Climate Change

Culture Contributes to Perceptions of Climate Change

by Werner Krauss

with Hans von Storch, 2006, Nieman Reports, Vol. 59, No.4, pp 30-35

Localizing Climate Change: A Multi-Sited Approach

by Werner Krauss

Falzon, Marc (ed) Multi-Sited Ethnography Ashgate Publishers, 2009, pp 149-165
DRAFT ONLY Falzon, Marc (ed) Multi-Sited Ethnography Ashgate Publishers, 2009, pp 149-165
DRAFT ONLY

Fingerprint, Bellwether, Model Event: Climate Change as Anthropology per se

by Jerome Whitington

This paper discusses three figures of climate anticipation in order to show that climate change poses the problem of... more This paper discusses three figures of climate anticipation in order to show that climate change poses the problem of anthropology per se, that is, the planet with respect to anthropos.

Refining REDD+ in Indonesia: Policy Recommendations for Increasing Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity

by Rahardhika Arista Utama

Created as part of the 2012 Jackson School for International Studies SIS 495: Task force. Celia Lowe, Suraya Afiff Task Force Advisors; Henry Apfel Coordinator.

Indonesia is the third largest green house gas emitter in the world with much of these emissions attributed to large... more Indonesia is the third largest green house gas emitter in the world with much of these emissions attributed to large scale deforestation. The government has recognized the role that deforestation is playing in contributing to the effects of climate change, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has already committed to unilaterally reducing Indonesia’s emissions. Toward this effort, Indonesia has championed its involvement in the United Nations program on Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enchancing forest carbon stocksm or REDD+. The REDD+ program in Indonesia is designed to reduce emissions by aligning development and market incentives with environmental protection. If REDD+ is successfully implemented, Indonesia’s vast tropical forests will qualify for carbon crediting, drawing funds from international investors to offset the costs of preservation. In the long term, these carbon markets could provide Indonesia with a valuable source of income, however at present, Indonesia is still laying the groundwork for REDD+.

Should we assess climate model predictions in light of severe tests?

by Joel Katzav

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 92(23), p. 195.

Hybrid models, climate models and inference to the best explanation

by Joel Katzav

Katzav, J. (2012) 'Hybrid models, climate models and inference to the best explanation',British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, doi: 10.1093/bjps/axs002.

I examine the warrants we have in light of the empirical successes of a kind of model I call ‘hybrid models’, a kind... more I examine the warrants we have in light of the empirical successes of a kind of model I call ‘hybrid models’, a kind that includes climate models among its members. I argue that these warrants’ strengths depend on inferential virtues that are not just explanatory virtues, contrary to what would be the case if inference to the best explanation (IBE) provided the warrants. I also argue that the warrants in question, unlike those IBE provides, guide inferences only to model implications about which there is real uncertainty. My conclusion provides criteria of adequacy for epistemologies of climate and other hybrid models.

Women Empowerment for Sustainable by M.Khan

by Mohsin Khan

Russian renewable energy: the potential for international cooperation

by Indra Overland

Reducing Energy Subsidies in China, India and Russia: Dilemmas for Decision Makers

by Indra Overland

Thackeray, J. F. and Reynolds, S. (1997). Variability in Plio-Pleistocene climates, habitats, and ungulate biomass in southern Africa. South African Journal of Science Volume 93: 171-172.

by Sally Reynolds

Vrba and deMenocal and Bloemendal have emphasised the importance of climatic change, particularly temperature, in the... more Vrba and deMenocal and Bloemendal have emphasised the importance of climatic change, particularly temperature, in the context of evolution on the African continent within the past 5 million years. There is no doubt that long-term changes in climate would have affected African habitats, which in turn would have affected the distribution and abundance of populations of various mammalian taxa, including ungulates and hominids. In this study we explore relationships between oxygen isotope ratios (as determined from Shackleton's analysis of foraminfera from deep-sea cores), and estimates of ungulate biomass as determined from faunal assemblages from Plio-Pleistocene sites in southern
Africa, using an approach outlined previously. We go further to assess temporal variability in ungulate biomass in terms of changes in habitat, gene pools and hominid evolution.

Climate Policy Integration, Coherence and Governance

by Hugo Reinert

2009. Co-authored with Per Mickwitz (lead author), Francisco Aix, Silke Beck, David Carss, Nils Ferrand, Christoph Görg, Anne Jensen, Paula Kivimaa, Christian Kuhlicke, Wiebren Kuindersma, María Máñez, Matti Melanen, Suvi Monni, Anders Branth Pedersen and Séverine van Bommel.

It is becoming evident that if societies are going to tackle climate change, significant changes in production... more It is becoming evident that if societies are going to tackle climate change, significant changes in production processes as well as consumption patterns will be required. These changes cannot be achieved unless climate change is taken into account in the general and sector-specific policies essential for economic activities and general social development. In this report the degree of climate policy integration in different European countries, policy sectors and, in some cases, regions and municipalities is assessed. In addition, measures and means to enhance climate policy integration and improve policy coherence are analysed.

This report shows that the inclusion of climate change mitigation and adaptation in general governmental programmes and strategies has substantially increased in recent years. Much more will be needed than hitherto, however, in terms of integrating climate into specific measures. Annual budgets, impact assessments and spatial planning are three examples of existing measures with significant potential to be climate policy instruments. In order to be efficient, the integration of both mitigation and adaptation aims would in the future need to recognize the interconnections between multiple governance levels, from the local to the international.

Climate Change: Why and how should we care?

by Sharachchandra (Sharad) Lele

published in Teacher's Plus, Sustainability Special, 2011

„Hacktivism“? Online-Medien und Social Media als Instrumente der Klimakommunikation zivilgesellschaftlicher Akteure

by Mike S. Schäfer

in: Forschungsjournal Neue Soziale Bewegungen. 25/2. 68-77.

“Hacktivism”? Online media and social media as instruments of climate communication by civil society actors  (FJ... more “Hacktivism”? Online media and social media as instruments of climate communication by civil society actors  (FJ SB 2/2012, pp. 70-79)

Climate change and climate policy are not immediately perceptible by many people; they learn about these topics through the media. Online media and social media take an increasingly important part in this. Especially for NGOs, who often lack in resources, the cost-effectiveness and variety of communication possibilities offered by online and social media makes them central instruments for mobilising public opinion. The article provides an overview of the internet strategies of climate-focused NGOs. It distinguishes between three patterns of communication: information strategies through which environmental and climate NGOs present themselves, their goals and activities; activation strategies geared towards moving sympathisers to support and decision-makers to change their stance; and networking strategies by which NGOs link to one another or with activists at grassroots level. It becomes clear that climate NGOs employ a vast palette of different strategies, but many restrain themselves to mere information strategies, thereby neglecting more persuasive and mobilising methods of online communication, for example in social media.

Bohr and Dill - Who Benefits from Carbon Mitigation

by Jeremiah Bohr

Trends in reference crop evapotranspiration over Iran

by Ercan Kahya

- Co-authored with Y. Dinpashoh, J. Deepak, A. Fakheri-Fard, and V.P. Singh
- Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 399, 422–433, 2011.

This study examined the trends in reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) on monthly and annual time scales in Iran.... more This study examined the trends in reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) on monthly and annual time scales in Iran. ET0 was estimated using the globally accepted Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Penman Monteith method (FAO-56 PM) over the 16 weather stations located in the different regions of Iran. The trends in ET0 were detected by using the Mann–Kendall (MK) test after the removal of the significant lag-1 serial correlation effect from all the ET0 time series by pre-whitening. The slopes of trend lines were computed using the Theil–Sen’s slope estimator. The spatial and temporal homogeneity of trends were tested as well. The multiple regression analysis was performed in each time series of the gov- erning meteorological variables to identify the cause of observed trends in ET0. Results showed that both statistically significant increasing and decreasing trends were observed in the annual and monthly ET0. The increasing trends in ET0 were more pronounced than the decreasing trends. In annual time scale, the strong positive (negative) trend in ET0 over Iran of the magnitude of about 186 (􏰔65) mm/year per decade was observed. In monthly time scale there was greater number of increasing trends than that of the decreasing trends in most of the warm months. The most strong positive (negative) trend magni- tude was found in April (July) with Theil–Sen’s slope equal to 14 (􏰔8.7) mm/year per decade. The results of homogeneity test indicated no homogeneity in ET0 trends between the stations and months when the entire study domain is considered. Wind speed was found to be the most dominant variable influencing ET0 in all the months except the winter months in Iran.

Keywords: Evapotranspiration, Iran, Mann–Kendall, Theil–Sen’s estimator

Trend analysis in Turkish precipitation data

by Ercan Kahya

- Co-authored with T. Partal,
- Published in Hydrological Processes, Vol. 20, No 9, 2011-2026, 2006.

This study aims to determine trends in the long-term annual mean and monthly total precipitation series using non-... more This study aims to determine trends in the long-term annual mean and monthly total precipitation series using non- parametric methods (i.e. the Mann–Kendall and Sen’s T tests). The change per unit time in a time series having a linear trend was estimated by applying a simple non-parametric procedure, namely Sen’s estimator of slope. Serial correlation structure in the data was accounted for determining the significance level of the results of the Mann–Kendall test. The data network used in this study, which is assumed to reflect regional hydroclimatic conditions, consists of 96 precipitation stations across Turkey. Monthly totals and annual means of the monthly totals are formed for each individual station, spanning from 1929 to 1993. In this case, a total of 13 precipitation variables at each station are subjected to trend detection analysis. In addition, regional average precipitation series are established for the same analysis purpose. The application of a trend detection framework resulted in the identification of some significant trends, especially in January, February, and September precipitations and in the annual means. A noticeable decrease in the annual mean precipitation was observed mostly in western and southern Turkey, as well as along the coasts of the Black Sea. Regional average series also displayed trends similar to those for individual stations.

KEY WORDS: precipitation; Mann–Kendall; Sen’s T; trend analysis; Turkey

Trend analysis of streamflow in Turkey

by Ercan Kahya

- Co-authored with S. Kalaycı,
- Published in Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 289, 128-144, 2004.

This paper presents trends computed for the 31-year period of monthly streamflows obtained from 26 basins over Turkey.... more This paper presents trends computed for the 31-year period of monthly streamflows obtained from 26 basins over Turkey. Four non-parametric trend tests (the Sen’s T, the Spearman’s Rho, the Mann-Kendall, and the Seasonal Kendall which are known as appropriate tools in detecting linear trends of a hydrological time series) are adapted in this study. Moreover, the Van Belle and Hughes’ basin wide trend test is included in the analysis for the same purpose. Homogeneity of trends in monthly streamflows is also tested using a procedure developed by Van Belle and Hughes. Thus, this study includes a complete application of both the Van Belle and Hughes’ tests for homogeneity of trends and basin wide trend (originally developed for trend detection in water quality data) on a hydroclimatic variable. As a result, basins located in western Turkey, in general, exhibit downward trend, significant at the 0.05 or lower level, whereas basins located in eastern Turkey show no trend. In most cases, the first four tests provide the same conclusion about trend existence. Use of the Seasonal Kendall, which involves a single overall statistic rather than one statistic for each season, is justified by the homogeneity of trend test. Moreover, some basins located in southern Turkey exhibit a global trend, implying the homogeneity of trends in seasons and stations together, based on the Van Belle and Hughes’ basin wide trend test.

Keywords: Climate change; Mann-Kendall test; Non-parametric tests; Streamflow variability; Trend analysis; Turkey

Critical Nursing Theory for Sustainability and Climate Change

by Benny Goodman

Climate change is a grave threat to human health this century and has been recognized as such by healthcare... more Climate change is a grave threat to human health this century and has been recognized as such by healthcare organisations. Sustainability is now a public policy directive and is supported by national legislation in the UK. However, modern consumer capitalism encourages high carbon and unsustainable lifestyles and has negative health impacts. A barrier to changing behaviour and adopting low carbon lifestyles is a dominant philosophical understanding (dualism and anthropocentrism) of our relationship to the planet and to nature. A good deal of Nursing theory implicitly assumes an uncritical stance towards these ideas and to consumer capitalism and needs to address this explicitly if nurses are to join in more force to address the grave threats to human health.

Local Surface Water Policy Under Conditions of Climate Change

by Elizabeth Brabec

Cambio Climático y Propiedad Intelectual

by Luis Gil Abinader

WTO Chair FLACSO Argentina, Forthcoming 2012

This brief examines the link between the climate debt generated by the asymmetric exhaustion of the atmospheric... more This brief examines the link between the climate debt generated by the asymmetric exhaustion of the atmospheric absorption capacity, the transfer of technology, and intellectual property. It analyzes the international regime, and considers the uncertainties surrounding the role of IP in regards to the access of environmentally sound technologies in developing countries. Therefore, it formulates strategies to develop public policies that acknowledge all these factors.