Tracking Climate Change with Indicators PDF Download

Author: United States. Environmental Protection Agency
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 6

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Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309163285
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 110

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Book Description
The stresses associated with climate change are expected to be felt keenly as human population grows to a projected 9 billion by the middle of this century, increasing the demand for resources and supporting infrastructure. Therefore, information to assess vulnerabilities to climate change is needed to support policies and investments designed to increase resilience in human and Earth systems. There are currently many observing systems that capture elements of how climate is changing, for example, direct measurements of atmospheric and ocean temperature. Although those measurements are essential for understanding the scale and nature of climate change, they do not necessarily provide information about the impacts of climate change on humans that are especially relevant for political and economic planning and decision making. Monitoring Climate Change Impacts tackles the challenge of developing an illustrative suite of indicators, measurements (and the locations around the globe where the measurements can be applied), and metrics that are important for understanding global climate change and providing insight into environmental sustainability. Eight panels provided input on: cryosphere, land-surface and terrestrial ecosystems, hydrology and water resources, atmosphere, human health and other dimensions, oceans (both physical and biological/chemical), and natural disasters. The book also provides an illustrative set of metrics that are likely to be affected by climate change over the next 20-25 years and, when taken together, can potentially give advance warning of climate-related changes to the human and environment systems.

Author: B. E. Duncan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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The impacts of climate change have been observed both globally and on regional scales, such as in the North-central California coast and ocean, a region that extends from Point Arena to Point Año Nuevo and includes the Pacific coastline of the San Francisco Bay Area. Because of the high economic and ecological value of the region’s marine environment, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) and other agencies and organizations have recognized the need to evaluate and plan for climate change impacts. Climate change indicators provide information about the presence and potential impacts of climate change. While climate change indicators exist for the nation and for the state of California as a whole, no system of ocean climate indicators exist that specifically consider the unique characteristics of the North-central California coast and ocean region. To that end, GFNMS collaborated with over 50 federal, state, and regional natural resource managers, research scientists, and other partners to develop a set of eight physical and four biological ocean climate indicators specific to this region. A smaller working group of regional experts developed overarching indicator monitoring recommendations, and specific metrics and monitoring goals, objectives, strategies, and activities for each of the twelve ocean climate indicators. Broadly speaking, these strategies are centered on maintaining existing indicator monitoring, and expanding or establishing new monitoring in critical habitats. To maximize the utility of these indicators for decision-makers, priority levels, current and potential future partners, funding requirements, and implementation timelines are provided for each indicator monitoring strategy.

Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9251300208
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 83

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Book Description
This publication provides a framework and methodology to track progress in adapting agricultural sectors to the impacts of climate change. Measuring progress in adaptation will help decision-makers to target resources most effectively and focus on the areas where meaningful progress can be made. The target audience includes national decision-makers, planners, development partners, research institutions and practitioners working on climate change adaptation.

Author: US Global Change Research Program
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1510726217
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 999

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Book Description
As global climate change proliferates, so too do the health risks associated with the changing world around us. Called for in the President’s Climate Action Plan and put together by experts from eight different Federal agencies, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health: A Scientific Assessment is a comprehensive report on these evolving health risks, including: Temperature-related death and illness Air quality deterioration Impacts of extreme events on human health Vector-borne diseases Climate impacts on water-related Illness Food safety, nutrition, and distribution Mental health and well-being This report summarizes scientific data in a concise and accessible fashion for the general public, providing executive summaries, key takeaways, and full-color diagrams and charts. Learn what health risks face you and your family as a result of global climate change and start preparing now with The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health.

Author: Carmen Milanes (Environmentalist)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Author: U.s. Environmental Protection Agency
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781507685396
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 84

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Book Description
The Earth's climate is changing. Scientists are confident that many of the observed changes in the climate can be linked to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, caused largely by people burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, heat and cool buildings, and power vehicles. Current and future emissions will continue to increase the levels of these gases in our atmosphere for the foreseeable future. One way to track and communicate the causes and effects of climate change is through the use of indica¬tors. An indicator, such as a record of Arctic sea ice extent, represents the state or trend of certain envi¬ronmental conditions over a given area and a specified period of time. Scientists, analysts, decision-makers, and others use environmental indicators, including those related to climate, to help monitor environmental trends over time, track key factors that influence the environment, and identify effects on ecosystems and society. The climate change indicators in this report present compelling evidence that the composition of the atmosphere and many fundamental measures of climate in the United States are changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events—like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures—are taking place. Similar changes are occurring around the world.

Author: William D. Solecki
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1610919793
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Approximately 80% of the U.S. population now lives in urban metropolitan areas, and this number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. At the same time, the built infrastructure sustaining these populations has become increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Stresses to existing systems, such as buildings, energy, transportation, water, and sanitation are growing. If the status quo continues, these systems will be unable to support a high quality of life for urban residents over the next decades, a vulnerability exacerbated by climate change impacts. Understanding this dilemma and identifying a path forward is particularly important as cities are becoming leading agents of climate action. Prepared as a follow-up to the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA), Climate Change and U.S. Cities documents the current understanding of existing and future climate risk for U.S. cities, urban systems, and the residents that depend on them. Beginning with an examination of the existing science since 2012, chapters develop connections between existing and emerging climate risk, adaptation planning, and the role of networks and organizations in facilitating climate action in cities. From studies revealing disaster vulnerability among low-income populations to the development of key indicators for tracking climate change, this is an essential, foundational analysis. Importantly, the assessment puts a critical emphasis on the cross-cutting factors of economics, equity, and governance. Urban stakeholders and decision makers will come away with a full picture of existing climate risks and a set of conclusions and recommendations for action. Many cities in the United States still have not yet planned for climate change and the costs of inaction are great. With bold analysis, Climate Change and U.S. Cities reveals the need for action and the tools that cities must harness to effect decisive, meaningful change.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Author: Thomas R. Karl
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 536

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Book Description
Atmospheric, oceanic, and environmental scientists have primarily relied on an ad-hoc collection of disparate environmental observing and data management systems to address these problems. These systems were not designed to measure climate variations. As a result, our knowledge of changes and variations of the earth system during the instrumental climate record is far from unequivocal.