Climate Change

Climate Change… it’s been going on for ever!

Our first few lessons will investigate the truth of this statement

And why, if it is true, there is currently so much fuss about ‘climate change’

The line chart shows the annual average Central England temperature from 1659 to 2008, and the moving average (trend line). Historic trends show fluctuations predominantly between 8.5 and 9.5 degrees Celsius, but in recent years the moving average has increased to around 10.5 degrees.

Comparison photos of Muir and Riggs Glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Muir glacier, parts of which were greater than 65 meters thick in 1941, has retreated out of the image in 2004 (towards the upper left).Between 1941 and 2004 the Muir Glacier retreated more than 20 km

This map emphasises portions of Bangladesh that are near sea level and hence could potentially be vulnerable to sea level rise.With a population of about 150 million, Bangladesh is the 7th most populous country on Earth and has the highest population density of any country larger that 2000 km 2 in area.

As large portions of Bangladesh are near sea level, sea level rise here has the potential to displace tens of millions of people.

Arctic sea ice cover, 1980 & 2003

Arctic sea ice, 2005 & 2007

• http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/10/01/science/20071002_ARCTIC_GRAPHIC.html# - animation of shrinking ice