Chapter 1
Climate Change and Low-Carbon Society:
Coping with Uncertainty
Weisheng Zhou
Abstract The rise and fall of ancient civilizations and the transition of world cities
are inextricably linked to climate change. Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations had already exceeded 420 ppm in 2019, and in recent years, there has
been an increased frequency in abnormal weather alongside rising temperatures.
Developing countries have exposed their weaknesses in response to extreme weather
events. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that the
probability of a temperature rise is more than 95% likely. However, climate change
issues are always faced with uncertainties in terms of causality, impact level, and the
cost and effectiveness of countermeasures. Human beings implement sustainable
measures and proceed with international cooperation when dealing with uncertainty.
The realization of a wide-area, low-carbon society that transcends national borders is
indispensable and offers benefits beyond the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, for broader human society.
1.1 Introduction
Most ancient civilizations in the world have experienced the process of formation,
development, and decline; oftentimes, the causes underpinning formation and
decline remain a mystery. Researchers usually use political, economic, and social
changes to explain as causes. In recent decades, the accuracy of chronological dating
across many countries around the world has improved. With this technology,
research into the Holocene (the current geological epoch, beginning approximately
11,700 ca. years before the present) has enabled progress in higher-resolution
climate change research and the origin and decline of ancient civilizations.
The relatively accurate textual research, the continued deeper understanding of the
Holocene climate mutation phenomenon, and the role of climate mutation in the
formation and decline of ancient civilizations have attracted greater attention from
W. Zhou (*)
College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
e-mail: zhou@sps.ritsumei.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
W. Zhou et al. (eds.), East Asian Low-Carbon Community,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4339-9_1
3
Climate Change and Low-Carbon Society:
Coping with Uncertainty
Weisheng Zhou
Abstract The rise and fall of ancient civilizations and the transition of world cities
are inextricably linked to climate change. Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations had already exceeded 420 ppm in 2019, and in recent years, there has
been an increased frequency in abnormal weather alongside rising temperatures.
Developing countries have exposed their weaknesses in response to extreme weather
events. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that the
probability of a temperature rise is more than 95% likely. However, climate change
issues are always faced with uncertainties in terms of causality, impact level, and the
cost and effectiveness of countermeasures. Human beings implement sustainable
measures and proceed with international cooperation when dealing with uncertainty.
The realization of a wide-area, low-carbon society that transcends national borders is
indispensable and offers benefits beyond the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, for broader human society.
1.1 Introduction
Most ancient civilizations in the world have experienced the process of formation,
development, and decline; oftentimes, the causes underpinning formation and
decline remain a mystery. Researchers usually use political, economic, and social
changes to explain as causes. In recent decades, the accuracy of chronological dating
across many countries around the world has improved. With this technology,
research into the Holocene (the current geological epoch, beginning approximately
11,700 ca. years before the present) has enabled progress in higher-resolution
climate change research and the origin and decline of ancient civilizations.
The relatively accurate textual research, the continued deeper understanding of the
Holocene climate mutation phenomenon, and the role of climate mutation in the
formation and decline of ancient civilizations have attracted greater attention from
W. Zhou (*)
College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
e-mail: zhou@sps.ritsumei.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
W. Zhou et al. (eds.), East Asian Low-Carbon Community,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4339-9_1
3