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	Downloadable Online Resources Effects of Climate Change Climate Change Science ENFO Earth’s climate has always changed. In fact, it is only thanks to the influence of solar energy and a continual flux of atmospheric gases that life was ever able to evolve on the planet in the first place. Click to download Climate Change Impact ENFO The warming effect caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (See Climate Change Leaflet 1, Science) has already added the equivalent of around an extra 2.5 Watts per square metre to the planet’s energy budget. This is equivalent to around 1% of the current net incoming solar energy that the Earth receives day in, day out, year in, year out, on a continuous basis. Click to download Acid Rain ENFO Major changes have occurred in recent years in the plant and animal life of acid sensitive lakes and rivers, in many regions of the world, as a result of increased acidification. The problem was first described in Southern Norway at the beginning of this century when declining salmon populations were associated with increasing acidity in lakes and rivers. A significant source of this increased acidity was found to be "acid rain" or polluted rainfall. Click to download Factsheet - Effects of climate change on arctic migratory birds WWF During the summer many bird species migrate northwards to nest in arctic regions. The Arctic is expected to undergo extreme and relatively rapid changes as a result of climate change. This could impact on bird species that use the region for nesting purposes. However, birds are extremely mobile creatures and can move over large areas during a short period of time. Click to download Factsheet - Effects of climate change on arctic fish WWF The Arctic is home to several of the world’s largest fish stocks that support valuable commercial fisheries. The vast stocks of Pacific salmon along the costs of Alaska and Canada are well-known from pictures of bears fishing for salmon in fast-flowing rivers. Salmon is also an extremely valuable species of fish in both North America and Russia. Another well-known arctic species is Atlantic cod. Click to download Factsheet - Effects of climate change on arctic vegetation WWF Biological processes in the Arctic are considerably hampered by temperature and permafrost. Generally arctic ecosystems lack nutrients because the large quantities of organic materials in the soil are located in the thick layer of permafrost. The soil from which the plants obtain their nutrients for growth is thin, and most plant species are therefore limited to the nutrients available in this thin layer of soil. Click to download Factsheet - Effects of climate change on polar bears WWF The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the world’s largest species of bear and the largest land predator. There is a great difference in size between male and female polar bears, with the males (350-800 kg) weighing more than twice as much as the females (150-300 kg). Their body weight varies considerably during the season - especially female bears which can often double in weight between early spring and late summer. Click to download Defending Nature Against Climate Change WWF The climate models are no longer just projecting the future – they are confi rming impacts of climate change here and now. These are not abstract changes either. They are changes that we can see in our everyday lives and that threaten the success of WWF’s conservation mission. Click to download Climate Solutions: WWF's Vision for 2050 WWF Climate Solutions: WWF’s Vision for 2050, a report by the global conservation organization, shows that the world has more than enough sustainable energy and technology to curb climate change, but key decisions need to be made now. Click to download 2°C - Too High! Flyer WWF Isn't a 2° Celsius just a little temperature increase? Not really. Remember, the doctor said you were very ill when your temperature rose by a degree or two during a fever. Similarly, if the earth becomes hotter by 2°C (compared to preindustrial levels), ecosystems, food crops and livestock will not be able to survive. Click to download 2°C - Too High! Preventing Dangerous Climate Change WWF Climate change is already happenning and the Pacific is experiencing its devastating impacts. The 1998 El Nino caused a loss of FJD104m in Fiji's sugar industry and a 9% decline in Palau’s tourism earnings. Scientists warn that action must be taken, before the year 2050, to prevent climate change reaching dangerous levels, by limiting global temperature increase to well below 2° Celsius. Click to download Tackling Climate Injustice: towards an equitable response to a global crisis Trocaire 2008 Climate change is an issue of profound injustice, as it is the people around the world who have contributed least to creating the problem, who are being disproportionately affected by the impacts. The impacts of unpredictable rainfall, increasing droughts, floods and hurricanes are already being felt across the developing world, and the poorest people in these countries are being hit the hardest. In order to tackle poverty it is necessary to tackle climate change. This means addressing both the causes and the consequences of climate change in an equitable way. Click to download Back to list of content
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