Adaptation

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 466.

The list of things we need to think about which will be affected by climate change is endless. In this section we give you a few examples of how we will need to change the way we live in order to cope with changes to our climate.

The regular use of renewable energy is becoming increasingly popular. Have a look at the possibilities for alternative energy sources, including solar power, wind power, geothermal, water power and even nuclear energy.

What else can you do to help adapt to climate change and what can you do to help slow it down? There are many things we can all do at home. There are a host of ideas.

The buildings we live and work in could be very different in the future if our climate does change as predicted. Changes in the weather, such as with rainfall, wind and the frequency of storms will affect the way our homes and offices are designed and constructed.

The kind of differences we are likely to need can be seen by comparing homes in southern England with those in northern Scotland. The weather experienced in the north of the UK includes more precipitation and stronger and more frequent winds - the buildings in Scotland are built with this in mind and are able to stand up to more severe weather. The drainage of roofs will need looking at.

'At the moment buildings and roofs are designed to shed water as quickly as possible. Maybe to avoid more flooding, it would be best if buildings retain water, perhaps by an increase in roof gardens which would absorb some of the precipitation.'However, these can be quite expensive.

Policies. Bonn Conference.

In 1997 the Kyoto treaty was set-up to consider what can be done to reduce Global warming. The treaty was established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) involving most world countries with the exception of America.
Almost one decade later, as the scientific understanding of climate change and its likely impacts becomes clearer, a number of nations have approved an addition to the treaty the Kyoto Protocol, in order to standardise a number of more powerful and legally binding measures.
In May 2006 the Bonn Conference saw delegates from 165 countries meet to discuss how to further strengthen international cooperation to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases and to respond to climate change impacts.
Much emphasis has been put on the promotion of economic incentives to promote action to reduce emissions - for both industrialized and developing countries.
The wide-ranging presentations of possible approaches included incentives for developing countries to mitigate climate change, ensuring cooperation on research and development and the transfer of cleaner technologies. Delegates expressed strong support for the role of the carbon market and the need to find new ways to involve the private sector in climate protection.
The Conference also highlighted issues faced by less industrialised countries who also face problems related to climate change. In Canada's Arctic region, the changes noted by the Inuit community - such as melting permafrost, changes in sea ice and the arrival of new migratory animal species - has raised the need to address adaptation measures.
It is crucial that such measures are introduced if we are to cope with Global warming. The latest evidence collated by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the global average temperature will rise by between 1.5C and 4.5C if human activities double the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
Fortunately talks on Climate Change between the 165 countries involved are set to continue until at least 2012 when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol ends.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/

· Answer the questions:

1. What do we understand under the term ‘change of climate'?

2. What should be given careful thought and attention as far as climate change is concerned?

3. What effect will change of climate bring about?

4. How can we slow down the process of climate change?

5. What is being done on the governmental level? What are the organizations and settlements that respond to the problem of climate change?

· Find a word or phrase in the article, similar in meaning to:

1. to change in some way

2. to cause an serious problem or danger

3. to produce, to think of an idea

4. a statement saying that something is going to happen

5. able to be replaced by natural processes so that it is never used up

6. to remain in good condition after a bad situation, to confront

7. to start business or organization

8. probable, almost definite effect that an event or situation has

9. motivation, encouragement

10. to make a situation or the effects of smth less unpleasant, harmful or serious

11. to do smth to be certain of a particular result

12. to bring in or forward official actions that are intended to deal with a problem

• Summarize the text.
• Retell the text.

· Write a composition on the theme “Problems caused by a climate change” (250-300 words).

Points to cover:

- factors that influence the climate change

- both positive and negative effects of the climate change on your country or on any part of the world

- most natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, etc) are considered to be a result of the climate change; damage caused by them

- measures to be taken to prevent the change of the climate and natural disasters