* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download The future under global warming – impacts on Australia
Economics of climate change mitigation wikipedia , lookup
Myron Ebell wikipedia , lookup
Michael E. Mann wikipedia , lookup
Soon and Baliunas controversy wikipedia , lookup
Climatic Research Unit email controversy wikipedia , lookup
Low-carbon economy wikipedia , lookup
2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference wikipedia , lookup
Climate resilience wikipedia , lookup
General circulation model wikipedia , lookup
Hotspot Ecosystem Research and Man's Impact On European Seas wikipedia , lookup
Climate sensitivity wikipedia , lookup
ExxonMobil climate change controversy wikipedia , lookup
Climate engineering wikipedia , lookup
Climatic Research Unit documents wikipedia , lookup
Heaven and Earth (book) wikipedia , lookup
Citizens' Climate Lobby wikipedia , lookup
Climate governance wikipedia , lookup
Global warming controversy wikipedia , lookup
Fred Singer wikipedia , lookup
Climate change denial wikipedia , lookup
Instrumental temperature record wikipedia , lookup
Global warming hiatus wikipedia , lookup
Climate change adaptation wikipedia , lookup
Economics of global warming wikipedia , lookup
Mitigation of global warming in Australia wikipedia , lookup
Attribution of recent climate change wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in Tuvalu wikipedia , lookup
Solar radiation management wikipedia , lookup
Physical impacts of climate change wikipedia , lookup
Global warming wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in Saskatchewan wikipedia , lookup
Politics of global warming wikipedia , lookup
Media coverage of global warming wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in Australia wikipedia , lookup
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme wikipedia , lookup
Climate change and agriculture wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming wikipedia , lookup
Scientific opinion on climate change wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in the United States wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming on human health wikipedia , lookup
Climate change feedback wikipedia , lookup
Climate change and poverty wikipedia , lookup
Surveys of scientists' views on climate change wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming on humans wikipedia , lookup
Public opinion on global warming wikipedia , lookup
The future under global warming – impacts on Australia Many of us won’t be alive to see what global warming brings. The students in the Renters’ household will see the effects of climate change during their lifetime. In particular, they will see effects on food production, water, our environment and human health. Some of these effects can and will be mitigated with long-term planning and adaptation to change. Food production in Australia is expected to change, and our industries will need to respond. n Fish availability varies with sea surface temperatures, which will increase with climate change. n Beef and dairy cattle will have lower productivity, higher heat stress and more pests, and will have less pasture growth to live on. n Fruit that needs chilling to set, such as apples and stone fruit, may need to be grown in different regions to where they currently exist, or adopt chemical treatments in place of frosts. n Australian wine will need to adapt, with some regions becoming unsuitable for the varieties currently grown, and new regions opening up to viticulture. Human health will face the following problems: n Increase in heat-related deaths and illnesses that will far outweigh any possible decrease in cold-related deaths n Increase in the potential range and incidence of malaria, dengue fever and similar diseases n Larger numbers of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal sickness outbreaks n Increased risk of deaths from drowning due to floods n Changes in the spread of rodent- and pest-spread diseases n Impacts on mental health due to social and economic disruption Australia’s environment is very well adapted to short term variability from season to season and year to year, but very poorly adapted to long term trends such as climate change. Some plants and animals will be able to move south or to higher altitudes, but not all. n Many of our animals will have their habitat reduced significantly or fractured into small pieces. The most susceptible are those that are already listed as threatened or vulnerable. n Coral reefs inshore will change to algae-dominated ecosystems with two degrees of warming. Other reefs will be affected by bleaching events occurring every year by the year 2100. n Alpine ecosystems are the least able to adapt as there’s no higher they can go. Snowfall is very sensitive to climate change, with a worst-case scenario of losing 96% by 2070. Alpine plant distributions are determined by summer temperatures. Animals that are dependent on snow cover for hibernation or protection from predators will decrease in numbers. n Highland rainforests will lose up to 50% of their area, though lowland rainforest may increase in area. Birds and animals dependent on this environment will lose between 60 and 90% of their habitat. n Coastal wetlands will be lost to sea level rises. Other wetlands will need to adapt to reduced rainfall, increased nutrient and sediment loading and increased erosion. There are much greater pressures on wetlands than climate change, however climate change could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. | | Carbon Cops : The future under global warming – impacts on Australia n Native forests may change substantially, with a quarter of Australian gum trees restricted to just a one-degree annual temperature range. Change in rainfall regimes will also impact which forest species can continue. Leaf-eating animals and insects will decrease as tree leaf chemistry changes in response to increased concentrations of carbon in the air. n Rivers will be most affected by an increase in extreme events - floods and droughts. More frequent droughts will place a greater pressure on a river’s ability to recover. There will be more frequent algal blooms due to lower water flows and higher water temperatures. n Weeds and pest animals will increase their impact under global warming. n Climate change: an Australian guide to the science and potential impacts www.greenhouse.gov.au/science/guide/ n Climate change impacts on Australia www.csiro.au/resources/pfbg.html n Australian Climate Change Science Program www.csiro.au/org/pst6.html © ABC Copyright 2007 | | Carbon Cops : The future under global warming – impacts on Australia