Climate ChangeImpacts

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change

Climate ChangeWorldwide

IPCC 2007

The story so far:

Carbon Dioxide• is the most important greenhouse gas• from a 280 parts per million before the

industrial revolution• to 379 ppm in 2005 • the range over last 650,000 years has been

180 to 300 ppm • growth rate (1995–2005) averaged 1.9 ppm

per year

Climate Change in Australia

IPCC 2007

Major Findings•Regional climate change has occurred since 1950•There has been 0.4 to 0.7°C of warming•There has been an increase in the intensity of Australian droughts•Sea level has risen by about 70 mm

Less rainless rain in southern and eastern Australia

more heatwaves, fewer frosts, more rain in north-west Australia

Water supplies

Graph copyright Melbourne Water

615 GL – 385 GL = 130 GL or 34% decrease

(Into Thomson, Upper Yarra, O’Shannassy and Maroondah dams)

Future predictions

Rising sea levels

Significant loss of biodiversity is projected

to occur by 2020 in some ecologically rich sites

IPCC 2007 diagram of key issues

Risks to Buildings, Roads, etc.

•Increased storm damage

•Increased damage by bush fires

•Extreme weather events will cause more damage to things like roads

•More blackouts

Risks to Agriculture & Forestry

Production from agriculture and forestry is projected to decline by 2030 over much of southern and eastern Australia due to increased drought and fire.

Risks to Health•Increased heat related deaths

•Warmer temperatures increase food and water-borne diseases

•Mental health (drought causing stress)

•Increased fire smoke affecting asthma suffers

More Risks to Health

It is predicted that there will be changes to mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue Fever & Malaria in northern Australia.

The impacts of smog on health are still uncertain.

How old will you be in the year

2020?

Projected Changes

Source: IPCC, 2007

But the good news is: