Climate Change Glossary

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaavya Pradeep Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Open Access ◽  
General Public ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Comprehensive List ◽  
The Right ◽  
Complex Subject

Climate change is a complex subject with terms and definitions that can seem overwhelming to non-specialists. What is ‘albedo’? What does ‘radiative forcing’ mean? What does ‘geoengineering’ entail? As climate change impacts grow more frequent and intense, it is critical that journalists, in particular, are equipped with the right information when they report. This set of open-access multilingual glossaries aim to bridge the gap between research and the general public by compiling this comprehensive list of most frequently-used terms related to climate change. A majority of these terms have been sourced from the different IPCC reports as well as public platforms such as the BBC and the Climate Reality Project.

Civil Liability and the Challenges of Climate Change: A Functional Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Hinteregger
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Civil Liability ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Tort Law ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Legal Difficulties ◽  
Narrow Concept ◽  
The Right ◽  
Liability Claims

AbstractThe most recent efforts under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to seek redress for loss and damage associated with climate change impacts has triggered the interest in tort law remedies for climate change damage. This article analyses the relevance of tort law for climate change damage from a civil liability perspective. It indicates the positive features of tort law for the protection from climate change (generally available instrument for compensation of losses with considerable preventive effects), but it shows also that civil actions against the emitters of greenhouse gases for the remediation of climate change damage encounter major legal difficulties: choice of jurisdiction, enforcement of claims and some basic shortcomings of substantive tort law (narrow concept of damage, establishment of causation and fault). In order to make tort law an effective instrument for climate protection it must be adjusted to the characteristics of climate change damage. This concerns the attribution of legal standing, especially with respect to pure economic loss, a considerable extension of the right to bring collective action and, in order to solve the problem of the establishment of causation, the comprehensive recognition of proportional liability by national tort laws.The article also shows that tort liability already plays an important role for the remediation of climate change damage. This concerns liability claims against persons or institutions who are legally obliged to protect individuals or objects from harm caused by climate change (public authorities, providers of building services) and against sellers of products or providers of services who do not meet mandatory emission or energy consumption standards. Liability claims against such defendants do not encounter any of the specific problems associated with climate change damage and can serve to prevent climate change related harm.

scholarly journals Climate Change: Impacts on Climatic Actions and Structural Reliability

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (24) ◽  
pp. 5416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Croce ◽  
Paolo Formichi ◽  
Filippo Landi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Data Series ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Definition Of

Climatic loads on structures are commonly defined under the assumption of stationary climate conditions; but, as confirmed by recent studies, they can significantly vary because of climate change effects, with relevant impacts not only for the design of new structures but also for the assessment of the existing ones. In this paper, a general methodology to evaluate the influence of climate change on climatic actions is presented, based on the analysis of observed data series and climate projections. Illustrative results in terms of changes in characteristic values of temperature, precipitation, snow, and wind loads are discussed for Italy and Germany, with reference to different climate models and radiative forcing scenarios. In this way, guidance for potential amendments in the current definition of climatic actions in structural codes is provided. Finally, the influence of climate change on the long-term structural reliability is estimated for a specific case study, showing the potential of the proposed methodology.

Food Systems at Risk: Transformative Adaptation for Long-Term Food Security

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Carter ◽  
Namrata Ginoya ◽  
Richard Choularton ◽  
Tyler Ferdinand ◽  
Helen Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The Right ◽  
Transformative Adaptation

This report examines how climate change is impacting agriculture and threatening national and global food systems, particularly in climate hotspots, and how these trends are projected to intensify over the coming decades. The report defines and details transformative adaptation for agriculture and why such longer-term, systemic approaches are needed to protect the lives and livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers and herders. Transformative adaptation in agriculture promotes long-term resilience by continually shifting the geographical locations where specific types of crops and livestock are produced, aligning agricultural production with changing landscapes and ecosystems, and/or introducing resilience-building production methods and technologies across value chains. The report presents evidence to support a call for urgent action by: Agricultural research organizations, to build and share knowledge regarding transformative approaches; Governments, to integrate this knowledge into plans and policies by establishing and implementing transformative pathways; and Funding entities, to increase financial support for agricultural adaptation and design sustainable financing mechanisms with the right incentives and disincentives to support transformative adaptation. Strategic investments in resilient food systems are crucial to manage intensifying climate change impacts and feed a global population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Planning for transformative adaptation should center on inclusive, participatory processes that engage a diverse range of stakeholders who may otherwise be marginalized in decision-making, such as women, youth and Indigenous peoples.

Briefly Noted

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 888-889
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Right To Life ◽  
The Right

In January 2020, the UN Human Rights Committee ruled that states cannot deport people who face “climate change-induced conditions that violate the right to life.” According to a UN press release, the complaint in this case was filed by Ioane Teitiota who was denied asylum in New Zealand and deported with his family to his native Kiribati. Following his deportation, he filed a complaint with the Human Rights Committee, alleging that his deportation violated his right to life and that the rise of the sea level and other climate change impacts rendered Kiribati uninhabitable. Though the Committee determined that, on the facts, Mr. Teitiota's right to life was not violated, the Committee specifically indicated that “"this ruling sets forth new standards that could facilitate the success of future climate change-related asylum claims.” In particular, the Committee determined that asylum seekers need not demonstrate that they would face imminent harm if returned to their home states because the negative effects of climate change can occur suddenly and more slowly, over the longer-term.

scholarly journals Migrants’ remittances

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-196
Author(s):  
Issah Justice Musah-Surugu ◽  
Albert Ahenkan ◽  
Justice Nyigmah Bawole ◽  
Samuel Antwi Darkwah
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Infrastructure ◽  
Money Transfers ◽  
The Right

Purpose The much-trumpeted Green Climate Fund and several other official financial mechanisms for financing adaptation to climate change under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change have fallen short in meeting adaptation needs. Many poorer people are still grappling with the scourge of climate change impacts. Consequently, there has been a dominant research focus on climate change financing emanating from official development assistance (ODA), Adaptation Fund, public expenditure and private sector support. However, there has been little attempt to examine how migrants’ remittances can close adaptation financing gaps at the local level, ostensibly creating a large research gap. This paper aims to argue that migrants’ remittances provide a unique complementary opportunity for financing adaptation and have a wider impact on those who are extremely vulnerable to climate change. Design/methodology/approach The paper is aligned to the qualitative research approach. Both secondary and primary data acquired through interviews and focus group discussions were used for the study. Multiple sampling methods were also used to select the respondents. Findings The findings show that remittances are used to finance both incremental costs of households’ infrastructure and consumption needs, as well as additional investment needs to be occasioned by ongoing or expected changes in climate. Originality/value In the wake of dwindling government/public revenue, ODA and poor commitment of Annex II countries to fulfil their financial obligations, the study makes the following recommendations: First, the financial infrastructure underpinning money transfers in both sending and recipient countries should be improved to make transfers attractive. Second, significant steps should be taken to reduce the fees on remittance services, especially for the small transfers typically made by poor migrants. Finally, adequate climatic information should be made available to local people to ensure that remittances are applied to the right adaptation option to avoid maladaptation.

scholarly journals Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Chilling and Forcing for the Main Fresh Fruit Regions in Portugal

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helder Fraga ◽  
João A. Santos
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Fruit Trees ◽  
Fruit Tree ◽  
Future Projections ◽  
Growing Degree Hours ◽  
The Future

Air temperature plays a major role in the growth cycle of fruit trees. Chilling and forcing are two of the main mechanisms that drive temperate fruit development, namely dormancy and active plant development. Given the strong sensitivity of these crops to air temperature and the foreseeable warming under future climates, it becomes imperative to analyze climate change impacts for fruit trees. The fruit sector in Portugal has risen significantly over the last decades, gaining increasing importance both internally and through exports. The present research assesses the impacts of climate change on the chilling and forcing for economically relevant fruit trees in Portugal, namely apples, oranges, pears, and plums. To assess temperate fruit chilling and forcing conditions, the chilling portions (CP) and growing degree-hours (GDH) were computed over Portugal, for the recent-past (1989–2005) and future (2021–2080) periods, following two anthropogenic radiative forcing scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Future climate data were obtained from four regional-global climate model pairs to account for model uncertainties. Bias-correction methodologies were also applied. A spatial analysis over the main regions with PDO “Protected Denomination of Origin” or PDI “Protected Geographical Indication” of origin of each fruit tree was performed. Future projections show a clear decrease in chilling for all regions and fruit types in Portugal. Nonetheless, given the current chilling values in Portugal and the relative importance of chilling accumulation for each fruit type, these changes are more significant for certain varieties of apples than for other types of fruit. Regarding forcing, the future projections highlight an increase in its values throughout the different fruit tree regions in Portugal, which should lead to earlier phenological timings. These changes may bring limitations to some of the most important Portuguese temperate fruit regions. The planning of suitable adaptation measures against these threats is critical to control the risk of exposure to climate change, thus warranting the future sustainability of the Portuguese fruit sector, which is currently of foremost relevance to the national food security and economy.

Right to contestation, patron-client networks, and corruption

2012 ◽  
pp. 101-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Orekhovsky
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Limited Access ◽  
The Right ◽  
Main Factor

In the paper the nature of Russian corruption is considered along the lines proposed by D. North, J. Wallis, and B. Weingast. The author considers patron-client networks as basic political and economic actors of the limited access order. The redistributive rent allocated within patron-client networks is not a corruption phenomenon. The main factor that is able to destroy patron-client networks and autonomous centers of power is the right to contestation (liberalization) according to R. Dahl. Realization of that right together with the right to participate in political life enables transition to the open access society.

Climate change impacts on crop yields in Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Climate Change Impacts

THE STATE OF OPEN ACCESS ADOPTION IN LEGAL SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATION: AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED OPEN ACCESS RESOURCES

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-100
Author(s):  
Solomon Bopape
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Open Access Publishing ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Legal Information ◽  
Scholarly Literature ◽  
Open Access Resources ◽  
The Right

The study of law focuses, among other aspects, on important issues relating to equality, fairness and justice in as far as free access to information and knowledgeis concerned. The launching of the Open Access to Law Movement in 1992, the promulgation of the Durham Statement on Open Access to Legal Scholarshipin 2009, and the formation of national and regional Legal Information Institutes (LIIs) should serve as an indication of how well the legal world is committed to freely publishing and distributing legal information and knowledge through the Internet to legal practitioners, legal scholars and the public at large aroundthe world. In order to establish the amount of legal scholarly content which is accessible through open access publishing innovations and initiatives, this studyanalysed the contents of websites for selected open access resources on the Internet internationally and in South Africa. The results of the study showed that there has been a steady developing trend towards the adoption of open access for legal scholarly literature internationally, while in South Africa legal scholarly literature is under the control of commercial publishers. This should be an issue for the legal scholarship which, among its focus, is to impart knowledge about the right of access to information and knowledge.

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