A Closer Look at Climate Change Skepticism

Boykoff and Mansfield (2008), in a recent paper in this journal, provide a detailedanalysis of the representation of climate change in the UK tabloid newspapers.They conclude that the representation of this issue in these papers ‘diverged fromthe scientific consensus that humans contribute to climate change’. That is,portrayal of climate change in tabloid newspapers contradicts the conclusions ofthe fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment (IPCC2007). Is it healthy to have the scientific consensus challenged so frequently? Butshould we worry about systematic misrepresentation of scientific consensus? Webelieve the answer to both of these questions is yes. To present regular updates onclimate change issues in the popular press is important because the changes inbehaviour needed to achieve substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissionsrequire a broad understanding of the basic facts. However, if the majority ofreaders receive misleading information, it will be difficult to achieve the level ofpublic understanding necessary to make such reductions needed to avoiddangerous climate change (Schellnhuber

Communicating Uncertainty about Climate Change: The Scientists’ Dilemma

Operationalizing marketable blue carbon

So far, the climate on the Earth, from beginning to end, has been changing, making in circle and not stopping. About this point, the specialists seemly have no disagreement. However, About causes of climate change, they indeed have divergence, and as for whether carbon dioxide is or not main cause of global climate warming, their divergence is much more large. Some specialists considered that natural factors are main causes led to climate change, and influence of anthropological factors on climate change is very very small. However, the other specialists considered that anthropological factors are important cause led to climate change, and also emission of greenhouse gases is main causes led to climate warming and at which, emission of carbon dioxide is the most main cause led to global climate warming. Still also some specialists consisted that carbon dioxide emitted by human activities is a chief culprit led to global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that the climate on the Earth is warming. Emission of greenhouse gases led to climate warming, and carbon dioxide is main cause led to climate warming, and especially the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities is the most main cause led to global warming. Now, the climate on the earth is getting more and more warming. If the people did not control emission of carbon dioxide, the global climate warming would bring ecological cataclysm to the mankind. The climate change theory described by IPCC is called “Global warming” theory, or “Greenhouse effect” theory. The global warming theory, or greenhouse effect theory, has had very large influence on the all over the world. In China, also there are a lot of people who believe that “global warming” is true, is right and is scientific. Especially in Chinese academic circles, there are many specialists who especially believe “global warming”, and they forcefully trumpeted that the global climate is getting more and more warming. The carbon dioxide was considered as a chief culprit resulted led to global warming. Still also there are some people who placed “ global warming” theory on the god altar, and accepted some people to prostrate themselves in worship. The “Global warming” theory put forward by IPCC, at home and abroad, all has received a lot of serious criticism. According to basic theory of classical physics and basic fact of climate observation, we can prove that emission of greenhouse gases is not main cause led to climate change, and also carbon dioxide is not most main cause led to climate warming, and still also carbon dioxide emitted by human activities was not a chief culprit led to global warming. Thus, large decrease of emission of carbon dioxide cannot control the greenhouse effect, and also cannot prevent climate warming, and still also cannot stop happening of climate cataclysm.

Report of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death: bringing death back into life

Methane emissions along biomethane and biogas supply chains are underestimated

Better information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation potential in the agricultural sector is necessary to manage these emissions and identify responses that are consistent with the food security and economic development priorities of countries. Critical activity data (what crops or livestock are managed in what way) are poor or lacking for many agricultural systems, especially in developing countries. In addition, the currently available methods for quantifying emissions and mitigation are often too expensive or complex or not sufficiently user friendly for widespread use.The purpose of this focus issue is to capture the state of the art in quantifying greenhouse gases from agricultural systems, with the goal of better understanding our current capabilities and near-term potential for improvement, with particular attention to quantification issues relevant to smallholders in developing countries. This work is timely in light of international discussions and negotiations around how agriculture should be included in efforts to reduce and adapt to climate change impacts, and considering that significant climate financing to developing countries in post-2012 agreements may be linked to their increased ability to identify and report GHG emissions (Murphy et al 2010, CCAFS 2011, FAO 2011).

Keeping a closer eye on fossil fuel CO2

Food Security Under The Era Of Climate Change Threat

Negotiating failure: understanding the geopolitics of climate change

Twenty-first century sea-level rise could exceed IPCC projections for strong-warming futures

More than 10 billion tons of oil equivalent energy are consumed a year in the world in the present time and over 80 % of it is provided by fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. Many specialists, institutes, international agencies and organizations have foreseen or estimated an increase of energy consumption in future, remaining fossil fuel resources, and the period of consumption of them. On the other hand, global warming due to green house gases (GHG) emissions, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by burning of fossil fuels has become a serious issue. The IPCC (Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change) opened their Fourth Assessment Report [1] to the public last year indicating that anthropogenic warming over the last three decades has likely had a discernible influence at the global scale on observed changes in many physical and biological systems. The report also describes that altered frequencies and intensities of extreme weather, together with sea level rise, are expected to have mostly adverse effects on natural and human systems. Most of the countries in the world confirmed the significance of the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC as providing the most comprehensive assessment of the science and encouraged the continuation of the science-based approach that should guide our climate protection efforts. The COP (Conference of the Parties on United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) 15 was held in December, 2009, to construct the new protocol on reduction of CO2 emission following the Kyoto protocol which was valid until 2012.The new protocol is to form agreement of reduction of CO2 emission by 2020 in each country to avoiding the most serious consequences of climate change and determined to achieve the stabilization of atmospheric concentrations of global greenhouse gases considering and adopting the goal of achieving at least 50 % reduction of global emissions by 2050. Negotiations in the COP continue in 2010. Various considerations and measures to mitigate climate change are expected in various sectors such as energy supply, transport and its infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management. Enhancement of energy utilization efficiency is one of the key issues and adoption of renewable energy such as solar and wind energies are progressing in many countries. Among them, nuclear energy is an essential instrument of energy supply to mitigate global warming from the viewpoints of stable energy supply with necessary amounts, harmonization with global environment and

The Ecology of Meat

Climate Change and Health: Strengthening the Evidence Base for Policy

Facilitating Climate-Smart Investments