Climate Change – More than global-warming
| This material has been produced by the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ)
under contract to the Ministry of Education. It has been written to assist teachers
and schools in their delivery of the technology/ hangarau curriculum statements.
The project is jointly coordinated by personnel from the Technology Education
New Zealand (TENZ)
and National Association of Māori Mathematicians, Scientists and Technologists
(NAMMSAT) networks. Monitoring and evaluation of the material is carried out
by a national project advisory group. |
News
Global warming is a reality, and the risks and opportunities
arising out of the effects of greenhouse gases and rising temperatures on
New Zealand have been identified.
The Government of New Zealand has signaled its intention
to ratify the Kyoto Protocol – an agreement to combat the effects
of global climate change. www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate/climate-change-faqs-nov00.html#kyoto
This will lead to implementation in New Zealand of new
public policy measures – measures that have significant potential
to affect you - your business, your sector, your lifestyle, your family.
Before it acts, the Government wants to hear from the
people of New Zealand their views on climate change and the policies
to address it. Between 5 and 23 November 2001, a special climate change
roadshow is visiting 24 centres around New Zealand. As well as public
meetings and hui, the roadshow will include extended special interest
forums in each centre, aimed at people like you - people and interest
groups who have something at stake from climate change and the way
New Zealand responds to it. If you own or run a business ... are involved
in agriculture ... have environmental or scientific interests ...
tangata whenua interests ... you should consider attending one of
these special interest forums.
The Government wants to hear from you what you think
about ratification, and how the Government's proposed policy options to combat
climate change, might affect you and your interests.
Ideas
for classroom use
The above publicity for a series of public forums that were
held around the country focused attention on the importance to New Zealand
of the issue of climate change. It is an issue which will impact significantly
on many regions and on a wide range of enterprises.
Recent reports highlight a broad range of observations which
show clearly that the world has warmed during the twentieth century. Strong
evidence points to most of the warming over the last 50 years being attributable
to human activities, namely the emission of greenhouse gases.
Impacts of local climate change in new Zealand have been clearly
predicted. Temperatures in the North Island are likely to increase faster
than in the South Island. Rainfall is projected to increase in the west of
the country and decrease in many eastern regions. Although dry periods will
increase in some regions, models suggest that at the same time extremely heavy
rainfall events could become more frequent in many areas thus increasing the
risk of flooding and erosion. Other expected changes in climate extremes are,
on average, fewer frost days during winter and more hot days during summer.
Although this will provide NZ's agriculture and horticulture
communities with opportunities for productivity gains and diversification
it will also open them up to new risks. Warmer conditions and lengthened growing
seasons could allow the long-term southward shift of climate-limited activities,
and new crops and related industries could be introduced. Currently resource-poor
areas could benefit from such shifts. However the most significant risks are
associated with the potential increase of drought and floods and water limitations
in some areas, particularly in the east of New Zealand. Pests and diseases
could also spread in range and severity, and pasture composition change -
with uncertain outcomes to animal productivity and nutrient balances.
Impending climate change could also impact negatively on native
ecosystems, our urban environment and population health.
Although climate change alone is unlikely to be the dominant
cause of the extinction of native species it may act as a compounding pressure
on eco-systems which are already under threat.
The main threat to our urban environment will come from possible
increases in heavy rainfall which will put pressure on our existing drainage
and stormwater systems and increase the risk of flooding in some areas. Warmer
conditions will reduce energy demands in winter but possibly increase the
demand for air-conditioning during summer.
Although higher temperatures would be expected to reduce winter
illnesses a warmer climate would also allow the better establishment and spread
of disease-causing pests such as the mosquito.
Reports clearly point to the regional variations which are likely
to occur and emphasise that negative impacts can be reduced and positive gains
increased by on-going proactive adaptation to altering climate conditions.
This will open up on-going opportunities for exploration of the issue from
a technology education perspective any level within the school.
NIWA – The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric
Research is New Zealand's leading provider of atmospheric and aquatic
science and associated commercial services. More information on the
issue of climate change can be found on its website at www.niwa.co.nz/rc/atmos/clivar/scenarios
SEE ALSO HOT TOPIC: Global Warming http://www.tki.org.nz/r/hot_topics/greenhouse2_e.php
