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Showing papers on "Climate change published in 1970"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is indicated that even moderate climate warming may destabilise phytoplankton dynamics in tropical African lakes, thereby reducing water quality and food resources for planktivorous fish, with consequent negative impacts on human livelihoods.
Abstract: This paper provides a synthesis of current knowledge on phytoplankton production, seasonality, and stratification in tropical African lakes and considers the effects of nutrient enrichment and the potential impacts of climate warming on phytoplankton production and composition. Tropical African lakes are especially sensitive to climate warming as they experience wide fluctuations in the thermocline over a narrow range of high water temperatures. Recent climate warming has reduced phytoplankton biomass and production in the lakes. A decline in the production of palatable chlorophytes and an increase in cyanobacteria has led to reduced zooplankton production and a consequent decline in fish stocks, all of which can be associated with the elevated water temperatures. This indicates that even moderate climate warming may destabilise phytoplankton dynamics in tropical African lakes, thereby reducing water quality and food resources for planktivorous fish, with consequent negative impacts on human livelihoods.

76 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a matched-pair design was used to empirically demonstrate that firms with proactive climate change strategies achieved significantly higher levels of accounting performance than competitors that were less proactive, thus providing additional support for the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV).
Abstract: There is widespread consensus that human activity has had a significant impact on global climatic patterns which will have important consequences for much of society. Although there has been much research on the relationship between corporate environmental performance and corporate financial performance, empirical testing of the association between proactive corporate climate-change strategies and financial (or accounting) performance is still in its infancy. Based on the logic embodied in the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) of the firm, firms that successfully implement strategies to lessen their effect on climate change should outperform competitors who are less proactive in such efforts. This study uses a matched-pair design to empirically demonstrate that firms with proactive climate change strategies achieved significantly higher levels of accounting performance than competitors that were less proactive, thus providing additional support for the NRBV. Introduction To satiate the needs of capital market stakeholders, firm managers are compelled to identify, formulate, and implement strategies aimed at achieving sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) and superior profitability. Unfortunately, traditional corporate strategies used in market-based economies have negatively impacted the natural environment in ways that threaten the ecosystems supporting mankind's existence. The multiplicity of problems resulting from climate change and the requisite measures needed to decrease (or stabilize) the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has become one of the most widely discussed environmental issues among journalists, politicians, environmentalists, academics, businesses, and other stakeholders. Indeed, the consequences of global climate change, such as rising sea levels due to melting glaciers, the spread of non-native pathogens, drought in some areas and greater flooding in others, are well documented (IPCC, 2007; McKibbin & Wilcoxen, 2002); and the United States' abstinence from the Kyoto Protocol will not protect it from the environmental and economic consequences of global climate change. If atmospheric carbon dioxide doubles by 2050, it will cost the U.S. an estimated $68 billion annually and the annual global cost will be approximately $304 billion (Hoffman, 2005). Although there has been much research examining the association between corporate environmental performance and organizational outcomes (e.g., Bansal & Hunter, 2003; Margolis & Walsh, 2003; Orlitzky, Schmidt, & Rynes, 2003; Russo & Fouts; 1997; Sharma & Vrendenburg, 1998), there are no published empirical studies that specifically examine whether firms pursuing proactive climate change strategies financially outperform competitors that are less proactive. To-date, the extant literature has focused on firm motivations for pursuing climate change strategies (Levy & Kolk, 2002; Kolk & Pinske, 2004, 2005, 2007b; Okereke, 2007; Porter & Reinhart, 2007), corporate political lobbying strategies regarding climate change (Kolk & Pinkse, 2007a), and the degree to which global firms voluntarily commit to reducing their impact on climate change (Stanwick & Stanwick, 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between proactive climate change strategies and accounting performance. In this paper, we describe how highly proactive firms typically engage in three broad climate-change initiatives aimed at reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions: (1) by developing energy substitutes for oil and coal, such as wind and solar power, (2) by developing renewable energy sources (e.g., hydrogen and other fuel cells), and (3) by working collaboratively with firms, governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders toward large-scale climate-change solutions. We then show how these three climate-change initiatives are consistent with the logic embodied in the NRBV, a unique perspective of SCA based on the inter-relationship between the firm and the natural environment (Hart, 1995). …

39 citations


01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the impacts of climate change on African agriculture and discussed the policy implications for managing these impacts and found that Southern Africa will be the hardest hit region, followed by the Rest of sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and East Africa, in that order.
Abstract: The African continent is projected to suffer adverse impacts from climate change, which are disproportionate to its contribution to global carbon dioxide emissions. Africa is particularly vulnerable because it is among the hottest places on the Earth and therefore any further warming will likely have adverse socioeconomic consequences; and most of the economies in this region rely mainly on natural resources and rain-fed agriculture, which are very sensitive to climate change and variability. This article investigates the impacts of climate change on African agriculture and discusses the policy implications for managing these impacts. The modelling results show that Africa will experience the largest impacts from climate change in terms of decline in economic growth and welfare losses. The disaggregated results show that Southern Africa will be the hardest hit region, followed by the Rest of sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and East Africa, in that order. There is therefore need for concerted efforts at adaptation, which should include introduction of temperature-sensitive varieties, diversification of production systems and livelihoods, shift to sustainable agricultural intensification, shift to irrigation agriculture, addressing institutional challenges such as poor physical and social infrastructure, market imperfections, lack of access to credit, and lack of crop insurance, etc. In the long run, emphasis should be placed on diversifying away from agriculture to industry and services.

26 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, three primary reasons for these trends have been hypothesized by various authors, namely, rising concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide brought about by the burning of fossil fuels, sunspot number variations, and dust injected into the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions.

15 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The drop in the earth's temperature since 1940 has been paralleled by a substantial increase in natural volcanism, which is probably greater than the effect of manmade pollutants.
Abstract: Climate is variable. In historical times, many significant fluctuations in temperature and precipitation have been identified. In the period from 1880 to 1940, the mean temperature of the earth increased about 0.6?C; from 1940 to 1970, it decreased by 0.3-0.49C. Locally, temperature changes as large as 3-40C per decade have been recorded, especially in sub-polar regions. The cause of these changes has been under extensive study. One factor is the steady increase in carbon dioxide which has been observed, presumably as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels. In the late 19th century, prior to the industrial revolution, the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere was about 290 ppm. This had risen to 314 ppm in 1960, and to just over 320 ppm in 1970. Aircraft observations by the Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry Laboratory of the Environmental Science Services Administration have clearly shown the importance of metropolitan areas as a source of carbon dioxide. The effect of carbon dioxide is to increase the earth's temperature by absorbing outgoing terrestrial radiation. Recent numerical studies have indicated that a 10% increase in carbon dioxide should result, on the average, in a temperature increase of about 0.30C at the earth's surface. The present rate of increase of 0.7 ppm per year would therefore (if extrapolated to 2000 A.D.) result in a warming of about 0.60C-a very substantial change. A second cause of climatic change is particulate loading of the atmosphere. Some meteorologists have attributed the cooling of the earth since 1940 primarily to such pollution of the atmosphere by man. However, the net effect of particulate matter on climate is difficult to analyze. Such pollutants, depending upon their size distribution and the elevation at which they occur, both intercept incoming solar radiation and trap outgoing radiation from the earth. The first process tends to depress the temperature of the earth's surface; the latter tends to increase it. To further complicate matters, the effect of pollution by natural volcanic activity must be considered. Unlike most activities of man, violent volcanic eruptions inject particulates directly into the stratosphere, where they are most effective in cooling the earth. The drop in the earth's temperature since 1940 has been paralleled by a substantial increase in natural volcanism. The effect of such volcanic activity is probably greater than the effect of manmade pollutants. Finally, the possibility of other factors in climatic change must be considered. Solar radiation may change slightly in intensity or wavelength distribution: other natural explanations have been suggested. Our measurements of radia-

15 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For example, the last IPCC report concluded for the first time that climate change was real but reported a 90% certainty that it was also human induced (IPCC 2007), and Australia is predicted by 2030 to experience the following: (i) a further 1oC of warming, (ii) up to 20% more months of drought, up to 25% increase in days of very high or extreme fire danger; (iii) increases in storm surges and severe weather events; and (iv) a rise in mean sea level, with the anticipated range of sea level rise to
Abstract: Climate science has established that climate change and associated global warming will impact the world. Already the global temperature has risen by between 0.2 and 0.6 degrees centigrade since the late 19th century, and in Australia, average temperatures have increased by 0.8 degrees centigrade (Pillora 2010). Furthermore, the last IPCC report concluded for the first time not only that climate change was real but reported a 90% certainty that it was also human induced (IPCC 2007). Moreover, Australia is predicted by 2030 to experience the following: (i) a further 1oC of warming; (ii) up to 20% more months of drought; (iii) up to 25% increase in days of very high or extreme fire danger; (iv) increases in storm surges and severe weather events; and (v) a rise in mean sea level, with the anticipated range of sea level rise to be between 18 to 76 cm by 2100 (Pillora 2010: 4; IPCC 2007).

14 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined farmers' perception of climate change and coping strategies across gender in two agro-ecological zones of Nigeria and found that climate change reduces the yield of crops, increase the cost of crop production and reduces the productivity of livestock and also time spent by the females to look for water for domestic use.
Abstract: This study examined farmers’ perception of climate change and coping strategies across gender in two agro-ecological zones of Nigeria Two agro-ecological zones namely north-central and north-west were purposively selected and one State Agricultural Development Project each namely Niger and Kaduna were selected repectively Structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from 140 respondents Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics Personal experience was the most prominent means through which females (357%) and males (386%) became aware of climate change Majority of the females (857%) and males (743%) in the north-central zone , started to notice the effect of climate change only about 1-5years ago About 89% of males and 82% of females opined that yearly rainfull begins late About 97% of the female and 99% of the males were of the opinion that there had been gradual reduction of vegetation cover General perception by both females (mean=32) and males (mean=32) was that climate change reduces the yield of crops, increase the cost of crop production and reduces the productivity of livestock and also time spent by the females to look for water for domestic use had increased Chi-square analysis indicated positive and significant relationship between perception of climate change and farm size (X 2 = 41; p<005) in north- central and farming experience (X 2 = 73; p<005) in north west zone The results of t-test analysis showed significant difference between how the females and males perceived the effect of climate change with regards to rainfall ending early (t(138)=25; p<005) and time spent to look for water for cooking food has increased(t(138)=22;p<005) A multi-media enlightenment campagn of the effects and posssible coping strategies of climate change should be adopted by all tiers of government and NGOs to reach the farmers using available extension structure on ground Also, farming communities can run local disaster risk committees to encourage local adaptation measures as survival tactics for the purpose of ensuring food security Key Words: Gender, Farmers Perception, Coping strategies, Climate Change, Agro-ecological Zone

9 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed the new climate change obligations on Scottish local government in the context of current Scottish emissions and UK energy policies and found that the pattern of carbon consumption rather than its production must be targeted, and that local government is well-placed to deliver many of the policies to this end.
Abstract: Effective climate change actions demand collaborative action from public bodies at all levels, placing local governance at the forefront of delivery. Scottish legislation imposes some of the most demanding legally-binding requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions currently to be found anywhere in the world. The new climate change obligations on Scottish local government are reviewed in the context of current Scottish emissions and UK energy policies. Analysis indicates that the pattern of carbon consumption rather than its production must be targeted, and that local government is well-placed to deliver many of the policies to this end. Case studies of Fife and Highland Councils show how Scottish local authorities (SLAs) are planning to discharge their climate change mitigation and adaptation responsibilities. Energy efficiency is driving the mitigation of carbon consumption, while new techniques for measuring carbon footprints are being used to adapt the development process to a low carbon mode. SLAs must pursue low-cost local climate change solutions not just to enhance the resilience of Scottish communities but also to demonstrate the feasibility of such approaches for local governance systems elsewhere in the face of growing financial constraints. Recent changes in Scottish waste management practices indicate the potential in this respect.

8 citations




01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used daily climatological data to define thresholds for severe weather and extreme climate; and delineate climate change indices for Kenya, and indicated a general warming over land sta ons with cooling over coastal locaーテ ons and near large water bodies.
Abstract: Africa is among the regions that are most vulnerable to climate change due to its high dependency on rain-fed agriculture and lack of adap ng strategies. Studies indicate signals of climate change with varying impacts and intensi es over diff erent loca ons of the con nent. In Kenya, studies have indicated general warming over land sta ons with cooling over coastal loca ons and near large water bodies. A reduc on in cold extremes over the drier areas has also been observed. Rainfall trends show mixed signals with some loca ons indicating increasing trends in recent years, while majority do not show any signifi cant trends. Most of the studies on climate change are based on trends in the climatological data. This study used daily climatological data to defi ne thresholds for severe weather and extreme climate; and delineate climate change indices for Kenya. Results showed a general warming over land sta ons. Some sta ons indicated higher rates of night- me warming than those of day- me warming. These results generally agree with previous studies that indicated warming over most parts of the country. The results further indicated a general decreasing trend in rainfall, with a tendency towards increased frequencies of extreme rainfall events over some loca ons. The study recommends, among others, that the list of indices generated using RClimdex be ‘tropicalised’ to refl ect the reality of the hot tropical environment.

DOI
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of climate on transport/deposition processes and the impact of climate change on coastal zones is discussed, using a climate scenario induced by the increase of greenhouse gases.
Abstract: The importance of atmospheric circulation, particularly the typical phenomena associated with the discontinuity between sea and land, as well as the analysis of their contribution to air pollutant transport and dispersion is presented. The influence of climate on transport/deposition processes and the impact of climate change on coastal zones will be discussed, using a climate scenario induced by the increase of greenhouse gases. Additionally a case study hatj been included, based on work done about coastal zone vulnerability in Portugal, particularly the numerical simulation of air pollutants acidic deposition and ozone atmospheric concentrations resulting from pollutants dispersion over the littoral area.


DOI
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this paper, two GCM models (HadCM2 1S92a and ECHAM3TR IS92a) were used to estimate potential climate change and showed that temperature rise is associated mainly with the cold season and significant changes are expected in precipitation pattern.
Abstract: In boreal and boreonemoral zones the weather conditions play an essential role in nutrient flows in rural landscapes. Winter and summer have been the most stable seasons with respect to nutrient losses and changes in processes affecting nutrient release. On the contrary, spring and autumn are associated with generally high nutrient losses due to peak flow, and determine in large scale the character of physicochemical and biological processes also for summer and winter, respectively. The following factors have the highest priority in weatherinduced changes in nutrient fluxes: a) duration of frozen surface, b) snowpack peak water, c) precipitation pattern over warm period, d) duration and continuity of certain weather, e) occurrence of night frost events, f) number of soil freezethaw cycles. Two GCM models (HadCM2 1S92a and ECHAM3TR IS92a) were used to estimate potential climate change. The results show that temperature rise is associated mainly with the cold season and significant changes are expected in precipitation pattern. However, the main weather types will remain the same as nowadays but will have different duration and frequency of occurrence. Climate change scenarios show that both annual polarisation of nutrient flow and the share of irregular short-term nutrient fluxes will increase compared to the present situation in the boreonemoral floodplain. The main share of nutrient losses will occur in October-April and summer will replenish only with small losses.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyze the importance of the global climate governance to fight against climate change trying to reconcile the developed countries and developing countries in shaping common interests in order to reduce greenhouse gases emissions.
Abstract: The global scientific consensus, made possible by scientific studies since the 1980’s, has demonstrated the reality of climate change and its dramatic socioeconomic consequences. The fight against climate change began as a scientific problem and escalated to a political problem on a global scale. The paper analyses the importance of the global climate governance to fight against climate change trying to reconcile the developed countries and developing countries in shaping common interests in order to reduce greenhouse gases emissions. The success of this governance depends not only on the ambitious participation of all the countries of the world, but also on the increased participation of all non-governmental actors that help to create a global awareness towards concrete and local actions. The object of analysis is also to expose the scientific basis of climate change that legitimizes the beginning of a process of international negotiations on climate change framed within a complex international climate regime. Along the climate summits called Conferences of the Parties, different objectives are decided to engage the commitments of all countries to reduce their emissions and provide funding to developing countries to adapt themselves to the negative impacts of the climate change. The paper points out the negotiation process of the twenty-first Conference of the Parties held in Paris in December 2015 and its subsequent international agreement, seen as a turning point in the international climate regime.

DOI
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this paper, the simulation effects of such a temperature increase of 2-3 °C in a structural mathematical model describing the dynamics of a coastal shallow water ecosystem located in the Natural Park of Circeo (Rome, Italy) were studied.
Abstract: The concentration of atmospheric CC^ is expected to double from 365 to 700 ppm by volume by the middle of the next century. Projections of CC^-induced climate change are less certain, but most of them predict a 2-4°C temperature increase, i.e. "global warming" [1]. On the other hand the effects of temperature in ecosystems are well known [2] regarding the solubility of O? and the limitations imposed to the photosynthetic process. We study the simulation effects of such a temperature increase of 2-3 °C in a structural mathematical model describing the dynamics of a coastal shallow water ecosystem located in the Natural Park of Circeo (Rome, Italy) [3]. Preliminary results of the simulations with the changed temperature show that in a 3 years time period an anomaly in the phytoplankton concentration will occur. Such behaviour, due to the stronger activation of photosynthetic activity, leads to an exceptional growth of phytoplankton and brings the whole system towards the extinction.

Journal ArticleDOI
M. T. Tullett1
01 Oct 1970-Weather


Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of climate change on Chile are discussed, including an increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation; the loss of productive area and the expansion of the agricultural frontier to the south of the country; an increase of morbidity and mortality of the population; as well as the higher incidence of drought events and intense storms.
Abstract: Anthropic climate change derives from a series of actions and practices that generate alterations in the atmosphere composition. Its effects are observed in the increase of global average temperature, the loss of ice masses, alterations in rainfall regimes, the higher incidence and intensity in socio- environmental disasters; among others. For its characteristics, Chile is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Among the projected effects are an increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation; the loss of productive area and the expansion of the agricultural frontier to the south of the country; an increase in the morbidity and mortality of the population; as well as the higher incidence of drought events and intense storms. The major strategic vulnerabilities projected for Chile, will be the shortage of water resources. This will be further worsened by the current management and regulations. This shortage, as well as that of food, are the main precursors of security problems, which, if unresolved, can escalate to local or even international conflicts Considering the effects of climate change, new and complex threats are activated due to their transversally and uncertain nature. For this, it is imperative to have Armed Forces in constant transformation, adaptation and preparation, to maintain the capacity of response of force, means and equipment.

DOI
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this paper, it is assumed that climate change induced by anthropogenic actions will manage to a new kind of human behaviour, since the economy is sensitive to climatic variations, including leisure activities like tourism, health and energy consumption, some aspects of the possible climate change will be able to cause a positive feedback from an economic point of view.
Abstract: It is assumed that climate change induced by anthropogenic actions will manage to a new kind of human behaviour. In particular, since the economy is sensitive to climatic variations, including leisure activities like tourism, health and energy consumption, some aspects of the "possible" climate change will be able to cause a positive feedback from an economic point of view. An example of this feedback is located in heating consumption for domestic and industrial sectors. The modifications in the heating practice will be a reality. In the winter season, corresponding to local climate, households and industries consume more or less natural resources in function of air temperature. Hence, considering one of the standard scenarios of global change, we find more than 50% of reduction in vapor consumption to heat a mean industry at the year 2080 in our regional area.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of climate variations on building design are frequently overlooked, sometimes with disastrous consequences, and it is the responsibility of the architect to evaluate the importance of these various aspects of climate change in relation to the design of particular buildings.
Abstract: The effects of climatic variations on building design are frequently overlooked, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Buildings significantly alter local air temperatures, and the likely changes should be taken into account in calculations affecting building design. Urban air pollution modifies the sunshine received at building sites and their location in the country also affects the climate. Long-term temporal changes are irrelevant to the design of individual buildings but shorter period temporal changes might well be significant. It is the responsibility of the architect to evaluate the importance of these various aspects of climate change in relation to the design of particular buildings. Closer co-operation between building scientists and climatologists is necessary.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on a prototypical IAM, namely, Nordhaus' DICE model, and argue the schism between science and economics is more apparent than real.
Abstract: Whereas scientific evidence points towards substantial and urgent reduction in greenhouses gas (GHG) emissions, economic analysis of climate change seems to be out of sync by indicating a more gradual approach. In particular, economic models that use benefit cost analysis, namely, integrated assessment models (IAMs) have been criticised for being conservative in their recommendations on the speed of reducing GHG emissions and the associated levels of carbon taxes. This essay focuses on a prototypical IAM, namely, Nordhaus‘ DICE model to argue the schism between science and economics is more apparent than real. Analysis of the DICE model suggests extreme climate scenarios can be captured through alternative specifications of the damage function (the impact of temperature on the economy). In particular, damage functions that extend the standard quadratic representation are highly convex (Weitzman 2012). Thus, they are able to capture climate tipping points as well as ―fat tail‖ risks originating from uncertainty with regard to equilibrium climate sensitivity.