Feel the Burn

H2O Unit 3: CLIMATE CHANGE 
by SN

INTRODUCTION:
In this unit, my classmates and I have been studying climate change and how it effects the future of our planet. The safety zone for carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere is anything below 350 PPM (parts per million). Right now, as the amount of fossil fuels being used throughout the world is increasing, the CO2 level in our atmosphere has reached well over 400 parts per million. This means, the Carbon Cycle is off balance and there is more CO2 entering our atmosphere than being absorbed from it. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in our atmosphere and keeps it warm. The more greenhouses gases build up in our atmosphere, the warmer our planet becomes. When the balance is upset like this, climate change occurs, producing stronger storms, warmer temperatures, and melting glaciers.

For this Action Project, our assignment was to choose a city in a different part of the world and learn about the impact of climate change on its people, agriculture, and way of life. The city I chose to study was Osaka, Japan. The current climate (or temperature range) of Osaka, Japan is 32 degrees Fahrenheit minimum to 90 degrees Fahrenheit maximum. In Celsius, the range is 0 degrees minimum to 32.2 degrees maximum.

TEMPERATURE RANGE + CO2 LEVELS:

34   38   42  46   50  54   58   62  66   70   74  78   82   86  

32 F ←|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|→ 90 F

36 40   44   48   52  56 60 64 68   72   76   80  84   88

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CONVERTING FAHRENHEIT TO CELSIUS:

5/9 (32 - 32) = 0 

32 F = 0 Celsius minimum

5/9 (90 - 32) = 32.2 

90 F = 32.2 C minimum

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Based on my calculations, I predict the Earth’s CO2 level in 2100 will be 598.06 PPM. The amount of CO2 expanding each year is 2.34 PPM. 2100 is 83 years into the future. When you multiply 2.34 PPM/year by 83 years, you get 194.22 PPM. If you add that number with the amount of CO2 we have now (403.84 PPM), you get 598.06 PPM.

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CALCULATING THE CO2 LEVEL FOR YEAR 2100:

Current CO2 level = 403.84 PPM

2100 - 2017 = 83 years

83 years x 2.34 PPM/year = 194.22 PPM

403.84 PPM  + 194.22 PPM = 598.06 PPM

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Based on these calculations, the projected temperature range for Osaka, Japan in 2100 will be...

 ‘23       ‘29      ‘35       ‘41        ‘47      ‘53       ‘59       ‘65       ‘70      ‘76        ‘82       ‘88       ‘94

2017←-------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|-------→2100

(32 F- 90F)                                                                                                                                                           (67.6 F - 125.6 F)

Temperatures have been rising faster in Japan than they have anywhere else. Some of that difference is accounted for by the heat-island effect found in cities and dense urban areas. By 2100, temperatures are likely to increase by 2°C to 3°C (relative to a baseline average temperature between 1981 and 2000) — with summers getting wetter, and other seasons drier. (Japan Times, 2013)
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3 EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN OSAKA, JAPAN:

1. Availability of fresh water will decrease dramatically. Coastal areas, especially heavily populated regions, like Osaka, will be at greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea. (IPCC, 2007)

2. Cherry blossom flowering, a unique and beautiful time of year that draws many tourists and visitors, is beginning to arrive 2.2 days earlier per decade. Some cherry trees are not blooming after extremely warm winters, which indicates the limits to their adaptive capacity. (Japan Times, 2013)

3. The availability of seasonal vegetables and certain fish at particular times of the year has changed. Some species important to Japanese culture can not adapt and will certainly change. (Japan Times, 2013)

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CHANGES IN CLOUD TYPES:

As the Earth warms, clouds will increase and trigger even more warming by greenhouse gases. This is due to water vapor itself being a powerful greenhouse gas. This means the clouds will trap more heat than they will reflect back into space. Increased humidity leads to a change in the balance between heat-reflecting cumulus clouds and heat-trapping cirrus. This causes an increase in cumulus-type clouds and diminishing cirrus clouds. (Yale Environment 360, 2010)

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CALLS TO ACTION:

• Turn down the thermostat in the winter and use less air conditioning in the summer. This can save about one ton of carbon emissions per year. 
• Ride a bike or drive an electric car. 
• People can help biodiversity by leaving some wild areas in their gardens or planting wildflower mixes, and planting more trees to help absorb carbon. (Biello, 2017)
• Go vegetarian! 
• Switch to reusable water bottles, lunch bags, and glass food containers. 
• REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE! 

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CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, climate change will effect everyone differently depending on geographical location. As glaciers melt in the Andes, fresh water will become less accessible to those communities and farmers' crops will die. As sea levels rise, coastal cities like Osaka, Japan will become flooded and their drinking water will be contaminated with ocean water. Worst of all, as temperatures rise by 2.34 degrees F each year, many plants, animals, and cultures will become extinct by the year 2100. If we follow the "Calls to Action" above, we just might have a chance at slowing and, hopefully, reversing the tremendous effects of climate change.

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WORKS CITED

Biello, David. "10 Solutions for Climate Change." Scientific American. N.p., 26 Nov. 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2017.

Lemonick, Michael. “The Effect of Clouds on Climate: A Key Mystery for Researchers.” Yale Environment 360, 30 Aug. 2010, e360.yale.edu.

Hooper, Rowan. “Effects Will Become More Obvious As Japan's Climate Changes.” The Japan Times, 13 July 2013, www.japantimes.co.jp.

“Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report.” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, 2007, www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/syr/en/spms3.html#spm2.

Canva.com for graphic illustrations.

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