This module discusses global climate change that is occurring largely because of greenhouse gases emitted by human activities, and in particular the impact that tropical deforestation plays in the climate system. It also covers signs of climate change, the current thinking on future changes, and international agreements that are attempting to minimize the effects of climate change. The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD Programme) is also discussed.
July 2014: The material presented in this lesson was current as of 2008 and thus the graphics are based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3). Additionally, while the lesson states that El Ninos have become more lengthy, it is now known that that trend from the 1990s has not continued.
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