The Impacts of Climate Change

There are obviously a multitude of ways that climate change will effect the world around us, whether it be the shrinking of glaciers, the extinction of species, the pollution in our air, rising sea levels, and even agricultural impacts.  These pictures show two ways, agricultural and freshwater impacts, that will be affected with the continuation of our current climate change.

A projected look at how agriculture throughout the world will change 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Projected_impact_of_climate_change_on_agricultural_yields_by_the_2080s,_compared_to_2003_levels_(Cline,_2007).png

Threats for current freshwater supplies around the world

                                                  http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/global_warming/images/various_water_impacts.jpg

Cut the Soot

According to a newly publish research in Nature Climate Change, a part of Scientific American, cleaning up soot, atmospheric black carbon, along with other air pollution could relieve breathing problems such as asthma but also slow the rising of sea levels.  Although it has been established that cutting out there greenhouse gases, though they do not stay in the atmosphere very long, could slow climate change overall.  The new study shows that it could also significantly slow the rate of rising sea levels.  It could also prevent about a degree Celsius of additional warming also lessening the melting of sheet ice and warming of ocean waters.

Orig Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cut-soot-stave-off-sea-level-rise-170108651.html
Scientific American Article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=unhealthy-soot-could-promote-global-warming&WT.mc_id=SA_syn_Yahoo
Podcast Link: http://podcast.sciam.com/earth/sa_e_podcast_130414.mp3?WT.mc_id=SA_syn_Yahoo



Biello, David. "Cut Soot to Stave Off Sea Level Rise - Yahoo! News." Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines. N.p., 14 Apr. 2013. Web. 7 May 2013. <http://news.yahoo.com/cut-soot-stave-off-sea-level-rise-170108651.html>.

Romulus Whitaker

Romulus Whitaker is a herpetologist and a wildlife conservationist.  He founded a snake park in India back in 1972 as well as the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust Center for Herpetology.  The Madras Crocodile Bank is trying to re-establish multiple species of crocodiles that are close to extinction. In November of 2009 Whitaker gave a talk for TED about the pollution of India waterways and how they are affecting cobra in the area.

 

More information and works from Whitaker can be found at:

• TED Biography
• PBS
• Wikipedia

 

Whitaker, Romulus. "Romulus Whitaker: The real danger lurking in the water | Video on TED.com." TED: Ideas worth spreading. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. <http://www.ted.com/talks/romulus_whitaker_the_real_danger_lurkin

Vertical Skyscrapper

Tree being lifted to destination on Milan skyscraper

        Two skyscrapers, one 26 stories tall and the other 18 stories, are under construction in Milan.  The construction started in 2008 and is expected to be finished sometime this year, allowing people to move in.  These aren't just ordinary skyscrapers though, these are Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forests.
       The two buildings are supposed to have almost 2.5 acres of forests on the sides of the buildings, according to the construction firm.  These include big and medium-sized trees, small trees, and groundcover plants that will housed on the sides of the buildings.
       The plants on these buildings aren't just for show but are going to supposedly help filter out the air pollution within the big city.  Humidity will be, supposedly, created while dust and carbon dioxide will be absorbed.  The production of oxygen will also happen.

Original Article can be found here: Vertical Forest Skyscrapers

Krumboltz, Mike. "‘Vertical forest’ skyscrapers coming to Milan | Compass - Yahoo! Travel." Yahoo! Travel - Cheap flights, hotels, travel guides & car rental. N.p., 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. <http://travel.yahoo.com/blogs/compass/vertical-forest-skyscrapers-coming-milan-212117629.html>.