Rebalancing Our Climate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eelco J. Rohling
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Human Population ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Sustainable Behavior ◽  
Decisive Action ◽  
Incoming Energy

Over recent decades, a wide variety of studies and assessment reports has portrayed a stark picture of humanity’s detrimental impacts on our planet’s life and environmental health. Climate change is at the heart of many of these impacts. This cannot be allowed to continue, given the relentless human population growth and ever-expanding energy and resource consumption. We have but one planet, and its ecosystem services are essential to our survival. As Rebalancing Our Climate reports, the doomsday scenario can still be averted; humanity stands at a crossroads where it must take the route of sustainable behavior. Decisive action can still make a significant difference to climate change. This is humanity’s greatest challenge. To have any chance of success, however, the time to act can be delayed no longer. Instead, it is right now: today is the future. This book documents a wealth of ways to adjust the trajectory of climate change. It outlines measures to drive massive reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and to reflect part of the incoming energy from the Sun. For all measures, the book evaluates both advantages and disadvantages. Finally, it discusses the need to protect ourselves from impacts that have become inevitable already and looks at how society may be driven to get the job done. In short, this book provides powerful facts and arguments to support informed choices.

scholarly journals Scientists' Warning on the Conservation of Subterranean Ecosystems

BioScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 641-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Mammola ◽  
Pedro Cardoso ◽  
David C Culver ◽  
Louis Deharveng ◽  
Rodrigo L Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Natural Heritage ◽  
Human Population Growth ◽  
Conservation Policies ◽  
The Web

Abstract In light of recent alarming trends in human population growth, climate change, and other environmental modifications, a “Warning to humanity” manifesto was published in BioScience in 2017. This call reiterated most of the ideas originally expressed by the Union of Concerned Scientists in 1992, including the fear that we are “pushing Earth's ecosystems beyond their capacities to support the web of life.” As subterranean biologists, we take this opportunity to emphasize the global importance and the conservation challenges associated with subterranean ecosystems. They likely represent the most widespread nonmarine environments on Earth, but specialized subterranean organisms remain among the least documented and studied. Largely overlooked in conservation policies, subterranean habitats play a critical role in the function of the web of life and provide important ecosystem services. We highlight the main threats to subterranean ecosystems and propose a set of effective actions to protect this globally important natural heritage.

Sensitivity Analysis with Calibration of Natural Resource Variables under Climate Change

2017 ◽  
pp. 681-691
Author(s):  
Nilanjan Ghosh ◽  
Somnath Hazra
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Computable General Equilibrium ◽  
Econometric Models ◽  
The Other ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Human Economy ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

This chapter compares two quantitative frameworks, namely, Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) and Econometric models to study the impacts of climate change on human economy. However, as is inferred from this chapter, CGE framework is fraught with unrealistic assumptions, and fails to capture impacts of climate change and extreme events on the ecosystem services. On the other hand, econometric framework can be customised and is not based on the unrealistic assumptions like CGE. The various advantages and disadvantages of the two methods have been discussed critically in the process in this chapter in light of the avowed objective of understanding sustainability science.

Influence of Gender, Age and Location on Students Perceived Link of Population Growth and Climate Change

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-115
Author(s):  
Igbudu Ujiro ◽  
Erhabor Igbinosa Norris
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Increase in population contributes and it is also affected by climate change, hence it deserves consideration in any climate change policy development strategies. Based on the importance of population growth on climate change, this study was embarked on to ascertain the perception of students to the influence of population growth on the consequences of climate change. The population of the study consisted of undergraduate students in a Federal University in Southern part of Nigeria. A sample size of 362 respondents were selected using systematic sampling to select every one and other halls of residence (3 halls of residence selected out of 6) and simple random sampling of balloting by replacement to select 14% each from the three halls of residence. The questionnaires administered were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and the descriptive and inferential statistical tools were employed to analyze the data gotten. The study revealed that there was a significant difference on the respondents perception based on their gender, age group and home of residence(Urban or rural). Based on these findings, it was recommended among other things that population control measures should be effectively implemented in the country. And any policy on climate change, gender, age group and location should be considered because a gender, age group and location bias policy will increase the severity of the problem.

A new hydrology: effects on ecosystem form and functioning

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 1377-1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel L. Roelke ◽  
Sofie Spatharis ◽  
Simon M. Mitrovic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Harmful Algal Blooms ◽  
Algal Blooms ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
System Level ◽  
Hydrologic Processes ◽  
Human Population Growth ◽  
Altered Hydrology

Water cycles are changing because of human population growth and climate change. Such changes will affect fundamental system-level characteristics that in turn will greatly influence ecosystem form and functioning. Here, a collection of papers is offered that furthers our understanding of cause and effect relationships between altered hydrology and various ecosystem properties. Combined, these papers address issues related to inflows, connectivity, and circulation and vertical mixing. In regards to altered inflows, this collection of papers addresses how seagrass bed communities, incidence of some haptophyte harmful algal blooms, and biodiversity of intermittently flowing streams might respond. These papers also address factors that influence connectivity in wetlands, and in the case of a lake and its neighboring wetland, how connectivity between systems can profoundly affect ecosystem form and functioning. Finally, the effects of altered circulation and vertical mixing are addressed as they relate to the spread of some cyanobacteria blooms to higher latitudes. The reader of this collection of papers gains a better appreciation of how ecosystem form and functioning is influenced by hydrologic processes and can conclude that there is a need for continued research in this area to better understand the impacts of human population growth and climate change.

scholarly journals Climate, CO<sub>2</sub>, and demographic impacts on global wildfire emissions

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 15011-15050 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Knorr ◽  
L. Jiang ◽  
A. Arneth
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Human Population Density ◽  
Semi Empirical

Abstract. Wildfires are by far the largest contributor to global biomass burning and constitute a large global source of atmospheric traces gases and aerosols. Such emissions have a considerable impact on air quality and constitute a major health hazard. Biomass burning also influences the radiative balance of the atmosphere and is thus not only of societal, but also of significant scientific interest. There is a common perception that climate change will lead to an increase in emissions as hot and dry weather events that promote wildfire will become more common. However, even though a few studies have found that the inclusion of CO2 fertilization of photosynthesis and changes in human population patterns will tend to somewhat lower predictions of future wildfire emissions, no such study has included full ensemble ranges of both climate predictions and population projections, including the effect of different degrees of urbanisation. Here, we present a series of 124 simulations with the LPJ-GUESS-SIMFIRE global dynamic vegetation – wildfire model, including a semi-empirical formulation for the prediction of burned area based on fire weather, fuel continuity and human population density. The simulations comprise Climate Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) climate predictions from eight Earth system models using two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and five scenarios of future human population density based on the series of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), sensitivity tests for the effect of climate and CO2, as well as a sensitivity analysis using two alternative parameterisations of the semi-empirical burned-area model. Contrary to previous work, we find no clear future trend of global wildfire emissions for the moderate emissions and climate change scenario based on the RCP 4.5. Only historical population change introduces a decline by around 15 % since 1900. Future emissions could either increase for low population growth and fast urbanisation, or continue to decline for high population growth and slow urbanisation. Only for high future climate change (RCP8.5), wildfire emissions start to rise again after ca. 2020 but are unlikely to reach the levels of 1900 by the end of the 21st century. We find that climate warming will generally increase the risk of fire, but that this is only one of several equally important factors driving future levels of wildfire emissions, which include population change, CO2 fertilisation causing woody thickening, increased productivity and fuel load, and faster litter turnover in a warmer climate.

Role of biotechnology to meet 2050 global demand of population growth in the current situation of livestock challenge in the Developing country: A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (06) ◽  
pp. 1540-1547
Author(s):  
Misikir Mengistu ◽  
Praveen Yadav ◽  
Lema Gemeda
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Production Sector ◽  
Global Demand

Nowadays the facts indicate that’s the human population rise 7.7 billion as of April 2019 according to the most recent United Nations estimates elaborated by World meters beside the burden of demand daily on the production sector of livestock which hindered by the consequences of overpopulation and climate change that pushes land degradation, decrease in soil fertility which are challenges of getting recommended animal daily intake basically feed.

scholarly journals Epidemic Malaria Dynamics in Eastern Africa Highlands: The Role of Climate Change and Human Population Growth

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Felipe Augusto Maurin Krsulovic ◽  
Timothy Peter Moulton ◽  
Mauricio Lima ◽  
Fabian Jacksic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Human Population Growth

scholarly journals What is sustainable agriculture?

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 4-8
Author(s):  
Leslie Firbank
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Water Quantity ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
The Many

We all want to eat food that is produced sustainably. But it's not at all clear what that means in practice. Fundamentally, agriculture can be regarded as sustainable if it can continue to meet human needs whilst avoiding irreversible harm to the planet. The human needs are not just food, but include employment, leisure, social cohesion and the many ecosystem services provided by agricultural land that benefit people, including regulating water quantity and quality, carbon storage, maintaining landscapes of cultural and spiritual value, and providing homes for wildlife. Agriculture causes harm to the planet from habitat loss, carbon emissions, and pollution of air and water. Meeting these challenges is tough now, but it will only become more difficult as the human population rises and climate change becomes more difficult to cope with.

Earth Stewardship

2020 ◽  
pp. 164-178
Author(s):  
F Stuart Chapin
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Pursuit Of Happiness ◽  
Human Population Growth ◽  
The Us ◽  
Earth Stewardship ◽  
Atmospheric Concentrations

This chapter addresses the interactions of individuals with government, business, and other institutions to build upon and support individual efforts. It emphasizes sustainable outcomes at regionally and globally significant scales. Global changes that threaten Earth’s ecosystems and society could be reversed through progress toward four key stewardship goals: reducing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, increasing the extent of forests and wetlands, sustaining ecosystem services, and reducing human population growth and unnecessary consumption. The US Declaration of Independence radically included “pursuit of happiness” as an inalienable right of all people. Since happiness is generally unrelated to consumption or wealth, society’s happiness and well-being can often be enhanced without increasing consumption. The chapter outlines five potential strategies by which government can complement the efforts of individuals to foster happiness. If people decide, individually and collectively, that the planet’s future habitability is important, they will know how to ensure a better life for their grandchildren.

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