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Important Climate Change Questions
The real questions, then, are not whether climate of the future will
change, because we know it will.
| The more important questions are: | Examples: |
|---|---|
| What elements of climate are changing? |
Is the surface temperature at Alexandria Egypt changing? Are the number of hurricanes per year in Florida on average different than during some previous time? Does the rainy season begin at a different time of year now compared to the previous century? |
| In what direction are they changing? | Is the temperature going up or down? Are there more or less hurricanes than previously? Does the rainy season in India start earlier or later than in the previous century? |
| How much are they changing? | Is the change in temperature Are there 1%, 10%, or 100% more hurricanes than the previous period? Does the rainy season start a day later, a week later, or a month later than in the previous century? |
| For what reasons are they changing? |
Has the city grown up around the historical measurement
site? Is the Gulf of Mexico water temperature higher than some previous time? Have humans somehow perturbed the mechanisms that cause rainfall? |
| What should we do about it? |
Nothing Take collective (political) action to limit emission of greenhouse gases Adopt a less-consuming personal lifestyle Let private industry determine when and how to mitigate climate change |
In the next several units we will define climate and examine the means by which we can calculate the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors in causing climate change.