3d Draft - HOPE E-COURSE FOR CAREGIVERS

1.1.  What is climate change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns. Climate change is primarily caused by greenhouse gas emissions, resulting from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. Fossil fuels are by far the largest contributor to climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions blanket the earth and trap the sun’s heat. This leads to global warming and climate change, posing many risks to human beings and other forms of life.

 1.2  Causes of climate change

Important causes of climate change include:

• Generating power: Generating electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels causes a large part of global emissions. Globally, just a bit more than a quarter of electricity comes from wind, solar and other renewable sources.
•  Manufacturing goods: Manufacturing and industry produce emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels to produce energy for making cement, iron, steel, electronics, plastics, clothes and other goods. The manufacturing industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
• Cutting down forests: Cutting down forests, for instance to create farms or pastures, causes emissions, since trees, when they are cut, release the carbon they have been storing. Further, cutting trees limits nature’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide and keeping emissions out of the atmosphere.
• Using transportation: As most cars, trucks, ships and planes run on fossil fuels, transportation is a major contributor of greenhouse gases.
• Producing food: Producing food causes emissions of greenhouse gases in various ways, including through deforestation and clearing of land for agriculture and grazing, digestion by cows and sheep, the production and use of fertilizers and manure and the use of energy to run farm equipment or fishing boats.
• Powering buildings: Globally, residential and commercial buildings consume over half of all electricity. Growing energy demand for heating and cooling, with rising air-conditioner ownership, as well as increased electricity consumption for lighting, appliances and connected devices, have contributed to a rise in energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions from buildings in recent years.
• Consuming too much: A large part of global greenhouse gas emissions is caused by private households. Resident’s homes and their use of power, how much they move around, what they eat, how much they consume (clothing, electronics, plastics, etc.) and how much they throw away all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

 1.3  Effects of climate change

The main consequences of climate change include:

• Hotter temperatures: As a result of the rise in greenhouse gas concentrations, the global surface temperature rises also. Higher temperatures increase heat-related illnesses and make working outdoors more difficult. Further, wildfires start more easily and spread more rapidly.
• More severe storms: As temperatures rise, more moisture evaporates, which exacerbates extreme rainfall and flooding, causing more destructive storms. The frequency and extent of tropical storms is also affected by the warming ocean. Such storms often destroy homes and communities, causing deaths and huge economic losses.
•  Increased drought: Climate change exacerbates water shortages in already water-stressed regions and is leading to an increased risk of agricultural droughts affecting crops.
• A warming, rising ocean: The ocean soaks up most of the heat from global warming. As the ocean warms, its volume increases since water expands as it gets warmer. Melting ice sheets also cause sea levels to rise, threatening coastal and island communities.
• More health risks: Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. Climate impacts are already harming health, through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, etc. Changing weather patterns are expanding diseases, and extreme weather events increase deaths.

 1.4    Combatting climate change and its consequences

In a series of United Nations reports, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) point out that limiting global temperature rise to a maximum of 1.5° C would help avoid the worst climate impacts and maintain a livable climate. Yet current policies are supposed to lead to a 2.8° C temperature rise by the end of the century ().

Alongside actions to cut emissions, actions to adapt to climate impacts and to finance required adjustments are also needed. It is recognized that many climate solutions can deliver economic benefits while improving people’s lives and protecting the environment. There are also global frameworks and agreements to guide progress, an important one being the Sustainable Development Goals.

 1.5    Sustainable development goals

The Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call for action to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. These 17 Goals were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which sets out a plan to reach the Goals within 15 years. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.

Goal number 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. But all of the goals influence climate change – and vice versa. Little progress on climate action can be made without accelerating achievement of Goal 7 on affordable and clean energy, for instance, or Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production. Climate solutions can support the goals such as through a just transition to renewable energy centered on providing decent work, the focus of Goal 8, or through developing resilient infrastructure under Goal 9.

  

 

1.6  Climate adaptation

Everything that can be done to cut emissions and slow the pace of global warming should be done. Additionally, adaptation to climate consequences is needed, in order to protect people and communities.

There are many ways to adapt to climate change. Individuals can take some simple measures such as planting or preserving trees around their homes to keep temperatures cooler inside. Business owners can start thinking about and planning around possible climate risks, such as hot days that prevent workers from doing outside tasks. However, adaptation also needs to take place on a greater scale. For instance, roads and bridges need to be built to withstand higher temperatures and more powerful storms. Further, some cities on coastlines may have to establish systems to prevent flooding in streets and underground transport.

 Tasks:

Obligatory

Chapter 1 paragraph 1.1. of the WHO report Heat and health in the WHO European Region: updated evidence for effective prevention (2021).

 https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289055406

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change

 Other suggestions:

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/climate-adaptation?gclid=CjwKCAjwx_eiBhBGEiwA15gLN3DZSQCNfk121ICYdFUbgAjS9t5MAjK4BiirGC4teD6x_M4B6gibVBoCgsMQAvD_BwE

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/17-goals-to-transform-our-world

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/