climate change, global warming
Climate change is one of the most important global environmental issues facing the world today. In 1995 the second report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded "the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on the global climate".
The challenge now facing countries around the world, including Australia, is how to respond to this issue. How to identify the steps that can be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring that economic development can occur in a sustainable manner. (Source: http://www.buildingcommission.com.au/, BCIS - Building Commission Information Service
"Climate change in IPCC usage refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g. using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. It refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity. This usage differs from that in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where climate change refers to a change of climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods." -- Source: AR4 Report of IPCC, Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change, 2007, ntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IPCC-2001 concluded that most of the warming over the last 50 years is due to human activities.
Action: mitigation (reducing greenhouse gases in atmosphere to slow rate of change) and adaption (live with changed climate) [ Larsson, 2003, Adapting to climate change in Canada ;; ]
Climate Change and Buildings
Two aspects to consider in considering the global warming issue for building and construction. One is the green building -- to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. The other is for the building to adapt to the changing climate due to global warming. In other words, the impact of building/construction on global warming, and the impact of climate change on buildings.
Quotes:
"as buildings have long service lives it is important to have a forward looking philosophy when designing structures for future performance as gradual adaptation of existing structures, if possible, may be expensive."
" Until complete confidence can be expressed in both predictions and impact studies, adaption strategies need to be considered cautiously." --Garvin, et al.
"The recent rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over a relatively short period of time far exceeds the natural variability deduced from ice core measurements."
Controversy
Much of the controversy about global warming results from two apparent contradictions. One relates to observed temperature data and the other to the issue of how well computer models of the global climate system can represent such observations. -- 
Science and Tech review: (www.llnl.gov/str/str.html) article in Jul-Aug, 2002
Resources:
CES - Canadian Environmental Solutions
solutions to problems associated with climate change to Canadian companies.
Houghton 1997 Global Warming: the Complete Briefing.
Science and Tech review: (www.llnl.gov/str/str.html) article in Jul-Aug, 2002
Journal: Global Environmental ChangeJournal: Global Environmental Change
Web sites:
Atmosphere, Climate & Environment Information Programme website (www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/) The Atmosphere, Climate & Environment (ACE) Information Programme is supported by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to disseminate information, without advocacy or bias, on the causes, effects of and controls on air pollution and climate change, within the framework of national legislation and international discussion.
Tidbits
:
CFC Replacement & Climate Change: what gases are contributing? Relative Contributions of Greenhouse Gases, by fluorocarbons.org
| Web Links (14): | Notes |
- A building revolution - Roodman and Lenssen (1995)
- A paper you must read. Roodman and Lenssen (1995), "A building revolution: how ecology and health concerns are transforming construction", Worldwatch Paper 124, Worldwatch Institute, Washington, DC, March.
- Atmosphere, Climate & Environment Information Programme website
- "to disseminate information, without advocacy or bias, on the causes, effects of and controls on air pollution and climate change, within the framework of national legislation and international discussion."
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency- "is an independent federal body, accountable to Parliament through the Minister of the Environment. The Agency works to provide Canadians with high-quality environmental assessments that contribute to informed decision making, in support of sustainable development."
- CES - Canadian Environmental Solutions
- list of canadian companies who offer solutions to problems associated with climate change.
- Climate Change Action Fund -- CCAF
- Environmental Canada weather data
- information on the national climate and surface water (hydrometric and sediment) data archives for which Environment Canada has responsibility.
- EPA
- "EPA's mission is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment ˇŞ air, water, and land ˇŞ upon which life depends. "
- GreenClips
- "a summary of news on sustainable building design and related government and business issues published every two weeks by email"
- IPCC-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- "established by WMO and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change..."
- PAN - Prarie Adaptation Network, Canada
- Excellent publication list for Clearinghouse for climatic impact, adaptation and mitigation information, on Reports, journal articles, literature reviews & bibliographies (not updated frequently)
- Regional Climate Development
Under Global Warming - Multiinstitutional Norwegian Project
- Results on: "to estimate probable changes in the regional climate in Northern Europe, ... to quantify uncertainties in these estimates.."
- Science and Tech review - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- to communicate, to a broad audience, the scientific and technological accomplishments, particularly in the core mission areas of the Laboratory
- Science and Tech review - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- to communicate, to a broad audience, the scientific and technological accomplishments, particularly in the core mission areas of the Laboratory
- World Energy Outlook
- "a global energy survey, including detailed long-term projections of energy demand, energy supply and CO2 emissions. The "WEO" looks from 20 to 30 years into the future, and its projections are based on the World Energy Model "
- recent and current initiatives, on the built environment
- A review of recent and current initiatives on climate change and its impact on the built environment: impact, effectiveness and recommendations final report, by Lowe, R., 2001
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- Adapting to climate change in Canada, by Larsson, N., 2003
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- Climate adapted design of masonry structures, by Kvande, T. and Liso, K.R., 2009
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- Climate change 2001: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability, by IPCC, 2001
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- Climate change 2001: synthesis report, by Watson, R.T. et al., 2001
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- Climate change 2001: the scientific basis, by IPCC, 2001
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- Climate change future proofing of buildings--Generation and assessment of building simulation weather files, by Jentsch, M. F., Bahaj, A. S. and James, P. A. B., 2008
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- Climate Change Mitigation by Forestry: a review of international initiatives, by Stuart, M. D. and Moura-costa, P., 1998
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- Climate change, insurance and the buildings sector: technological synergisms between adaptation and mitigation, by Mills, E., 2003
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- Climate change, thermal comfort and energy: Meeting the design challenges of the 21st century, by Holmes, M. J. and Hackera, J. N., 2007
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- Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.), 2007
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- Effects of climate change on built environments, by Lis?, K.R, 2001
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- Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change, 2007 (AR4), by IPCC, 2007
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- Input to the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Note by the secretariat, by FCCC, 2001
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- International Relations and Global Climate Change, by Sprinz, D. and Luterbacher, U. (ed.), 1996
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- Meaningful participation in global climate policy? Comparative analysis of the energy and CO2 efficiency dynamics of key developing countries, by Luukkanen, J. and Kaivo-oja, J., 2002
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- National Action Program on Climate Change, by Environment Canada, 1995
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- Navigating the Numbers: Greenhouse Gas Data and International Climate Policy, by Baumert, K. A., Herzog, T. and Pershing, J., 2005
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- Potential implications of climate change in the built environment, by Graves, H.M. and Phillipson, M.C, 2000
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- Report of the global environment facility to the conference, note by the secretariat, by UNFCCC, 2001
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- Stabilization wedges: solving the climate problem for the next 50 years with current technologies, by Pacala, S. and Socolow., R., 2004
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- The human impact on climate , by Karl, T. and Trenberth, K.E., 1999
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- The tipping point trend in climate change communication, by Russill, C. and Nyssa, Z., 2009
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- Third Assessment Report - Climate Change 2001, by IPCC, 2001
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- Tipping elements in the Earth's climate system, by Lenton, T. M., Held, H., Kriegler, E., Hall, J. W., Lucht, W., Rahmstorf, S. and Schell, .H.J., 2008
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- Towards a research agenda for adapting to climate change, by Steemers, K., 2003
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- Vital climate graphics, by UNEP/GRID-Arenda, 2002
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- WMO Annual report 2001, by WMO, 2002
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- WMO statement on the status of the global climate in 2001, by WMO, 2002
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- Workshop report: Climate change and the built environment research, by UKCIP/EPSRC, 2001