Global Environmental Issues

Abstract

'Global Environmental Issues' is a phrase that refers to the effect on the climate of human actions, in particular the on fire of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) and large-scale deforestation, which cause emissions to the atmosphere of large amounts of 'greenhouse gases', of which the most important is carbon dioxide. Such gases take up infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface and act as blankets over the surface keeping it warmer than it would otherwise be. Connected with this warming are changes of climate. The basic science of the 'greenhouse effect' that leads to the warming is well implicit. More detailed understanding relies on numerical models of the climate that integrate the basic dynamical and physical equations describing the complete climate system. Many of the likely characteristics of the resulting changes in climate (such as more frequent heat waves, increases in rainfall, increase in frequency and intensity of many extreme climate events) can be identified. Substantial uncertainties remain in knowledge of some of the feedbacks within the climate system (that affect the overall magnitude of change) and in much of the detail of likely regional change. Because of its negative impacts on human communities (including for instance substantial sea-level rise) and on ecosystems, global warming is the most important environmental problem the world faces. Adaptation to the inevitable impacts and mitigation to reduce their magnitude are both necessary. International action is being taken by the world's scientific and political communities. Because of the need for urgent action, the greatest challenge is to move rapidly to much increased energy efficiency and to non-fossil-fuel energy sources. This paper presents the first broad based research on the impact of climate change on historic buildings, buried archaeology, parks and gardens Research coincided with the publication of the climate change scenarios and other studies assessing regional climate change and the impact on nature conservation and gardens.