This is a blog post from April 2010.
The video below aims to answer two questions: (i) Do the causes of global warming matter? (ii) Does global warming itself matter?
This is a blog post from April 2010.
The video below aims to answer two questions: (i) Do the causes of global warming matter? (ii) Does global warming itself matter?
Africa compulsory case study
AIM: To develop an understanding of the complexities of economic impacts across the African continent and how it could lead to disasters for poor and vulnerable people.
Background
What has global warming brought to Africa?
So why are these impacts a problem?
Firstly, the competition for water will increase and this can lead to conflicts especially since major freshwater stores such as the Nile cross countries. Not just conflict but people will become reliant on poor quality water stores which can lead to water-borne disease such as cholera.
How does this affect the economy?
Well as more people become prone to water-borne diseases this puts more stress on healthcare. This puts pressure on the governments budget to provide enough welfare for all these people. Also, if more people are ill then they won’t be able to work to their fullest and this will reduce productivity.
Physical and human impacts on Africa
Physical Impacts |
Human Impacts |
Fragile impacts may not survive and 20-50% of species in Africa could face extinction |
Reduction in food supply (climate change affects rainfall which affects crop production) |
Many low-lying coastal countries in Africa are vulnerable to rising sea levels. |
Malaria will increase due to increased humidity and rainfall. This puts pressure on the health care system. |
Coral beaching |
Increased cyclones |
Deforestation and desertification |
So why is Africa so vulnerable?
Well climate change brings a range of problems all over the globe. However, to make the situation worse Africa has a debt crisis. The have a debt to some of the world’s richest countries, the repayments of these sometimes exceed their entire GNP. In 2007 the G8 wrote off the debt to 18 countries but there is still the vast majority of countries which still have their debt.
One method of coping with this debt is by opening doors to international trade. This means by increasing the production of cash crops (crops sold for income rather than the country’s own food supply). However, this has led to much forest clearance.
According to Oxfam this clearing of forests is likely to worsen. Not just to write off debts but because of global warming. They argue that extreme weather such as droughts will expose soils to erosion from the wind. The puts stress on land and this kind of stress can lead to desertification e.g. animals have to graze on a smaller piece of land leading to that area of land being over -grazed.
Put all these factors together and we learn that it is Africa’s food security which is under threat and that is a major concern for authorities there.
Test your definitions…
define the following:
Answers
What are the natural and human causes of global warming?
Natural |
Human |
Milankovitch cycles – Changes in the Earth’s axis and orbits. |
Methane from animals or paddy fields |
Angle of the Earth and axial tilts |
Burning fossil fuels |
Orbit shape around the sun |
Deforestation |
Changes in sun’s radiations – Sun spots increase radiation and there are natural fluctuations in solar output |
CFCs (chloroflurocarbons) – From fridge and aerosols |
Volcanic eruption – These can cool global temperatures so the lack of them can increase eruptions. |
Nitrous oxides from fertilisers and industrial activities. |
Cosmic collisions – These can increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere |