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Jeju Island, South Korea is a biodiversity hotspot, but the vulnerability of Jeju Island fauna to climate change has not been thoroughly investigated. In this paper, we tested the adaptability of the Korean large brown frog Rana uenoi to future climate change. While increased temperatures did not affect the hatchability of frog eggs, hatched tadpoles in greenhouse treatment with less exposure to sunlight (less maximum temperature) were significantly (14%) shorter in length after three weeks of growth, indicating increased temperature of early season helps growth of tadpoles. However, right after three weeks, all tadpoles in a higher-temperature treatment (outside) died after the experiment logged a maximum temperature of 34.3°C. In the field, the average temperature of puddles without tadpoles (puddles in the middle of the rivulet with all day exposure to sunlight) was 33.2°C. During an indoor temperature elevation experiment, tadpoles suddenly died at 32.4°C. Therefore, the expected maximum survivable temperature for R. uenoi is around 32°C. Our results therefore suggest that R. uenoi tadpoles are vulnerable to elevated temperatures and could suffer mortality from climate change. Climate change will continue to cause extreme weather events like this (sudden elevation of temperature in spring), and frogs, especially tadpoles with restricted movement, will be particularly vulnerable to these events. Identifying how adaptable these amphibian species are to the weather events predicted by future climate change scenarios will be key for their conservation on Jeju Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 40 years ago, the glaciologist John Mercer warned that parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were at risk of collapse due to the CO2 greenhouse effect. Mercer recognised the unique vulnerability of ice sheets resting on beds far below sea level (marine-based ice sheets), where an initial warming signal can initiate irreversible retreat. In this paper, we review recent work on evidence for ice sheet collapse in warmer periods of the recent geological past, the current behaviour of the ice sheet, and computer models used to predict future ice-sheet response to global warming. Much of this work points in the same direction: warming climates can indeed trigger collapse of marine-based portions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and retreat in response to recent warming has brought parts of the ice sheet to the threshold of instability. Further retreat appears to be inevitable, but the rate of collapse depends critically on future emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming and other climate change phenomena became a worldwide exploited subject over recent decades. World science has made enormous progress in understanding past climate change and its causes, and continues to study current and potential impacts that will affect people in the future. All scientists agree that the Earth's climate is changing due to natural phenomena, and most of them argue that human activities are increasing the greenhouse effect, while some scientists attribute climate changes exclusively to the natural causes. Though there still is, and always will be, need for multiple lines of research on an extremely complex system like Earth's climate is, an immediate consensus is crucial for decision-makers to place climate change in the context of other large challenges facing the world today. This paper discusses the existing body of evidence on climate changes in the past, and uncertainties that prevent scientists to reach full consensus on how climate might change in the future. It extends the time scale of climate changes over the entire history of Earth to help better understanding of hypothetical changes and their consequences that could be expected both in the near and in a very distant future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Climate change is an emerging challenge linked to negative outcomes for the environment and human health. Since the 1960s, there has been a growing recognition of the need to address climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions implicated in the warming of our planet. There are also deleterious health outcomes linked to complex climate changes that are emerging in the 21st century. This article addresses the social justice issues associated with climate change and human health and discussion of climate justice. Organizing Construct Discussion paper. Methods A literature search of electronic databases was conducted for articles, texts, and documents related to climate change, climate justice, and human health. Findings The literature suggests that those who contribute least to global warming are those who will disproportionately be affected by the negative health outcomes of climate change. The concept of climate justice and the role of the Mary Robinson Foundation-Climate Justice are discussed within a framework of nursing's professional responsibility and the importance of social justice for the world's people. The nursing profession must take a leadership role in engaging in policy and advocacy discussions in addressing the looming problems associated with climate change. Conclusions Nursing organizations have adopted resolutions and engaged in leadership roles to address climate change at the local, regional, national, and global level. It is essential that nurses embrace concepts related to social justice and engage in the policy debate regarding the deleterious effects on human health related to global warming and climate change. Nursing's commitment to social justice offers an opportunity to offer significant global leadership in addressing the health implications related to climate change. Clinical Relevance Recognizing the negative impacts of climate change on well-being and the underlying socioeconomic reasons for their disproportionate and inequitable distribution can expand and optimize the profession's role in education, practice, research, and policy-making efforts to address climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Comment by Nuccitelli et al., they make many false and invalid criticisms of the CFC-warming theory in my recent paper, and claim that their anthropogenic forcings including CO2 would provide a better explanation of the observed global mean surface temperature (GMST) data over the past 50 years. First, their arguments for no significant discrepancy between modeled and observed GMST changes and for no pause in recent global warming contradict the widely accepted fact and conclusion that were reported in the recent literature extensively. Second, their criticism that the key data used in my recent paper would be "outdated" and "flawed" is untrue as these data are still used in the recent or current literature including the newest (2013) IPCC Report and there is no considerable difference between the UK Met Office HadRCUT3 and HadRCUT4 GMST datasets. The use of even more recently computer-reconstructed total solar irradiance data (whatever have large uncertainties) for the period prior to 1976 would not change any of the conclusions in my paper, where quantitative analyses were emphasized on the influences of humans and the Sun on global surface temperature after 1970 when direct measurements became available. For the latter, the solar effect has been well shown to play only a negligible role in global surface temperature change since 1970, which is identical to the conclusion made in the 2013 IPCC Report. Third, their argument that the solar effect would not play a major role in the GMST rise of 0.2°C during 1850-1970 even contradicts the data and conclusion presented in a recent paper published in their Skeptical Science by Nuccitelli himself. Fourth, their comments also indicate their lack of understandings of the basic radiation physics of the Earth system as well as of the efficacies of different greenhouse gases in affecting global surface temperature. Their listed "methodological errors" are either trivial or non-existing. Fifth, their assertion that "the climate system takes centuries to millennia to fully equilibrate" is lack of scientific basis. Finally, their model calculations including an additional fitting parameter do not reduce the discrepancy with observed GMST data even after their adjustments. Instead, their modeled results give a sharp GMST rise over the past 16 years, which obviously disagrees with the observed data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the iconography of climate change in contemporary climate action campaigns in the UK. I aim to show how sample images are simultaneously scientific denotations of global warming and cultural connotations of danger and vulnerability. I further demonstrate that while similar images are associated with different agendas and geographical visions, they attach to a shared discourse of vulnerability that has Western (colonial) roots. The paper concludes with an overview of possible ways for climate action campaigns to effectively convey their political messages without recycling colonial visions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The temperature dependence of organic matter decomposition is of considerable ecosphysiological importance, especially in the context of possible climate-change feedback effects. It effectively controls whether, or how much, carbon will be released with global warming, and to what extent that release of carbon constitutes a dangerous positive feedback effect that leads to further warming. The present paper is an invited contribution in a series of Citation Classics based on a review paper of the temperature dependence of organic matter decomposition that was published in 1995. It discusses the context and main findings of the 1995 study, the progress has been made since then and what issues still remain unresolved. Despite the continuation of much further experimental work and repeated publication of summary articles, there is still no scientific consensus on the temperature dependence of organic matter decomposition. It is likely that this lack of consensus is largely due to different studies referring to different experimental conditions where confounding factors play a greater or lesser role. Substrate availability is particularly important. If it changes during the course of measurements, it can greatly confound the derived apparent temperature dependence. This confounding effect is illustrated through simulations and examples of experimental work drawn from the literature. The paper speculates that much of the current disagreement between studies might disappear if different studies would ensure that they are all studying the same system attributes, and if confounding factors were always considered and, if possible, eliminated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper comments on the issue of global warming and climate change, in an attempt to provide fresh perspective. Essentially, five main arguments are made. First, that the process of modern economic development has been based on the burning of fossil fuels, and that this will continue to apply for the foreseeable future. Second, that in large part due to momentum in economic and demographic processes, it is inevitable that there will be a major rise in atmospheric CO2 during the present century. Third, that available data on global temperatures suggest strongly that the coming warming will be appreciably faster than anything that humanity has experienced during historical times. Moreover, especially in a system that is being forced, the chance of an abrupt change in climate happening must be rated as fair. Fourth, that while it is impossible to attach precise probabilities to different scenarios, the range of plausible unpleasant climate outcomes seems at least as great as the range of more manageable ones. The consequences of future climate change may be considerable; indeed, they could be almost inconceivable—with several negative changes occurring simultaneously and to cumulative adverse effect. There is an urgent need to improve ways of thinking about what could happen. Fifth, the paper maintains that the human response to other difficult ‘long’ threats—such as that posed by HIV/AIDS—reveals a broadly analogous sequence of social reactions (e.g. denial, avoidance, recrimination) to that which is unfolding with respect to carbon emissions and climate change. Therefore the view expressed here is that major behavioral change to limit world carbon emissions is unlikely in the foreseeable future, and that the broad sway of future events is probably now set to run its course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the links between climate change and security in the island states of the South-west Pacific. A worst-case scenario of climate change is presented which suggests that land will be lost or rendered uninhabitable in all Pacific Island states as a result of climate-change impacts. Loss of land is the focus of this paper for two reasons. Firstly, land is interwoven in the lives of many Pacific Islanders; it provides economic, cultural and spiritual security at a number of geographical scales. Secondly, a focus on land demonstrates clearly how an environmental threat such as climate change can undermine economic, societal, political and military security in the island states of the South-west Pacific. Clearly, climate change is an important threat to human security, and should be dealt with accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfills all around the world are one of the major sources that contribute towards global warming and climate change. Although landfilling should be prioritized last in the waste management hierarchy due to highest greenhouse gas emissions as compared to other waste management systems it is still very common around the world. In this study, methane emissions are estimated by applying First Order Decay model to landfills in Pakistan over the latest data available by Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency. Results demonstrate that nearly 14.18 Gg of methane is emitted from the landfills in Pakistan each year. By combusting this methane in the form of biogas collected from the landfills as a waste management scheme we can reduce greenhouse effect up to ~88%. Same percentage is observed when we apply the similar analysis over the potentially improved practice. Also, Pakistan is facing severe economic crises due to continuous increasing gap between energy demand and supply. Demand is increasing exponentially while supply is observed to remain constant over the last few years due to frozen capacity in spite of having significant renewable/alternate energy resources. Current electricity shortfall has reached up to 6000 MW. Present operational landfills in Pakistan can only contribute up to ~0.1% to cater the total deficit which does not make any significant difference but if 75% of the total waste generated today is collected and 50% of it landfilled then Pakistan has the potential to produce ~83.17 MW of power that can contribute up to 1.4% to overcome the current power shortage. The outcomes of this paper may also be applicable to other developing countries having similar resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We all know that 2014 has been declared as the hottest year globally by the Meteorological department of United States of America. Climate change is a global challenge which is likely to affect the mankind in substantial ways. Not only climate change is expected to affect physical health, it is also likely to affect mental health. Increasing ambient temperatures is likely to increase rates of aggression and violent suicides, while prolonged droughts due to climate change can lead to more number of farmer suicides. Droughts otherwise can lead to impaired mental health and stress. Increased frequency of disasters with climate change can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, and depression. Changes in climate and global warming may require population to migrate, which can lead to acculturation stress. It can also lead to increased rates of physical illnesses, which secondarily would be associated with psychological distress. The possible effects of mitigation measures on mental health are also discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of what can and should be done to tackle the expected mental health issues consequent to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For some time, there has been a slow but gradual rise in the average temperature of the entire globe, a "global warming", in fact, the result of human and natural processes that have been producing this phenomenon for decades. Since they are not directly perceived by individuals, these processes and their effects have been ignored for a long time, or at least not considered to be immediately harmful and dangerous. Global warming does not depend so much on solar radiation as it does on the greenhouse effect deriving from the continuous emission, by human activities and natural events, of greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and form a barrier to the dispersion of heat produced by solar radiation. A good number of models exists to explain how global warming is produced, which are technical in nature and consider the production of greenhouse gases as the most important cause; however, they do not always analyze and justify the reasons for such emissions. Following the logic, language and methods of Senge's systems thinking, the paper aims to present a general model, the GEAM—qualitative in nature, but rational and coherent—for highlighting the interacting factors that give rise to and maintain global warming. This model constitutes a reference framework to identify possible "strategic areas" within which to identify man-made "artificial" and "natural" factors that can control the phenomenon and to order the countless ideas and interventions that different nations carry out individually to control global warming. The model presented is qualitative in nature and does not allow immediate calculations or forecasts to be performed. However, it could guide in-depth scientific research in generating accurate forecasts and simulation using the tools of systems dynamics. In conclusion, understanding how global warming is created and if and how it could be controlled is the aim of this work. Finally, I want to note that the purpose of this work is not to analyze the technical aspects of the phenomenon of global warming, or to deepen the measures and actions to contrast it, but to provide a "general model of description and understanding" of the phenomenon using logic and language of the Systems Thinking Approach (according to Peter's Senge and Piero Mella), with the aim of highlighting three fundamental strategic areas for countering the phenomenon and four uncontrollable phenomena, triggered by global warming itself, which can make strategic control difficult. Furthermore, I highlight the role played by the world population, understood both quantitatively as a number and qualitatively as a level of economic development, in the production of global warming. Lastly, I observe how the different strategic actions that nations can, indeed must, implement to stem global warming are systematically interconnected and interacting; however, these interactions can produce unknown effects and consequences that must be carefully researched and evaluated—encouraged, if positive, reduced or eliminated if negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their Comment, Müller and Grooß continuously use problematic "observed data" and misleading arguments to make a case against our CRE mechanism of the ozone hole and CFC-warming mechanism of global climate change. They make the groundless assertion that the CRE theory cannot be considered as an independent process for ozone loss in the polar stratosphere. Their claim that the impact of the CRE mechanism on polar chlorine activation and ozone loss in the stratosphere would be limited does not agree with the observed data over the past decades. They also make many contradictory and fact-distorting arguments that "There is no polar ozone loss in darkness, there is no apparent 11-year periodicity in polar total ozone measurements, the age of air in the polar lower stratosphere is much older than 1-2 years, and the reported detection of a pronounced recovery (by about 20-25%) in Antarctic total ozone measurements by the year 2010 is in error." These assertions ignore and contradict a great deal of robust observed data from both laboratory and field measurements reported in the literature including their own publications. Their new argument for the photodissociation of CFCs on PSCs also contradicts their previous extraordinary efforts including the use of fabricated "ACE-FTS satellite data" to argue for no physical/chemical loss of CFCs in the winter lower polar stratosphere. Finally, they do not provide any scientific evidence to support their criticism for the no physical basis of the CFC-warming theory and its conclusions. In summary, their misleading arguments and false "data" do not change the convincing conclusion reached by robust observations in my recent paper that both the CRE mechanism and the CFC-warming mechanism not only provide new fundamental understandings of the 3 hole and global climate change but have superior predictive capabilities, compared with the conventional models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to evaluate and examine the validity of global warming at local or regional level. The phenomenon of global warming is of great importance and a very challenging one at present time. Thus, the need arises to study it at micro and meso-levels; as such a study will help in making plans to protect human and other living things from various impacts of climate change. After studying the variations in monthly temperatures in the State of Manipur of the Republic of India, and analyzing the warming trends, it has been found that the rise of mean temperature is mainly due to an increase in the minimum temperature in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of today's most pressing global issues. Policies to guide mitigation and adaptation are needed to avoid the devastating impacts of climate change. The health sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries, and its climate impact in low-income countries is growing steadily. This paper reviews and discusses the literature regarding health sector mitigation potential, known and hypothetical co-benefits, and the potential of health information technology, such as eHealth, in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The promising role of eHealth as an adaptation strategy to reduce societalvulnerability to climate change, and the link's between mitigation and adaptation, are also discussed. The topic of environmental eHealth has gained little attention to date, despite its potential to contribute to more sustainable and green health care. A growing number of local and global initiatives on 'green information and communication technology (ICT)' are now mentioning eHealth as a promising technology with the potential to reduce emission rates from ICT use. However, the embracing of eHealth is slow because of limitations in technological infrastructure, capacity and political will. Further research on potential emissions reductions and co-benefits with green ICT, in terms of health outcomes and economic effectiveness, would be valuable to guide development and implementation of eHealth in health sector mitigation and adaptation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of Carbon Footprint, its origin, its relation with greenhouse gases and the methods to quantify it are presented and analyzed. The so-called greenhouse effect causes that the energy that reaches the earth at a certain rate is returned to a slower rate, increasing the temperature of the earth surface. Additionally, it is nowadays accepted that this effect is produced by some gases that are naturally emitted or produced by human actions. The Carbon Footprint is considered to be one of the most important tools for quantifying greenhouse emissions and in a general form it represents the quantity of gases emitted to the atmosphere and that is produced by human activities, and by goods and service consumption. Since there is no consensus about the definition of Carbon Footprint or the forms of quantifying it, this first part of the paper series analyzes the main concept and the main present views on the Carbon Footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of escalating human activities on greenhouse gas emission, global warming, and changes in global climate patterns is almost certainly the most discussed issue in the first decade of the 21st century. Two-thirds of Africa’s energy consumption consists of various forms of highly inefficient traditional biomass. In rural areas, low energy consumption is both a cause and consequence of poor development and also of the degradation of the natural environment. The burning of biomass or vegetation as a conventional land preparation method has a net negative impact on the soil organic carbon as well as on the environment through the oxidation of carbon into carbon dioxide, an anthropogenic greenhouse gas. This paper reports the findings of an experiment to investigate the impact of the heat due to burning on soil organic carbon at soil depths of 0–5 and 5–10 cm. It was observed that 21% decline in soil organic carbon resulted in the release of 1446 CO2 kg ha-1 into the atmosphere. This underscores the fact that burning of biomass as a land preparation method may not be sustainable when viewed against the backdrop that the African continent encompasses the most vulnerable regions and populations for current climate variability. This study is significant in that it is the first to shed light on the effects of burning on soil carbon in the coastal savanna ecosystem of Ghana and would potentially provide the impetus for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate change, global warming and the increasing in oil price are issues that concern everyone lately. Renewable energy is the solution for a safe and efficient environment for the new generations. Renewable energy sources are sustainable and are zero carbon emission. In order to deploy these sources efficiently, expertise in this field must be provided. This is accomplished by educating the young generations to all related issues regarding these sources and the related technologies. This paper describes the experience of introducing renewable energy in the curriculum for undergraduate students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the steps taken to enhance the learning process. It only represents the first stage of implementing green energy education into an engineering technology program and highlights the impact of this experience on the students with respect to the environment and the community. Such experience is an example that can be followed in order to promote renewable energy technologies and to develop the expertise in this field in a country that has just started to embrace renewable energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, an idealized framework based on a cloud-topped mixed layer model is developed for investigating feedbacks between subtropical stratocumulus (Sc) and global warming. The two principal control parameters are Sc-region sea surface temperature (SST) and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) SST (which controls the temperature and mean subsidence profiles above the Sc). The direct effect of CO2 doubling (leaving all other parameters fixed) is tested and found to somewhat reduce liquid water path; discussion of this effect on the SST-change simulations is included. The presence of a cold boundary layer is found to significantly affect the temperature and subsidence rate just above cloud top by enhancing lower-tropospheric diabatic cooling in this region. A simple representation of this effect (easily generalizable to a more realistic boundary layer model) is developed. Steady-state solutions are analyzed as a function of local and ITCZ SST. Two climate change scenarios are considered. The first scenario is an equal increase of local and ITCZ SSTs. In this case, predicted boundary layer depth and cloud thickness increase. This is found in a simplified context to result from subsidence and entrainment decreases due to increased static stability in a warmer climate. In the second case, local SST change is diagnosed from a surface energy balance under the assumption that ocean heat transport remains unchanged. In this case, predicted boundary layer depth decreases. Cloud continues to thicken with rising ITCZ SST, but at a rate much reduced in comparison to the equal-warming scenario. This cloud shading feedback keeps SST in the Sc region nearly constant as the ITCZ SST increases. Model sensitivity to aerosol indirect effects is also considered by varying the assumed droplet concentration. The resulting change in liquid water path is small, suggesting a weaker dependence on second indirect effect than found in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper surveys the energy problem in relation to global warming and the social criteria of India. India's failure to develop a policy on global warming is highlighted and her economic policy judged in relation to her energy options, including such notable work as jatropha development and nuclear energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic benefits of a multi-gas approach to climate change mitigation are clear. However, there is still a debate on how to make the trade-off between different greenhouse gases (GHGs). The trade-off debate has mainly centered on the use of Global Warming Potentials (GWPs), governing the trade-off under the Kyoto Protocol, with results showing that the cost-effective valuation of short-lived GHGs, like methane (CH4), should be lower than its current GWP value if the ultimate aim is to stabilize the anthropogenic temperature change. However, contrary to this, there have also been proposals that early mitigation mainly should be targeted on short-lived GHGs. In this paper we analyze the cost-effective trade-off between a short-lived GHG, CH4, and a long-lived GHG, carbon dioxide (CO2), when a temperature target is to be met, taking into consideration the current uncertainty of the climate sensitivity as well as the likelihood that this will be reduced in the future. The analysis is carried out using an integrated climate and economic model (MiMiC) and the results from this model are explored and explained using a simplified analytical economic model. The main finding is that the introduction of uncertainty and learning about the climate sensitivity increases the near-term cost-effective valuation of CH4 relative to CO2. The larger the uncertainty span, the higher the valuation of the shortlived gas. For an uncertainty span of ±1°C around an expected climate sensitivity of 3°C, CH4 is cost-effectively valued 6.8 times as high as CO2 in year 2005. This is almost twice as high as the valuation in a deterministic case, but still significantly lower than its GWP100 value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper expands the relevance of the collective interest model of mass political action to explain collective-action behavior in the context of global warming and climate change. The analysis is an attempt to answer Ostrom’s call for a behavioral model of collective action that can be generalized beyond political protest to other collective-action problems. We elaborate, specify, and empirically test a collective interest model approach to citizen policy support, environmental political participation, and environmental behavior related to the issue of global warming. Key elements of the collective interest model—perceived risk, personal efficacy, and environmental values—are found to be directly, and positively, related to support of government policies and personal behaviors that affect global warming. We also discuss the links between the collective interest model and other important approaches to political behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, control theory is used to study the connection between human activities and global warming. A feedback model is proposed and tested against temperature and carbon dioxide concentration historical data. Four scenarios are taken into account and simulated by the model; stability analysis is also discussed. The model proposed here simulates the historical data correctly and the scenarios show that, even in the case of dramatic reduction of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emission, the temperature will not decrease for a certain time. Stability analysis reveals a complex pole near the unit circle. This means that, although the system at the moment is stable, it is very close to becoming unstable with unpredictable consequences on climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A significant reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions will require development of new technologies if such reductions are to be achieved without excessive costs. An important question is whether an agreement of the Kyoto type, which does not include elements related to research and development of new technologies, will give sufficient incentives to develop such new technologies. On the one hand, since greenhouse gas emissions will become costly for countries and private producers, there will then be incentives to undertake the effort and costs to develop new technologies. On the other hand, research and development in one country is not only advantageous for this country, but usually also for other countries. The reason for this is that producers in these countries will learn from the project in many cases; for example, through (informal) networks, journals, and, in some cases, through the import of goods from the country where the new technology is developed. The purpose of this paper is to discuss properties of an international climate agreement of the Kyoto type, when research and development investments undertaken in one country are also beneficial for other countries. We examine whether a Kyoto type of agreement can provide the correct social amount of aggregate emissions, and research and development investments in new technologies. We argue that the outcome of a Kyoto type agreement will differ from the social optimum. In particular, for a given level of abatement a Kyoto type agreement provides too few investments relative to the social optimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates of forest vegetation carbon storage in China varied due to different methods used in the assessments. In this paper, we estimated the forest vegetation carbon storage from the Fourth Forest Inventory Data (FFID) in China using a modified volume-derived method. Results showed that total carbon storage and mean carbon density of forest vegetation in China were 3.8 Pg C (about 1.1% of the global vegetation carbon stock) and 41.32 Mg/ha, respectively. In addition, based on linear multiple regression equation and factor analysis method, we analyzed contributions of biotic and abiotic factors (including mean forest age, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, and altitude) to forest carbon storage. Our results indicated that forest vegetation carbon storage was more sensitive to changes of mean annual temperature than other factors, suggesting that global warming would seriously affect the forest carbon storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Maintaining an adaptive seasonality, with life cycle events occurring at appropriate times of year and in synchrony with cohorts and ephemeral resources, is a basic ecological requisite for many cold-blooded organisms. There are many mechanisms for synchronizing developmental milestones, such as egg laying (oviposition), egg hatching, cocoon opening, and the emergence of adults. These are often irreversible, specific to particular life stages, and include diapause, an altered physiological state which can be reversed by some synchronizing environmental cue (e.g. photoperiod). However, many successful organisms display none of these mechanisms for maintaining adaptive seasonality. In this paper, we briefly review the mathematical relationship between environmental temperatures and developmental timing and discuss the consequences of viewing these models as circle maps from the cycle of yearly oviposition dates and temperatures to oviposition dates for subsequent generations. Of particular interest biologically are life cycles which are timed to complete in exactly 1 year, or univoltine cycles. Univoltinism, associated with reproductive success for many temperate species, is related to stable fixed points of the developmental circle map. Univoltine fixed points are stable and robust in broad temperature bands, but lose stability suddenly to maladaptive cycles at the edges of these bands. Adaptive seasonality may therefore break down with little warning with constantly increasing or decreasing temperature change, as in scenarios for global warming. These ideas are illustrated and explored in the context of Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) occurring in the marginal thermal habitat of central Idaho''s Rocky Mountains. Applications of these techniques have not been widely explored by the applied math community, but are likely to provide great insight into the response of biological systems to climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Numerous studies reported the adaptation strategies adopted by ecthotherms to survive under environmental thermal stress. Geographic and seasonal variations in the thermal stress tolerance, which is closely associated with species' climatic adaptation and allopatric speciation, have been extensively investigated in insects. The variation patterns suggest directional selection for species' adaptive straits, and are used to predict the origin, distribution and dynamics of insect populations. These studies are becoming more and more important in the context of global warming - This paper discusses the process of adaptation to environmental thermal stress and the mechanisms underlying the differentiation in related adaptive straits of insect populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a matter of concern to society, decision makers, and scientists. As part of the debate about the science of climate change, and in particular the extent to which current climate change is due to human activity or part of the natural variability of the global climate system, earth scientists try to understand how climates have changed in the past, and how past warming and cooling episodes affected the landscape and the plants and animals that occupied that landscape. It is also clear from the fossil record that past climate change has played a role in the evolution of animal and plant lineages, as well as plant and animal communities. Preserved in a series of lake deposits across northeastern Washington State, USA., to Smithers in north-central British Columbia, Canada, the Okanagan Highlands fossil deposits preserve a record of a time when the world was much warmer than now because of a naturally enhanced greenhouse effect, and the poles were ice-free and supported great forests. These sites are well known to fossil collectors for their beautifully preserved insects, fish, and plants. The Okanagan Highlands were an upland 50 million years ago, during the Early Eocene, and supported diverse forests swarming with insects and other animals that today are found in both temperate and tropical areas. The trees, shrubs, and herbs of these Eocene forests echo this pattern, including palms and bald cypress, together with spruce and birches. This special issue presents a series of papers that resulted from a symposium held in 2003 on the Okanagan Highlands that details the warm Eocene world of the interior uplands of northeastern Washington and British Columbia. Topics include reconstructing the landscape, biogeography, palaeoclimates, and fossil plants, insects, diatoms, and fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleoclimate modeling has become an important tool to detect the future climate of the global warming that is difficult to be validated. The paleoclimate modeling has to be evaluated by regionally geological data in order to determine if it is able to reproduce a reality of climate states. Geological evidence shows that there was a warm-wet interstadial at 35000±3000 a BP in China, which provides an important climate period to be historical analogue for the future climate changes induced by greenhouse gas emissions. Integrated geological records of later phase of the MSI3 from China also provide basements for evaluation of 35 ka BP climate modeling. This paper reports the paleoclimate experiments applied by various forces, and validates the outputs by geological data, consequently improving the boundary conditions in the experiments and making the paleoclimates more approach the reality. The simulations show an increased temperature in the mid-low latitudes and an extended rain-belt northwards in East Asia, while a decreased temperature in high latitudes and a strong exchange of the N-S atmospheric circulation. As there is only ca. 10–15 ka from 35 ka BP to the LGM (21 ka BP) during which climate rapidly changed from a warm-wet interstadial to a typical ice age, this simulation provides scientific basis to recognize the criteria of global warming and trends of natural climate development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is now accepted to be the most serious environmental threat facing human race. One of the solution of the problem is improving renewable energy sources. Many countries see the development of renewable energy as a way of mitigation climate change. At this stage , to understand renewable energy development potential haz become very important. Thus, This paper argues the contribution of renewable energy sources with mitigation global warming. Each source is examined independently the others from perspective of progress in short and long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on paper published in the issue on global warming. The author discusses that findings showed that greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere are already enough to cause global calamity. He questions the plans by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and comments on the findings of the paper.

Abstract: Conceptual models linking climate change with fluctuations in fish population abundances are based on how cyclic patterns in air–sea interactions influence pelagic food web dynamics. The effect of changing mixed layer dynamics on phytoplankton light and nutrient exposure is a prominent focal point in the overall mechanism. The Extended Reconstruction (ER) of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) version one (ERSSTv1) and version two (ERSSTv2) monthly time series from 1854 to 2003, interpreted with the aid of a historically based global Nitrate Depletion Temperature (NDT) climatology, provide a qualitative tool for examining relative temporal and spatial patterns in nitrate availability in normal salinity areas of the world ocean. After an analysis of local NDT variability at four time series stations demonstrated temporal stability compared to SST, [SST–NDT] as a Nitrate Availability Index (NAI) was calculated for April (boreal spring or austral fall) and October (boreal fall and austral spring) for the whole ERSSTv1 data set and for selected years of the ERSSTv2 data set using the global NDT climatology. The more negative the NAI difference, the greater the expected surface nitrate. The more positive the NAI difference, the greater the intensity of temperature stratification between the surface and the nitracline and thus the less likely that nitrate mixed to the surface. The records from April and October both showed that decreased nitrate availability, defined by both smaller negative NAI differences and larger positive NAI differences, generally though not universally occurred throughout the 20th century in association with global warming. The greatest decreases in nitrate availability occurred in two warming events in the time periods 1909–1937 and 1977–present in the Northern Hemisphere and 1926–1937 and 1950–1990 in the Southern Hemisphere. Different areas of the world ocean were affected in each warming event. Prominent exceptions in the ERSSTv1 analysis where 20th century nitrate availability actually increased in at least one season were in western parts of the South Indian, the North Pacific, the equatorial Pacific, the South Pacific, the North Atlantic, and the South Atlantic and in eastern parts of the South Pacific and South Atlantic. The ERSSTv2 analysis also showed increased 20th century nitrate availability in the eastern subarctic Pacific. The nitrate availability trends resulting from the present analysis agree with various literature reports on regional changes in plant nutrient availability, on increased occurrences of harmful algal blooms often associated with dinoflagellates that are better able to access subsurface nitrate pools, and on decadal changes in marine fisheries. They also raise concerns about the resilience of historical patterns of pelagic community structure and function in response to a warming trend continuing into the 21st century. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article discusses climate change and hurricanes. Papers that appeared in the scholarly journals "Nature" and "Science" during the summer of 2005 raised the question of global warming being the cause of the record-breaking hurricane season of 2005. The article examines that argument, noting that many scientists believe that human-induced climate warming is indeed real. Also discussed is the increasing intensity of hurricanes since 1975, as well as the rise in seas surface temperatures and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.