Challenges
Our Earth is Getting Hot!
Certain gases in the atmosphere let the heat from the sun penetrate the Earth, and then catch some in the Earth's atmosphere, just like glass walls in a greenhouse. That is why those gases are known as greenhouse gases.
The effect is called greenhouse effect . The greenhouse effect is very important - without it, the world will be as cold as the moon and too cold for living creatures to live in. Nevertheless, too much greenhouse gases can make the Earth hotter.
Why does the concentration of greenhouse gases increase?
The scientists believe that the burning of fossil fuel and other human's activities are the main reasons for the increase of CO2 that is considered as the main greenhouse gas. The burning of fossil fuel produces carbon that has been trapped for millions of years and increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The fossil fuel that is used to run our cars, warm houses and office buildings, and power plant is responsible for 25% of CO2 emission increase since the industrial revolution.
Massive deforestation is happening all over the world. When the trees are cut down, the locked carbon gas is released as carbon dioxide and it increases the CO2 for about 20%.
The 1990s is the hottest decade for that measurement, breaking the previous highest record, which is the 1980s.
Why does the concentration of greenhouse gases increase?
The scientists believe that the burning of fossil fuel and other human's activities are the main reasons for the increase of CO2 that is considered as the main greenhouse gas. The burning of fossil fuel produces carbon that has been trapped for millions of years and increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The fossil fuel that is used to run our cars, warm houses and office buildings, and power plant is responsible for 25% of CO2 emission increase since the industrial revolution.
Massive deforestation is happening all over the world. When the trees are cut down, the locked carbon gas is released as carbon dioxide and it increases the CO2 for about 20%.
The 1990s is the hottest decade for that measurement, breaking the previous highest record, which is the 1980s.
The Greenhouse Effect
The Greenhouse Effect
(click image for bigger version)
(click image for bigger version)
Climate Change
Climate change is mainly caused by the result of fossil fuel burning (coal, Earth's oil, gas, natural gas). Those fuels produce CO2, the main greenhouse gas.
Greenhouse gases are naturally important for the life on Earth. Without them, we can not live as the Earth will be too cold. Nevertheless the excessive amount of those gases and the increase of global temperature make the climate become unstable, thus our health and global ecosystem will be in danger.
Human's activities have released more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, increasing the average global temperature and created climate change.
Most scientists agree that climate change is real and demand serious global action!
Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation and a significant emitter of greenhouse gases due to deforestation and land-use change (WRI, 2005). Indonesia consist of nearly two million square km of land, most of which is covered by forests. However deforestation and land-use change is estimated at 2 million hectares (ha) per year and accounts for 85% of the Indonesia's annual greenhouse gas emissions (WRI, 2002). Indonesia's forested land also supports extremely high levels of biodiversity, which in turn, support a diverse array of livelihoods and ecosystem services. The combination of high population density and high levels of biodiversity together with a staggering 80,000 km of coastline and 17,508 islands makes Indonesia one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change.
The evidence that the climate changes is happening; report Climate Change: Implications for Humans and Nature (2007):
Human's activities have released more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, increasing the average global temperature and created climate change.
Most scientists agree that climate change is real and demand serious global action!
Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation and a significant emitter of greenhouse gases due to deforestation and land-use change (WRI, 2005). Indonesia consist of nearly two million square km of land, most of which is covered by forests. However deforestation and land-use change is estimated at 2 million hectares (ha) per year and accounts for 85% of the Indonesia's annual greenhouse gas emissions (WRI, 2002). Indonesia's forested land also supports extremely high levels of biodiversity, which in turn, support a diverse array of livelihoods and ecosystem services. The combination of high population density and high levels of biodiversity together with a staggering 80,000 km of coastline and 17,508 islands makes Indonesia one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change.
The evidence that the climate changes is happening; report Climate Change: Implications for Humans and Nature (2007):
- Mean annual temperature has increased by about 0.3 derajat Celcius in Indonesia
- Change in the seasonality of precipitation; parts of Sumatra and Borneo may become 10% to 305 wetter by the 2080's during December-February; Jakarta is projected to become 5 to 15 % drier during June-August
- 30-day delay in the annual monsoon, 10% increase in rainfall later in the crop year (April-june), and up to 75% decrease in rainfall later in the dry season (July-September).
Threats to Biodiversity
Biodiversity is facing extinction
Global warming can cause the extinction of most of the valuable world ecosystem. Even wild life in conservation areas can't avoid this enormous threat.
Right now the world's coral reefs are in poor conditions. Coral reef is very sensitive to the heat. The increase of 1 C of the sea temperature can bleach the coral reefs and eventually they will die. The worst reef bleaching happened in 1998.
The report of WWF study, "Habitats at Risk: Global Warming and Species Loss in Terrestrial Ecosystem", found that with some assumptions on global warming in the future and its effects to some of main vegetation types, the species lost will happen in most significant eco-region on Earth.
That report examines the impacts of climate change in the terrestrial ecosystem that WWF identified as a part of Global 200 - areas which consist of the most unique and rich biodiversity on Earth. If the CO2 concentration level in the atmosphere in the next 100 years is multiplied by two from now, the real amount is actually smaller comparing to the prediction of the climate experts. These following impacts are predicted will happen:
Right now the world's coral reefs are in poor conditions. Coral reef is very sensitive to the heat. The increase of 1 C of the sea temperature can bleach the coral reefs and eventually they will die. The worst reef bleaching happened in 1998.
The report of WWF study, "Habitats at Risk: Global Warming and Species Loss in Terrestrial Ecosystem", found that with some assumptions on global warming in the future and its effects to some of main vegetation types, the species lost will happen in most significant eco-region on Earth.
That report examines the impacts of climate change in the terrestrial ecosystem that WWF identified as a part of Global 200 - areas which consist of the most unique and rich biodiversity on Earth. If the CO2 concentration level in the atmosphere in the next 100 years is multiplied by two from now, the real amount is actually smaller comparing to the prediction of the climate experts. These following impacts are predicted will happen:
- Up to 50% of Asia's total biodiversity is at risk
- 88% loss of coral reefs in Asia in the next 30 years because of warming sea-surface temperatures, sea level rise, and other added stresses
- Sea-level rise, increased extreme weather evens, warming temperatures, and changes in ocean circulation and salinity patterns impacting Indonesia's marine turtle populations
- More frequent forest fires having significant impacts on wildlife habitat and biodiversity and translating into serious economic and domestic and trans-boundary pollution consequences-the economic coats of the droughts and fires in 1997-1998 were about US$ billion
- Sea-level rise, reduced freshwater flows, and salt-water inrusion, in addition to the existing stresses primarily due to human activities threaten Indonesia's coastal mangroves
- More than 80% of the examined eco-region will suffer plant and animal extinction as a result of global warming
- Some of the richest natural ecosystem will lose more than 70% of its habitat, where plants and animals live in
- Many of the habitats will change 10 times faster than they should be, which cause species loss for those that can't emigrate or adapt with that change.
Threats to Human
We have to be alert!
Global warming will change the climate pattern in every part of the world; climate change will affect everyone everywhere. It will directly and indirectly affect the health of a human being.
The people who live in an arid area, coastal, flood area, or small island have greater risk of being affected by climate change. Social and economical systems tend to be fragile in developing countries because the unstable economy institutions. Greater population density in some parts of the globe has made some areas more fragile against the threats from storm, flood, and drought.
Extreme weather can cause many damage in farmland. Experts predict that there will be more storms, hurricanes, frozen dews, and heat waves. In the 1990s, there were 5 times more serious catastrophes than in the1950s.
Some of the climate changes that have happened and will happen in the near future are follows:
The sea level rise
Globally, sea level has risen between 4-10 inches during the last centuries. It is caused by the rapidly ice and geyser melting. 10 inches maybe not a big number, but remember that 2/3 of the Earth surface consists of water. Imagine if all of those parts rise 10 inches (25 cm)!
In 2002, warm temperature causes the biggest melting of the ice surface in Greenland. At the Kilimanjaro peak, geyser is predicted will be gone in 2002. On Himalayan mountains, Alps, and Alaska, thousands of geysers are decreasing rapidly.
Flood
Flood which is caused by the storm has affected average 46 millions people per years. Many of them live in developing countries.
Health
Human's health is facing threats during climate change. Warm and wet climate change means more mosquitoes spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
Infrastructure Damage
Physical infrastructure will be damaged, mainly because of the rise of sea level and extreme weather conditions.
Forest Fire
Hot weather and less rainfall could mean bigger catastrophe, which is forest fire. During 1997-1998, Indonesia experienced big forest fire caused by the change of nature's sign character El Nino that becomes more often.
Agriculture
In some places in the world, farmland was lush and fertile. But in the last few years, the rain is rare and comes at a wrong time. The farmers in all over the world may have to grow different plants that can survive in the new condition.
The shortage of clean water supply
At the Third World Water Forum, UNESCO reported that in the coming 2025 more than 2,5 billions people in the world or about 1/3 of the world population will face the clean water shortage. They predicted that about 12,000 km2 of the world water resources have been contaminated and if there aren't any restorations in the next 50 years, the contamination of the clean water resources will reach up to 18000 km2.
Unpredicted rainfall will lead to a water shortage in many places in the world. Decreasing geyser is also a threat to the clean water supply in some areas. In an area near Mediterranean, temperature can rise about 4oC in 2100 and rainfall is predicted to fall down up to 10-40%.
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The people who live in an arid area, coastal, flood area, or small island have greater risk of being affected by climate change. Social and economical systems tend to be fragile in developing countries because the unstable economy institutions. Greater population density in some parts of the globe has made some areas more fragile against the threats from storm, flood, and drought.
Extreme weather can cause many damage in farmland. Experts predict that there will be more storms, hurricanes, frozen dews, and heat waves. In the 1990s, there were 5 times more serious catastrophes than in the1950s.
Some of the climate changes that have happened and will happen in the near future are follows:
The sea level rise
Globally, sea level has risen between 4-10 inches during the last centuries. It is caused by the rapidly ice and geyser melting. 10 inches maybe not a big number, but remember that 2/3 of the Earth surface consists of water. Imagine if all of those parts rise 10 inches (25 cm)!
In 2002, warm temperature causes the biggest melting of the ice surface in Greenland. At the Kilimanjaro peak, geyser is predicted will be gone in 2002. On Himalayan mountains, Alps, and Alaska, thousands of geysers are decreasing rapidly.
Flood
Flood which is caused by the storm has affected average 46 millions people per years. Many of them live in developing countries.
Health
Human's health is facing threats during climate change. Warm and wet climate change means more mosquitoes spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
Infrastructure Damage
Physical infrastructure will be damaged, mainly because of the rise of sea level and extreme weather conditions.
Forest Fire
Hot weather and less rainfall could mean bigger catastrophe, which is forest fire. During 1997-1998, Indonesia experienced big forest fire caused by the change of nature's sign character El Nino that becomes more often.
Agriculture
In some places in the world, farmland was lush and fertile. But in the last few years, the rain is rare and comes at a wrong time. The farmers in all over the world may have to grow different plants that can survive in the new condition.
The shortage of clean water supply
At the Third World Water Forum, UNESCO reported that in the coming 2025 more than 2,5 billions people in the world or about 1/3 of the world population will face the clean water shortage. They predicted that about 12,000 km2 of the world water resources have been contaminated and if there aren't any restorations in the next 50 years, the contamination of the clean water resources will reach up to 18000 km2.
Unpredicted rainfall will lead to a water shortage in many places in the world. Decreasing geyser is also a threat to the clean water supply in some areas. In an area near Mediterranean, temperature can rise about 4oC in 2100 and rainfall is predicted to fall down up to 10-40%.
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Kebakaran Hutan
Banjir di Jakarta pada 2007