What is

Climate Change?

Module 1:

EARTH

Global temperatures

are rising because of an increase of

greenhouse gases (like carbon

dioxide) in the atmosphere

human activity is a major cause of

climate change90%We are more than

certain Actually it's more certain than that

Passive Carbon(fossil fuels)

Carbon is always moving between plants, the atmosphere and the oceans.

Passive carbon is 'locked away' underground.

Burning fossil fuel releases passive carbon into the atmosphere.

If we didn’t burn it, this carbon wouldn’t return to the atmosphere for millennia.(through the weathering of rocks)

Passive Carbon(fossil fuels)

71% includes Energy (25.9%), Transport (13.1%), Agriculture (13.5%) and Industry 19.4%).

Residential & Commercial

Waste & Wastewater

Forestry

come from

burning fossil fuels

71% of all human-causedgreenhouse gas emissions

What does climate change look like?.

Steppe Fire in Russia. A steppe fire at night in the Volgogradsky region, 2010.Forest fires are set to increase as climate change intensifies. © Greenpeace

Fires

Villagers wade through rising flood waters from the Chao Phraya in 2006. Earlier in the year, scientists warned that Thailand would experience more frequent extreme weather events due to the impacts of climate change. © Greenpeace

What does climate change look like?.

Floods

Drought is severely affecting farmers and graziers in Australia. The situation is dire for those relying on the giant Murray-Darling River system, which in some places has reduced to just a trickle. © Greenpeace

What does climate change look like?.

Droughts

The only solution is to CUT FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS

These regions will be hardest hit (judging the physical impacts of climate change, taking into account countries' ability to cope)

These regions did the most harm (based on historical carbon emissions per person)

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in 1992:

'the largest share of historical and current global emissions of greenhouse gases has originated indeveloped countries...

… the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof'

Countries meet under the UNFCCC to tackle climate change

In 1997 they generated the Kyoto Protocol

Kyoto Protocol commits developed countries to cut collective emissions to 95% of 1990 levels by 2012.

1990 2000 2010 2020

1990 2000 2010 2020

Almost all scientists agree the cuts need to be much deeper to be effective:80-95% by 2050

Active Carbon

56% fossil fuels

Forestry (incl. deforestation)

17.4%

Human-induced Greenhouse Gas Emissions

REMEMBER

Proposals are on the table to develop schemes to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation.

See module 2: What is REDD ?

Unlike forest emissions, burning fossil fuels releases carbon not normally part of the active carbon cycle.

Planting more trees or protecting forests will not fix this.

REMEMBER

The only solution is to CUT FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS

Module 3: What is carbon trading?

Module 4: Forests and carbon trading

Module 2: What is REDD?

Module 1: What is Climate Change?

Module 5: REDD and communities

Module 6: Lessons from FLEGT for REDD