Climate Change: Impacts and Mitigation

This assignment delves into the multifaceted issue of climate change. It examines both natural and human-induced factors contributing to this phenomenon, analyzing their impact on global ecosystems such as changes in vegetation patterns and glacial thickness. The assignment further discusses various mitigation measures implemented globally to curb climate change, including greenhouse gas stabilization, renewable energy adoption, and governmental policies.

Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
Individual Assignment on Climate Change
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Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
Climate Change
The climate change is a term used to denote the change in statistical distribution on
patterns of weather when the change under consideration lasts for a long duration such as a
decade to million years. The change in climate may also denote to the alteration in the
average conditions of weather or the variation of time of the weather within a given period.
The change in climate is caused by many factors such as plate tectonics, biotic factors,
volcanic eruptions, and solar radiations from the earth. There are also some activities of
humans which are known to be the major cause of the change in climate, normally denoted as
global warming (David Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 169).
Causes of Climate Change
The level at which energy is being received from the sun and the level at which the
same energy is being lost to space is what determines the earth’s climate and temperature
equilibrium. The factors which determine the climate of a place are communing know as
climate forcings, these factors include the change in radiations of solar, change in the orbit of
the earth, change in albedo, variations in the concentration of greenhouse gases, and
continental drift and mountain-building (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 215).
These factors causing the climate change can either respond slowly in reaction to
forcings of climate or respond faster to the climate forcings. These factors which will respond
slowly include ice caps and oceans. The mechanisms of forcing may either be external or
internal. The internal mechanism of forcing are those processes which are natural within the
system of climate itself such as the circulation of thermohaline. The external mechanisms of
forcing may either be anthropogenic or natural. The anthropogenic factors include the rise in
emissions of dust and greenhouse gases while the natural factors include volcanic eruptions,
the orbit of the earth, and the variations in the solar output (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 247).

Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
The Mechanisms of Internal Forcings
The five components of the climate change of the earth have been defined to include
lithosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere which are restricted to the sediments,
soil, and rocks of the surface, and biosphere.
Variability in Ocean-atmosphere: the atmosphere and ocean may function together in
generating the variability in internal climate spontaneously which may continue for many
decades. These variabilities include the oscillation of the Atlantic multidecadal and the
oscillation of Pacific decadal, this changes may affect the earth average temperature of the
surface through heat redistribution between the atmosphere and the deep ocean hence leading
to the alteration distribution of water vapour, cloud and sea ice which may affect the total
budget of energy of the globe (David Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 158).
Life: the general life affects the change in climate through its role in the water and carbon
cycles and through many mechanisms such as weathering, albedo, cloud formation and
evapotranspiration. The process of glaciation which occurred 2.5billion years ago caused by
the development of oxygenic photosynthesis leading to the depletion of greenhouse gases
such as carbon dioxide and an introduction of oxygen into the atmosphere. The process of
global cooling which occurred 40 million years ago was caused by the expansion of
ecosystem’s green grazers (David Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 174).
The Mechanism of external forcings.
Variations in the orbit: a slight change in the orbit of the earth may result in the variation in
the distribution of seasons of sunlight reaching the surface of the earth and its spreading
across the earth. It has been proved that there is less variation in the yearly normal sunlight
but there may be huge variation in the seasonal and geographic distribution. The three

Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
categories of changes in orbit include changes in the eccentricity of the earth, the precession
of the axis of the earth and the variation in the tilt angle of the axis of rotation of the earth.
These variations have a huge effect on the climatic change and their connection to an
interglacial and glacial period (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 185).
Solar variation: The sun has been the dominant energy source to the whole globe. Other
sources of energy include the tidal energy from the moon, geothermal energy from the core of
the earth, and heat from the decay of the compounds which are radioactive. Both short term
variation and long term variation in the intensity of the sun have been proved to have some
effects on the climate on the earth (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 190). The figure 1 below shows the
changes in solar activities in the last centuries.
Volcanism: the eruption during the volcanism has been proved to have the sufficient effect on
the climate of the earth on a scale which is greater than one year which are the ones that
injected more than 100,000 tonnes of sulphur oxide into the stratosphere. The property of
sulphate aerosols and sulphur dioxide that enable them to have a strong absorption or scatter
the solar radiation leading to the creation of the global layer of Sulphuric acid haze. These
eruptions happened many times in a century leading to the cooling through partly blocking
the solar radiation transmission to the surface of the earth to the period of many years

Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
(Lovejoy, 2014, p. 198). Figure 2 below shows atmospheric temperature between 1979 and
2010 after a volcanic eruption.
Plate tectonics: the movement of the plate tectonics changes ocean and areas in the globe
leading to the generation of topography which can affect both the local and global patterns of
climate and circulation of the ocean-atmosphere. The location of the continents regulates the
geometry of the ocean hence influencing the patterns of the circulation in the ocean. The
position of the seas is significant in regulation the moisture and heat transfer across the world
hence influencing the climate of the earth (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 167).
Human influences: the anthropogenic factor is a term used in referring to activities human
deed which affects the changes in climate. The most important human influence is the
increase in the level of carbon dioxide which is caused by the emissions from combustion of
fossil fuel, emission from the manufacture of cement and aerosols. Other factors causing the
emissions of carbon dioxide include deforestation, land use, animal husbandry especially
animals such as cattle which releases methane, and the depletion of the ozone (Lovejoy,
2014, p. 173). Figure 3 below shows the increase in the level of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
Physical Evidence of Climatic Change
The evidence of change in climate is taken from many sources that can reconstruct
climate in the past. Practically the records of global surface temperature that is complete are
present from mid-late 19th century. From the early time, many indications are changes of
indirect climate which are conditional from proxies changes, those displays that replicate
climate, like cores of ice, change in sea level, vegetation, glacial geology and the
dendrochronology (David Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 168).
Archeological and historical evidence: the change in climate in the past years can be detected
in the corresponding variation in the agricultural and the settlement patterns. The historical
documents, archaeological evidence, and oral history can provide the understandings in the
past climatic changes (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 217).
Glaciers: this factor is viewed as the most thoughtful pointer in the change in climate. Due to
the warming in temperatures, the glaciers reduces unless the precipitation of snow increase to
recover for the additional melt. The temperature variation, precipitation, and subglacial and
englacial hydrology may determine the glacial evolution for a given season (Lovejoy, 2014,
p. 176). The figure 4 below shows the thickness of glaciers has declined globally in the first
century.

Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
Vegetation: the variation in the distribution, coverage, and type of vegetation may take place
in case of climate change. Most of the climatic change may result in the warmth and
precipitation which may result in the growth of plants, fruiting and flowering time.
Precipitation and cloud cover: in the previous precipitation, it has been estimated in the
current period with a precipitation gauges of the global network. The surface coverage over a
remote areas and ocean is relatively low however reducing the data of precipitation,
interpolation, and satellite clouds have been accessible since the 1970s. Other physical
evidence explaining the climate change include the change in sea levels, ice cores, animals,
pollen analysis, ice loss in arctic sea, and dendroclimatology (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 167).
Current Initiatives put in Place to Mitigate Climate Change
The climatic change mitigation involves the actions put in place to minimize the rate
or magnitude of long-term change in climate. The mitigation of climatic change normally
involves minimization of human greenhouse gases emissions or improving the carbon sinks
capacity through processes such as reforestation. Some of the mitigation measures that have
currently been put in place include greenhouse gas stabilization and concentration, energy
consumption through the power source, intergovernmental and governmental actions, and
non-governmental approaches (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 149).
Greenhouse gas stabilization and concentration: the climatic change can be mitigated through
the stabilization of the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level in
which the ecosystem may adapt to the change, development of economy can proceed and the
production of food is not threatened. It is important to reduce the rate of adding carbon
dioxide to be at the same level as the atmospheric concentration of the gas. The reduction in
emission is necessary to stabilize the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere (David
Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 178).

Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
Consumption of energy consumption by power source: the power sources which high
emission intensity of the carbon should be replaced with a view of creating lasting mitigation
measures of the climate change. The power sources which can be used to replace this high
carbon sources include nuclear power and hydroelectricity.
Intergovernmental and governmental organizations: The developing and developed countries
have come up with ways of using cleaner technologies. There are policies put in place to
reduce the emissions, increasing the utilization of renewable energy, and improving the
efficiency of energy (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 217).
Non-governmental approaches: individuals and groups can come up with ways of mitigating
the climate change such as educating the society on using renewable resources, burning less
gasoline, lowering home heating, and buying local products.
Conclusion
The research paper is an individual assignment on climate change. The change in
climate may denote to the alteration in the average conditions of weather or the variation of
time of the weather within a given period. Some of the factors causing climatic change
include internal and external forcing mechanisms, and human effects. The physical evidence
of climate change includes vegetation, glaciers, and pollen analysis. The mitigation measures
which can be implemented to limit the change in climate include greenhouse gas stabilization
and concentration, intergovernmental and governmental actions, and non-governmental
approaches.

Individual Assignment| Anushree Mistry
Student ID: 12345678
References
David Leonard Downie, K. B. (2014). Climate Change: A Reference Handbook. London: ABC-CLIO.
Lovejoy, T. E. (2014). Climate Change and Biodiversity. Michigan: The Energy and Resources Institute
(TERI).