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Climate Change:  A Summary

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges faced by the modern world.

By the 2080s in the UK, temperatures will have risen between 2 and 5 degrees Celsius, in general winters will become wetter and summers drier everywhere.  Precipitation in the summer will decrease by up to 50% and increase in the winter by up to 30%.

These headlines may not sound like much, but they have the potential to play havoc with our current way of life, and the unpredictability of a changing climate will mean that planning for eventualities will become more complicated.  We won’t have to wait till the 2080s to feel the effects of these changes either, gradual changes are already being felt now and will progressively worsen over time.  Climate change will have impacts on all aspects of a sustainable country.  Changes will be seen environmentally, but the impacts will  be felt economically and socially.

In order to minimise these effects we can mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions now, but some change is inevitable, and we must be prepared to adapt to that change.  To what extent climate change will affect our lives and the environment in which we live will depend upon how we act now, and in the future, in response to climate change. Doing nothing is not an option.

What could this mean for us?

Even if we could stop further damage to the climate today, there will still be effects on the environment we live in and the way we live our lives.  So what effects could we expect to see?

  • Increased levels of skin cancers
  • Increased risk of flooding and subsidence in susceptible areas
  • Increased pressure on water resources
  • Changes to thermal comfort in buildings
  • Wetter winters causing damp, condensation and mould problems
  • Increased disruption to transport infrastructure e.g. roads melt, rail tracks bend, road and rails networks become flooded, ferries and aircraft affected by increased storminess
  • Changes to growing cycles – grass needs cutting all year round
  • Changes to biodiversity, as changes affect species numbers and habitats
  • Changes to agricultural practices due to crop viabilities
  • Heat stress on the elderly and infirm
  • Increase temperatures increase food poisoning as food perishes faster
  • Changes to waste collection services as perishable waste deteriorates faster
  • Increased levels of tourism, as longer, hotter summers in the UK draw more people to stay at home rather than do abroad.

We need to be able to adapt in order to meet these effects.  This means looking at alternatives to the ways we are used to, such as new types of tarmacs on our roads which are able to withstand higher temperatures.  We need to be acting now though, if we wait until the full effects of climate change are being felt it will be too late.  In order to ensure that we can cope with the impacts of a changing climate, adaptation is now essential.

There are many sources of information on climate change available on the internet. To help you navigate your way through these, the following information sources have been identified (organisations are not listed in any particular order):

The South East Climate Change Partnership (SECCP) investigates, informs and advises on the threats and opportunities arising from the impacts of climate change in South East England and promotes adaptive planning in the region.   Web address: www.climatesoutheast.org.uk 

The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) provide a range of scenarios that show how climate might change in the future.  They provide, free of charge, a wide range of useful documents that identify the impacts of climate change and possible adaptation responses, and provide tools to help organisation address how climate change might affect them.  Web address: www.ukcip.org.uk 

The BBC website hosts some pages on climate change and gives an informative overview of the evidence of climate change, its impacts, how to adapt, and the policies which exist in dealing with it. 

Web address: www.bbc.co.uk/climate. Following their recent week-long daily climate change slot (July 2004) they have also produced a more in depth set of discussion pages. These can be found at: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2004/climate_change/default.stm>

The Environment Agency is a public body responsible for protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales. The EA website and publications have many references to climate change and its impacts including an online calendar to monitor the changes that are occurring.  Web Address: www.environment-agency.gov.uk 

The Guardian website has some climate change pages which contains a wide variety of news articles and opinions on climate change issues:  www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange

The Tyndall Centre brings together scientists, economists, engineers and social scientists to develop sustainable responses to climate change.  Web address: www.tyndall.ac.uk 

Other sites include:

The cross-cutting nature of climate change issues means that it must be considered in planning at all levels. Many organisations recognise the necessity to consider the impacts of climate change in their respective planning roles. It has not been practical to include all organisations which can give climate change guidance and facts. The sites mentioned here are for guidance only.  Some additional useful sites include:  the Department of Trade and Industry; the Royal Town Planning Institute; the South East England Development Agency; the South East England Regional Assembly; the Town and Country Planning Association; and many more.

Article contributed by Alan Williams, Hampshire County Council

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