of stone decay scientists) might alter in response to the looming challenge of climate change.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-71
Author(s):  
Shunya Koseki ◽  
Priscilla A. Mooney ◽  
William Cabos ◽  
Miguel Ángel Gaertner ◽  
Alba de la Vara ◽  
...  

Abstract. This study focuses on a single Mediterranean hurricane (hereafter medicane), to investigate its response to global warming during the middle of the 21st century and assesses the effects of a warmer ocean and a warmer atmosphere on its development. Our investigation uses the state-of-the-art regional climate model WRF to produce the six-member, multi-physics ensembles. Results show that our model setup simulates a realistic cyclone track and the transition from an initial disturbance to a tropical-like cyclone with a deep warm core. However, the simulated transition occurs earlier than for the observed medicane. The response of the medicane to future climate change is investigated with a pseudo global warming (PGW) approach. This is the first application of the PGW framework to medicanes. The PGW approach adds a climate change delta (defined as difference between future and present climate) to WRF's boundary conditions which is obtained for all prognostic variables using the mean change in an ensemble of CMIP5 simulations. A PGW simulation where the climate change delta is added to all prognostic variables (PGWALL) shows that most of the medicane characteristics moderately intensify, e.g. surface wind speed, uptake of water vapour, and precipitation. However, the minimum sea level pressure (SLP) is almost identical to that under present climate conditions. Two additional PGW simulations were undertaken; One simulation adds the projected change in sea surface and skin temperature only (PGWSST) while the second simulation adds the PGW changes to only atmospheric variables (PGWATMS); i.e. we use present-day sea surface temperatures. These simulations show opposing responses of the medicane. In PGWSST, the medicane is more intense than PGWALL as indicated by lower SLP values, the stronger surface wind, and the more intense evaporation and precipitation. In contrast, the medicane in PGWATMS still transitions into a tropical-like cyclone with a deep warm core, but the PGWATMS medicane weakens considerably (SLP, surface wind, and rainfall decrease). This difference can be explained by an increase in water vapour driven by the warmer ocean surface (favourable for cumulus convection). The warmer and drier atmosphere in PGWATMS tends to inhibit condensation (unfavourable for cumulus convection). The warmer ocean and warmer atmosphere have counteracting effects which leads to only a modest enhancement of the medicane by global warming. The novel approach in this study provides new insights into the different roles of warming of the ocean and atmosphere in medicane development.


Author(s):  
Huynh Viet Khai

The chapter aims to evaluate the profit loss of rice farmers due to salinity intrusion by collecting the information of rice production in three regions with the same natural environment conditions, social characteristics (e.g., the same social and farming culture, ethnicity, type of soil), and only differed with respect to the level of salinity in Soc Trang province, one of the most salinity-affected areas in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The study estimated the profit loss in rice production due to saltwater intrusion by the difference in rice profit between the non-salinity and salinity regions and showed this loss was about VND 9.3-15.1 million per ha-1 a year.


Author(s):  
Avi Brisman ◽  
Nigel South

Criminology must maintain relevance in a changing world and engage with new challenges. Perhaps pre-eminent among those facing the planet today are threats to the natural environment and, by extension, to human health and rights and to other species. A green criminology has emerged as a (now well established) criminological perspective that addresses a wide range of harms, offences, and crimes related to the environment and environmental victims. This chapter provides a review of green criminological work on climate change, consumption and waste, state-corporate and organized crimes, animal abuse, and wildlife trafficking. It also considers the strengths and weaknesses of current approaches to regulation and control.


Author(s):  
Shinichiro Asayama ◽  
Seita Emori ◽  
Masahiro Sugiyama ◽  
Fumiko Kasuga ◽  
Chiho Watanabe

Abstract Climate change and coronavirus pandemic are the twin crises in the Anthropocene, the era in which unsustainable growth of human activities has led to a significant change in the global environment. The two crises have also exposed a chronic social illness of our time—a deep, widespread inequality in society. Whilst the circumstances are unfortunate, the pandemic can provide an opportunity for sustainability scientists to focus more on human society and its inequalities, rather than a sole focus on the natural environment. It opens the way for a new normative commitment of science in a time of crises. We suggest three agendas for future climate and sustainability research after the pandemic: (1) focus on health and well-being, (2) moral engagement through empathy, and (3) science of loss for managing grief.


2011 ◽  
Vol 107 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 625-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Sánchez ◽  
Marta Domínguez ◽  
Raquel Romera ◽  
Noelia López de la Franca ◽  
Miguel Angel Gaertner ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Entwisle

Since 1788, Australia has carried the yoke of four European seasons that make no sense in most parts of the country. We may like them for historical or cultural reasons, or because they are the same throughout the world, but they tell us nothing of our natural environment. It's time to reject those seasons and to adopt a system that brings us more in tune with our plants and animals – a system that helps us to notice and respond to climate change. Using examples from his 25 years working in botanic gardens, author Timothy Entwisle illustrates how our natural world really responds to seasonal changes in temperature, rainfall and daylight, and why it would be better to divide up the year based on what Australian plants do rather than ancient rites of the Northern Hemisphere. Sprinter and Sprummer opens with the origins and theory of the traditional seasonal system, and goes on to review the Aboriginal seasonal classifications used across Australia. Entwisle then proposes a new five-season approach, explaining the characteristics of each season, along with the biological changes that define them. The book uses seasons to describe the fascinating triggers in the life of a plant (and plant-like creatures), using charismatic flora such as carnivorous plants, the Wollemi Pine and orchids, as well as often overlooked organisms such as fungi. The final chapter considers climate change and how the seasons are shifting whether we like it or not.


Author(s):  
Adrian Barker ◽  
Andrew Pitman ◽  
Jason P. Evans ◽  
Frank Spaninks ◽  
Luther Uthayakumaran

Abstract We examine the relative impact of population increases and climate change in affecting future water demand for Sydney, Australia. We use the Weather and Research Forecasting model, a water demand model and a stochastic weather generator to downscale four different global climate models for the present (1990–2010), near (2020–2040) and far (2060–2080) future. Projected climate change would increase median metered consumption, at 2019/2020 population levels, from around 484 GL under present climate to 484–494 GL under near future climate and 495–505 GL under far future climate. Population changes from 2014/2015 to 2024/2025 have a far larger impact, increasing median metered consumption from 457 to 508 GL under the present climate, 463 to 515 GL under near future climate and from 471 to 524 GL under far future climate. The projected changes in consumption are sensitive to the climate model used. Overall, while population growth is a far stronger driver of increasing water demand than climate change for Sydney, both act in parallel to reduce the time it would take for all storage to be exhausted. Failing to account for climate change would therefore lead to overconfidence in the reliability of Sydney's water supply.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bausch ◽  
Humpe ◽  
Gössling

: Research has dealt extensively with different aspects of climate change and winter tourism such as the impact on ski resorts and ski lift operators, adaptation strategies, governance at destinations and reactions of winter sports guests to changing snow conditions. This paper goes deeper into the question of destination choice and examines the role of climate change among the many factors affecting guest loyalty at Alpine winter destinations. The study uses an established destination choice model with choice sets, destination image and dynamic feedback loop. A qualitative online forum identifies factors influencing winter destination choice, followed by a quantitative survey which compares Alpine winter holidaymakers categorised as “loyal”, “disloyal” and “undecided”. The results demonstrate that climate change clearly influences destination choice, but snow sports are not the only affected attractors. Enjoyment of the natural environment and value for money are just as high on the list of guest motivators. This indicates that climate change adaptation measures such as snowmaking can be counterproductive to guest loyalty because they spoil the natural scenery and raise prices. The paper concludes with a recommendation for winter destinations to prioritize conservation of the natural environment and integrate more environmental protection measures into their management strategies.


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