Climate change : briefings from Southern Africa /
Climate change affects us all, but it can be a confusing business. In this book, three scientists with several decades of experience in assessing the potential effects of climate change for the southern African region share their insights. Complex issues are dealt with in plain language, without ove...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Johannesburg :
Wits University Press,
2015.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | CONNECT CONNECT CONNECT |
Table of Contents:
- Front Cover ; Title Page ; Copyright Page; Acknowledgements; Table of Contents; Foreword; Acronyms and abbreviations; Preface; How do governments assess climate change?; Sidebar: Climate change sceptics and scientific reasoning; Section 1: Earth system science:The processes that underlie climate change; Introduction ; 1. Why is Earth habitable?; Sidebar: Heat radiation; 2. How do greenhouse gases regulate Earth's temperature?; 3. Is water vapour the most important greenhouse gas?; 4. Why are clouds the wild card in climate change?; 5. Is climate change just part of a long-term natural cycle?
- Sidebar: Milankovic cycles6. Are climate variations just due to volcanoes or other Earth processes? ; 7. How do El Niño and La Niña events affect South African weather?; 8. How hot might it get in South Africa this century?; 9. How might the rainfall in Southern Africa change in the twenty-fi rst century?; 10. Are extreme weather events related to climate change?; 11. How do land-use changes and deforestation affect global warming?; 12. What is South Africa's contribution to global warming? ; 13. What happens to carbon dioxide emissions?
- 14. Can ecosystems keep sucking up carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning?15. Could ocean currents slow down or change direction?; 16. Is there any chance of runaway global warming?; Section 2: Consequences of a changing climate for the Southern African environment; Introduction; 1. How resilient are ecosystems to climate change? ; 2. How will South Africa's plants respond to climate change? ; 3. Could rising carbon dioxide concentrations boost plant growth? ; 4. Is bush encroachment caused by global change? ; 5. Will South Africa's land animals cope with climate change?
- 6. Are South Africa's birds taking flight?7. Will South Africa run out of water?; 8. How will climate change affect freshwater ecosystems? ; 9. How much, and how fast, will sea level rise?; 10. What is ocean acidification?; Sidebar: The chemistry of ocean acidifi cation and calcification; 11. How will ocean acidification affect marine organisms? ; 12. How is climate change affecting South Africa's coastal seas? ; 13. How is our marine life responding to climate change?; Sidebar: Is the African penguin a victim of climate change?; 14. Will coral reefs survive climate change?
- 15. Are South Africa's Prince Edward Islands vulnerable to climate change?16. How are Antarctica and the Southern Ocean responding to climate change? ; Sidebar: Why is South Africa so involved in Antarctica?; Section 3: Consequences of a changing climate for society; Introduction; 1. Is the South African economy vulnerable to climate change? ; 2. How will climate change affect agriculture?; 3. Will there be enough food to eat?; 4. Do cow farts really cause global warming? ; 5. How will forestry in South Africa respond to climate change?
