This is a project I did for my speech class, it is about the environmental impacts that eating meat one less day a week can have on the world! I challenge you to try it! It is a simple task and a new experience! Open the Presentation and check it out!
National Reports:
Due to the fact that both Greenland and Antarctica are unavailable in the most recent UNFCC reports unfortunately i will be using Iceland as my example. In Iceland “The most notable exception is the National Power Company (Landsvirkjun) but the likely impacts of expected climate change are taken fully into account in their operational strategies and investment planning.” They are considering moving this due to sea level rises in order to sustain their energy in the country. Along with moving many harbors due to the sea level rise. Though the exact rise is not know at the moment therefore they are waiting to see what is needed.
Impacts, Adaptions and Vulnerability:
Adaption:
In the Arctic the biggest issue they face in the upcoming years in their population is the indigenous population being further displaced. The report talks about the great resilience that the populations have and how everyone is working together to make the best of the situation. It is quite sad that these indigenous ways are being disrupted yet comforting that the transitions and adjustments that need to occur are doing so relatively smoothly.
Mitigation:
As for the Kyoto Protocol the current IPCC does not list Greenland. However, once again it talks about Iceland and how it is still a member of the protocol. Iceland created a carbon tax in 2009 in order to cut carbon emissions. The changed the goal to “A new climate change strategy was adopted by the government in 2007, setting the goal of cutting emissions by 50-75% by 2050. The government recently announced its intention to participate in a joint effort with the European Union to cut emissions by 30% in 2020, compared to 1990 levels, in the context of a robust new international climate agreement.” The only visible change in policy is the carbon tax. Other than this they are confident that they will be able to reduce their emissions by 2050. They are actively working towards less emissions and are aware of the rise their emissions have taken in the past few years.
Efforts toward Mitigating:
Greenland unlike its landscape lives quite a green life. This country is thoroughly invested in renewable energy they use, wind, hydro, tidal, hydrogen plants to store energy and geothermal! They are actively looking to expand and make the best out of all the natural resources and potential energy that they have now and could have in the near future.
| Resource | Value | Units | Rank | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind Potential | 151,028 | Area(km²) Class 3-7 Wind at 50m | 12 | 1990 | NREL |
| Solar Potential | 4,094,804,147 | MWh/year | 24 | 2008 | NREL |
| Coal Reserves | 201.72 | Million Short Tons | 50 | 2008 | EIA |
| Natural Gas Reserves | 0 | Cubic Meters (cu m) | 174 | 2010 | CIA World Factbook |
| Oil Reserves | Unavailable | Barrels (bbl) | N/A | 2010 | CIA World Factbook |
What do I think?
I think that Greenland needs to bot adapt and mitigate for climate change. They should not wait for the rest of the world to take the lead. They are making huge progress in the renewable resources area along with future planning of potential disasters that can occur with sea level rise. They must do their best to prevent from also contributing to climate change, while at the same time prepare for the worst, because the worst it likely to happen.
In the 2007 I.P.C.C. report, they talk about the polar regions along with Greenland and the issues they will face with the impending climate change. The largest issue they face is ice melt, and thinning ice throughout the polar region and specifically in Greenland they will face the positive NAM/NAO phase that is associated with warmer and drier winters in western regions of the country. Scientists are still trying to determine how the Arctic Ocean Circulation will be affected by the temperature rise, but this would be devastating for the world. The polar will also be a large contributor to its own warming once it melts because the once reflective surface will now be able to adsorb more heat from the sun, increasing the issues at hand. Also, a very important factor is that warming is projected to be largest in winter and smallest in summer in the polar regions. Which means year round there will be more annual ice melt.
Under the impacts, adaption, and vulnerability section of the 2007 I.P.C.C. report for the polar regions talked about the main things global warming can cause in the polar regions they said that “In the Polar Regions, the main projected biophysical effects are reductions in thickness and extent of glaciers and ice sheets, and changes in natural ecosystems with detrimental effects on many organisms including migratory birds, mammals and higher predators. In the Arctic, additional impacts include reductions in the extent of sea ice and permafrost, increased coastal erosion, and an increase in the depth of permafrost seasonal thawing (IPCC 2007).” As for the impact on humans it will displace people due to the ice melt and sea level rise which can affect some of the usual indigenous ways. Though one benefit they speak of is that the ice melt will allow more navigable northern sea routes. The key risk factors that Greenland faces is near-complete loss of the Greenland ice sheet. This could occur over a millennium or more would play in part of 7m of the global average sea-level rise. Which would mean millions displaced and homes lost. Drivers of climate change in the human security section worry about civil wars beginning because of the lack of resources available. Also, “Changes in both the climate system and socioeconomic processes including adaptation and mitigation are drivers of hazards, exposure, and vulnerability (IPCC 2014).” Drivers also take in the population changes and the differences that can occur with in them, such as health, income, prices, lifestyles and so on.
In the final draft of the 2014 IPCC report the affects of global climate change on greenland are quite significant. They talk about the differences that will occur within the shrubbery ecosystem and the animals they rely on it such as voles. One of the large fears that the polar regions have is with the new areas of open ocean is overfishing, they are prohibiting many commercial fishing industries in order to prevent over fishing. Along with all of the ice of greenland simply melting.
I think Greenland is in a very sad and unique situation. They are a country that is reaping the consequences for everyone else’s actions, which is tragic. The worst part of climate change for Greenland is all the ice disappearing eventually. They have a beautiful landscape of ice, animals, culture and many attractions that will simply vanish if this trend of climate change continues. I also think that the potential over fishing aspect it quite sad because we are already having issues with protecting the ocean and while our climate worsens with ice melt we will also be killing more of our ecosystems.
As seen, but not so easily, on the graph below one can squint for the carbon emissions data that is produced by Greenland. After fine magnify glass work, it is clear that very little carbon is emitted by Greenland. They only small amount they produce is by the common living needs of energy other than that they have no excessive production unlike China, USA, or Japan. When looking at the graph in a smaller scale the emissions are around the same low level. Around 1980 there is a large peak in emissions, this is the year that the main mining sources were depleted.
When looking at the per-capita scale of the USA vs Greenland the average North American Consumes much more. Between 1990 and 2010 the average Greenlander emits below 3.0 where as the average American emits around 5.0, which is a substantial difference. The value in Greenland is less, I think this is because the consumption is less among the population and more things, like food are tried to be kept local where as in the USA everything we consume is from somewhere else. Though Greenland must import a lot because it is very cold they use the resources they have to the fullest advantage. Greenland is ranked 28th where as the USA is ranked as the 12th on the highest emissions. I think that Greenland being the 28th is still high and they can reduce their emissions, yet at the same time they must import because they do have climate and geographical restrictions.
According to my graph in 2010 Japan was the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide. While looking at Per capita of Chinese vs Americans americans are at 4.7 while Chinese are at 1.68 per capita carbon emissions. Though there are significantly more Chinese than Americans we are still consuming much more per-person than the Chinese. USA and China are both at fault for Climate change and consumption rates. Because, USA consumes way more than we should. But, China also has a much higher population that this world cannot support. Both countries are at fault in this situation. Though I believe that American are more a fault because we are supposed to be trend setters and world leaders and we are setting the trend of selfishness and over consumption.
USA=96891822.6 thousands of metric tons
India=11407871.3 thousands of metric tons
China=41257833.5 thousands of metric tons
Greenland=2806 thousands of metric tons
The USA is the highest cumulative contribution to climate change! Though that is no real shocker to anyone it is still sad to see the data. That we, USA, one of the world powers, of the of most educated rich nations with such opportunity and power are killing our planet. When one divides China/USA emissions they get 42% and when one divides India/USA emissions one gets %11. We are so much higher with our emissions than these countries with such substantially larger populations.
Greenland and Climate Change 