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.
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- List factors that influence climate on Earth.
- Identify greenhouse gases and their sources and define their role in climate.
- Identify the countries that contribute the most to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Identify impacts of climate change on the Earth system.
- Describe evidence for human involvement in current climate change.
- List anticipated effects of future climate change and determine which are considered most likely.
- Explain how tropical forests affect and are affected by a changing climate.
- Explain how deforestation can affect precipitation in the Amazon.
- List some secondary impacts from deforestation of the Amazon.
- Describe the main sources of Brazil’s contributions to global greenhouse gases.
- Identify the main international agreements that have been in place to address global climate change.
- Describe what the REDD Program is and explain its main purpose.
meteorology, MetEd [no translation], climate change, global warming, greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, IPCC, climate model, climate observations, sea level rise, temperatures, glaciers, ecosystems, health, precipitation, drought, Brazil, Amazon, tropical forests, deforestation, afforestation, reforestation forest fires, carbon sequestration, REDD, Kyoto protocol, Earth Summit Rio92, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, emissions trading, joint implementation, clean development mechanism
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.
