• Forecasting exact impacts to health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife
and coastal areas in regional basis is difficult.
• There is also uncertainty in quantifying the exact magnitude and extent of adverse
effects, projecting magnitude of sea level rise.
• Quantifying the indirect effects of aerosol particles to the earth’s energy balance
(i.e., cloud formation and its radiative properties, precipitation efficiencies).
Adaptation/mitigation for the effects of climate change is necessary because
evidence shows it is too late for complete prevention. The responsible thing to do
is to start preparing now.
Climate change has become a contentious political issue, which is unfortunate if
only because it distracts society and our policy makers from necessary discussions
and decisions about how to respond to the impacts of climate change on our
communities.
Over a full century has passed since the beginning of climate science; climate
science is older than the atom bomb, the discovery of penicillin, trans-Atlantic jet
flights, digital computers, and moon rockets. Since 1827, our understanding and
certainty of the earth warming is a proven result of human activities.
But, as always, we must try and separate the science we know from the policy we
must create. Perhaps the solution to climate change will be something environmentalists hate. If that’s our best bet, so be it. But whatever bet we make on our future in
terms of climate action, it must truly be our best and our most informed. Pretending
climate science hasn’t been saying much the same thing for a long, long time now is
nothing more than wishful thinking.
Glossary
Aerosol
(a) A small droplet or particle suspended in the atmosphere, typically
containing sulfur. Aerosols are emitted naturally (e.g., in volcanic eruptions)
and as the result of human activities (e.g., by burning fossil fuels). There is no
connection between particulate aerosols and pressurized products also called
aerosols. (b) A product that relies on a pressurized gas to propel substances out
of a container. Consumer aerosol products in the USA have not used ozonedepleting substances (ODS) since the late 1970s because of voluntary
switching followed by federal regulation. The Clean Air Act and the US
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations further restricted
the use of ODS for non-consumer products. All consumer products, and
most other aerosol products, now use propellants that do not deplete the
ozone layer, such as hydrocarbons and compressed gases. (c) Aerosols are
fine solid or liquid particles, caused by people or occurring naturally, that are
suspended in the atmosphere. Aerosols can cause cooling by scattering
incoming radiation or by affecting cloud cover. Aerosols can also cause
warming by absorbing radiation. (d) Small particles or liquid droplets in the
atmosphere that can absorb or reflect sunlight depending on their composition.
Air pollution
The addition into natural air of harmful or objectionable substances or extreme
energy (heat, chill, noise, radioactivity) in large enough quantities to adversely
affect the natural air’s usefulness.
24
L. K. Wang et al.
and coastal areas in regional basis is difficult.
• There is also uncertainty in quantifying the exact magnitude and extent of adverse
effects, projecting magnitude of sea level rise.
• Quantifying the indirect effects of aerosol particles to the earth’s energy balance
(i.e., cloud formation and its radiative properties, precipitation efficiencies).
Adaptation/mitigation for the effects of climate change is necessary because
evidence shows it is too late for complete prevention. The responsible thing to do
is to start preparing now.
Climate change has become a contentious political issue, which is unfortunate if
only because it distracts society and our policy makers from necessary discussions
and decisions about how to respond to the impacts of climate change on our
communities.
Over a full century has passed since the beginning of climate science; climate
science is older than the atom bomb, the discovery of penicillin, trans-Atlantic jet
flights, digital computers, and moon rockets. Since 1827, our understanding and
certainty of the earth warming is a proven result of human activities.
But, as always, we must try and separate the science we know from the policy we
must create. Perhaps the solution to climate change will be something environmentalists hate. If that’s our best bet, so be it. But whatever bet we make on our future in
terms of climate action, it must truly be our best and our most informed. Pretending
climate science hasn’t been saying much the same thing for a long, long time now is
nothing more than wishful thinking.
Glossary
Aerosol
(a) A small droplet or particle suspended in the atmosphere, typically
containing sulfur. Aerosols are emitted naturally (e.g., in volcanic eruptions)
and as the result of human activities (e.g., by burning fossil fuels). There is no
connection between particulate aerosols and pressurized products also called
aerosols. (b) A product that relies on a pressurized gas to propel substances out
of a container. Consumer aerosol products in the USA have not used ozonedepleting substances (ODS) since the late 1970s because of voluntary
switching followed by federal regulation. The Clean Air Act and the US
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations further restricted
the use of ODS for non-consumer products. All consumer products, and
most other aerosol products, now use propellants that do not deplete the
ozone layer, such as hydrocarbons and compressed gases. (c) Aerosols are
fine solid or liquid particles, caused by people or occurring naturally, that are
suspended in the atmosphere. Aerosols can cause cooling by scattering
incoming radiation or by affecting cloud cover. Aerosols can also cause
warming by absorbing radiation. (d) Small particles or liquid droplets in the
atmosphere that can absorb or reflect sunlight depending on their composition.
Air pollution
The addition into natural air of harmful or objectionable substances or extreme
energy (heat, chill, noise, radioactivity) in large enough quantities to adversely
affect the natural air’s usefulness.
24
L. K. Wang et al.