Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Index of global environmental change'
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Luna, Alfredo. "Implications of social movements in the present global environmental dynamics: the case of the United States." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Centro de Investigación en Geografía Aplicada, 2013. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/119683.
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Social movements are mobilization groups of stakeholders who seek to change the status quo, given the unfavorable conditions regarding their demands, rights, warrants, etc. As a fundamental effect of the change, social movements become leading actors of institutional change. One of these effects is given in the environmental issues, in the use, control, legislation and appreciation of nature. The insurgent policies developed by these movements are, in the current context of globalization and development of information technology and communication, the center of analysis in this paper, focusing on the U.S. environmental movement. We, therefore, believe that insurgent policies determine the beginning of institutional change.Los movimientos sociales son grupos movilizados de actores sociales que buscan cambiar el status quo dadas las condiciones no favorables en relación con sus demandas, derechos, garantías,etc. Como efecto fundamental de dicho cambio, los movimientos sociales se constituyen como actores protagónicos del cambio institucional. Uno de estos efectos se da en el tema ambiental, en el uso, control, legislación y valoración de la naturaleza. Las políticas insurgentes que desarrollan dichos movimientos serán, en el actual contexto de la globalización y desarrollo de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, el centro de análisis de este documento, enfocándose en el movimiento ecologista de Estados Unidos. Por tanto, creemos que las políticas insurgentes determinan el inicio del cambio institucional.
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Dellinger, Myanna F. "Rethinking «Fuerza Mayor» in a World of Anthropogenic Climate Change." Derecho & Sociedad, 2015. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/118876.
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This article addresses the question of whether extreme weather events should form the basis for individuals or even the States, may be exempted from complying with its legal obligations.The old, but still very viable institution of force majeure can empower both companies and nations to absolve themselves of their responsibilities and duties. However, in a world where human-induced climate change is proven, could we say that such disasters are truly«natural»? Does it make sense, from a legal and factual matter, that they continue to allow the parties to be exempt from liability when modern science has shown that in all probability people, not some enigmatic power, have caused most universally of the problems that hold us harmless looking?Force majeure is based on the idea that the «man» somehow is separate from «nature». This article challenges this idea and argues that, in many cases, no longer makes sense to apply the institution of force majeure. At least, judges should be very careful in doing so for reasons of public policy and allocation of risks. In addition, the contracting parties must have enough caution to claim that they may be able to exempt themselves from future liability clauses appealing «force majeure».Este artículo aborda la pregunta sobre si los eventos de clima extremo deben servir de base para que los particulares o, incluso los Estados, puedan eximirse de cumplir con sus obligaciones legales.La antigua, pero aún muy viable, institución de la fuerza mayor, puede facultar tanto a las empresas como a los Estados-Nación a eximirse de sus responsabilidades y deberes. Sin embargo, en un mundo donde el cambio climático antropogénico está probado,¿podríamos decir que tales desastres son verdaderamente «naturales»? ¿Acaso tiene sentido, desde un punto de vista legal y fáctico, que se les siga permitiendo a las partes eximirse de responsabilidad legal cuando la ciencia moderna ha demostrado con toda probabilidad que, las personas -no algún misterioso poder universal- han ocasionado la mayoría de los problemas por los que buscamos eximirnos de responsabilidad?La fuerza mayor se basa en la idea de que el «hombre», de alguna manera, se encuentra separado de la «naturaleza». Este artículo cuestiona esta idea y argumenta que, en muchos casos, ya no tiene sentido aplicar la institución de la fuerza mayor. Al menos, los jueces deben ser muy cuidadosos al hacerlo por razones de política pública y asignación de riesgos, así como las partes contratantes deben tener la suficiente precaución al pensar o pretender que pueden ser capaces de eximirse de responsabilidad futura invocando cláusulas de «fuerza mayor».
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Butler, Colin David, and Colin Butler@anu edu au. "Inequality and Sustainability." The Australian National University. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, 2002. http://thesis.anu.edu.au./public/adt-ANU20030324.171924.
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Global civilisation, and therefore population health, is threatened by excessive inequality, weapons of mass destruction, inadequate economic and political theory and adverse global environmental change. The unequal distribution of global foreign exchange adjusted income is both a cause and a reflection of global social characteristics responsible for many aspects of these inter-related crises.
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The global distribution of foreign exchange adjusted income for the period 1964-1999 is examined. Using data for more than 99% of the global population, a substantial divergence in its distribution is found. The global Gini co-efficient, adjusted for national income inequality, increased from an already high value of 71% in 1964 to peak at more than 80% in 1995, before falling, very slightly, to 79% in 1999. The global distribution of purchasing parity power income is also examined, for a similar period. Though also found to be extremely unequal, its trend has not been to increased inequality. Implications of the differences between these two trends are discussed.
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A weighted time series index of global environmental change (IGEC) for the period 1960-1997 was also calculated. This uses nine categories of global time series environmental data, each scaled so that 100% represents the level of each category in nature prior to anthropogenic change; zero represents decline to a critical point. This index fell from 82% in 1960 to 55% in 1997, and will further decline during this century.
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Using evidence from several disciplines, it is argued that the decline in the IGEC correlates with major macro-environmental changes, which, combined with flawed social responses to scarcity and its perception, place at risk the ability of civilisation to function. This could occur because of the interaction of conflict, economically disastrous extreme climatic events, deterioration of other ecosystem services, regional food and water insecurity, and currently unforeseen events. Uncertainty regarding both a safe rate of decline and the tolerable nadir of the IGEC is substantial.
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Substantial reduction in the inequality of foreign exchange adjusted income is vital to enhance the development of policies able to reverse the decline in the environmental goods which underpin civilisation, and to promote the co-operation needed to maximise the chance that civilisation will survive.
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Krambeck, Holly Virginia. "The global walkability index." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34409.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning; and, Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-72).
Although a significant number of trips are made by foot in developing cities, pedestrian infrastructure, amenities, and services are often neglected in municipal planning and budgets. Since helping city planners understand the scope and extent of local pedestrian conditions relative to other cities would be a positive step towards improving the quality of the pedestrian environment, I was retained by the World Bank to devise a walkability index, which would rank cities across the world based on the safety, security, and convenience of their pedestrian environments. To accomplish this task, I first generated a list of Index variables by studying existing tools for evaluating non-motorized transport and by consulting experts from a variety of related fields. After considering different methods for survey area selection, field data collection, and data aggregation, I created prototypes of the index and survey materials and organized field tests in cities throughout the world, including Beijing, Washington, and Delhi. I also oversaw a full-scale pilot in Ahmedabad, India, where 65 volunteers from the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) conducted physical infrastructure, public agency, and pedestrian surveys in eight neighborhoods, which were selected using a random spatial sampling method. Results from these tests and pilot were used to refine the Index composition and data collection methodologies, resulting in a two-pronged tool. Since, out of practical necessity, the Global Walkability Index's robustness is limited by its simplicity (the Index is primarily intended to generate awareness of walkability as an important issue),
(cont.) I developed an additional set of Extended Survey Materials that may be used to gather more detailed, site-specific data for use in developing investment and policy proposals. The Index is burdened by at least two significant limitations, namely that the notion of walkability itself is not well understood, paving the way for widespread misunderstanding and that the Index requires that most of the data be collected in the field, which presents difficulties in terms of funding, translation, and quality assurance.
by Holly Virginia Krambeck.
S.M.
M.C.P.
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Elzen, Michael Gerardus Jacobus den. "Global environmental change an integrated modelling approach /." Utrecht : Maastricht : International Books ; University Library, Maastricht University [Host], 1994. http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=5746.
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Leung, Wai-hung, and 梁偉鴻. "Global climate change: environmental implications for Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B3125343X.
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Leung, Wai-hung. "Global climate change : environmental implications for Hong Kong /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B17457294.
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Thomas, Christopher Kent. "Global warming and world ecosystem distribution : toward quantifying ecosystem change." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67126.
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Cantin, Danielle 1967. "Response of Pinus banksiana (Lamb.) families to a global change environment." Thesis, McGill University, 1994. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=68159.
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We examined how fast- and slow-growing families (based on height at 10 years) of Pinus banksiana Lamb. are affected by a climate altered by CO$ sb2$ during their first growing season. Our primary objective was to evaluate the possibility that genotypes performing best under present conditions may not necessarily do best under projected warmer climate. Seedlings were grown for six months in two climatic environments (350 $ mu$L/L CO$ sb2$ x present temperatures and 700 $ mu$L/L CO$ sb2$ x 4$ sp circ$C warmer temperatures) and with 100 ppm and 5 ppm nitrogen.The CO$ sb2$T$ sp circ$ environment had a significant effect on most biomass components of seedlings and water-use efficiency but not on height and other growth variables. The nitrogen fertilization was generally the most significant effect of the treatments for most growth variables.
All the families responded in a similar way to variations in the growing environments except for WUE. Family differences were more important for measurements of height and growth variables than for biomass components. The architecture of seedlings was also highly variable between families. Norm of reaction graphs were built for several growth variables to outline which families were overall most successful in an enriched CO$ sb2$T$ sp circ$ environment. Of the 15 families studied, four of them were classified as most successful in a projected high CO$ sb2$T$ sp circ$ climate.
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Li, Ying. "Projecting Future Heat-Related Mortality in the United States under Global Climate Change." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/20.
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Li, Ying, and Joseph Kusi. "Projecting Future Heat-Related Mortality in the United States under Global Climate Change." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/18.
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Global climate change is anticipated to raise the overall temperatures and is likely to increase future mortality attributable to heat. Predicting future health consequences of higher temperatures at the regional, national and global level based on historical temperature-mortality relationships can be challenging due in part to the uncertainties in the location-specific temperature-mortality relationship, the heat threshold, and how populations will adapt or acclimatize. This study reviews published estimates of the warm season temperature-mortality relationships around the world and explores the heterogeneity in terms of the magnitude of the relationship and the threshold. We also investigate the potential effects of adaptation and acclimatization on the estimates of excess heat-related deaths based on empirical evidence, and propose a method that can be used in future projections to address the uncertainties. This study contributes to the literature of projecting the future public health burden of heat-related effects, which provides valuable information to climate policy decision making.
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Jiménez, Godínez Miguel Ángel. "Global change and local economic restructuring : the case of Mexico City." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2015. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3080/.
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This thesis is about economic transformation in Mexico City between 1980 and 2000. It explores the extent to which Mexico City’s economic restructuring process has been caused by trade liberalisation. The thesis assesses the extent to which industries located in Mexico City reacted to a reorientation in production focus, characterised by the shift from national to international markets. It analyses in detail the pace and geography of neo-liberal economic change, and its effects upon a specific location. It also evaluates the role played by global economic agents in gauging the forces influencing economic restructuring in Mexico, and particularly in Mexico City. At the core of this restructuring process is the change in regional industrial location patterns in Mexico, as well as the decline of manufacturing – with regard to production and employment – in Mexico City and its rise as a service centre. The thesis therefore engages with current debates on new economic geography on the one hand and globalisation on the other, focusing attention on the possible emergence of a group of “global” urban centres embedded in a broader network of cities in developed and developing countries alike, which connect global production circuits and coordinate global/regional markets. More concretely, the thesis focuses on the automotive and consumer electronics industries with the aim of understanding the causes and effects of economic events in terms of location decisions, particularly those made by transnational corporations. By placing the empirical processes of economic restructuring within the theoretical context of trade liberalisation and globalisation, I seek to make an original contribution to social science debates about the way industry reacts to economic signals and how global processes, despite taking place in specific locations, have wide-reaching effects upon social welfare, mainly though the transformation of local labour markets.
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Ogunbode, Charles Adedayo. "Social and personal psychological influences on individual engagement with global climate change." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/15519.
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The aim of this thesis was to examine the way individual responses to global climate change are determined by intrapersonal, social and experiential factors through three streams of research. The first stream employs cross-sectional and experimental methods to demonstrate that the influence of climate change information on behavioural intentions among two African populations is largely conveyed indirectly through perceived threat and concern. My findings support a view that a failure to account for the indirect effects of knowledge may have resulted in a systematic underestimation of its importance as a basis for environmental action. In the second stream, I sought to resolve previous inconsistencies in the evidence for a link between flooding experiences and climate change engagement. Using secondary data analysis, I found that political affiliation modulates the link between flooding experience and preparedness to engage in climate change mitigation behaviour in the UK, such that the indirect links between flooding experience and preparedness to reduce energy use, and willingness to pay higher prices for energy efficient products, was stronger among left-leaning voters. These results were followed up with four experimental studies in which flooding experience was operationalised with a mental simulation technique. The experiments were designed to examine how values and attribution may moderate the effects of flooding experiences on climate change attitudes, but they did not yield any conclusive findings. Finally, I examined the interplay between descriptive and injunctive social norms as influences of behavioural engagement with climate change using cross-sectional and experimental data. I found that social norms may influence behavioural engagement with climate change indirectly through their effects on individuals' perceptions of, and emotional responses to, the problem. However, the nature of this influence may also be dependent on the convergence of the two norm types and the level of individuals' intrinsic prioritization of pro-environmental outcomes.
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Lewin, Joanna Alice. "Global Environmental Change and the Politics of Sustainable Consumption in New Zealand." The University of Waikato, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2787.
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Consumption has emerged as a pivotal concept in environmental sustainability debates. Since the 1992 Earth Summit, there has been an increasing focus on the role that consumption and consumer lifestyles play in global environmental change. Agenda 21 called on countries to promote more 'sustainable consumption' patterns and lifestyles. Despite these recommendations, there are significant political and ideological challenges to implementing effective sustainable consumption policies at a global and national level. This thesis explores the politics of sustainable consumption in New Zealand. Using critical discourse analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine consumers, I employ post-structural and cultural geography theories to unpack the problematic nature of sustainable consumption. In particular, I examine dominant environmental and consumption discourses to explore why barriers to sustainable consumption exist. It is important to examine these issues from a socio-cultural perspective, as the dominant hegemonic discourses relating to the environment and sustainability shape both policy responses and public understandings of environmental change and sustainability issues. Prevailing policy responses to environmental change in New Zealand construct the 'environmental problem' in narrowly scientific and economic terms. Concern has centred on 'managing' carbon emissions, rather than addressing the underlying drivers of environmental degradation which lie in current political-economic structures and consumption levels. As such, environmental policy has been embedded within an ecological modernisation discourse which links sustainability with notions of 'progress' and efficiency. Under this discourse, the consumer has been repositioned as an important 'political' agent responsible for fostering sustainable consumption and environmental care. Through largely non-political and non-regulatory measures, consumers have been encouraged to reduce their 'carbon footprints' by considering the environmental impacts of their daily personal consumption habits. This approach has individualised and depoliticised environmental issues, obscured the complexities of personal consumption and sustainability, and left limited options for participation in processes of change.
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Hayek, Carolyn. "A Framework for Climate Change Policies in the United States." Thesis, Boston College, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/563.
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Thesis advisor: Eric StraussThesis advisor: Peter Auger
Climate change is quickly becoming an important global concern with considerable and varied long-term consequences. In order to lessen the effects of this phenomenon it is necessary to institute regulatory policies that control carbon dioxide emissions, since they have been shown to directly correlate with temperature changes. Despite the prevalence of climate change initiatives, both internationally and within the United States, there is no comprehensive national policy with respect to the issue. The public and political conditions in the United States are presently ideal for the institution of a federal climate change policy, the most effective of which involves the incorporation of multiple emissions reductions measures
Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2007
Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Biology
Discipline: College Honors Program
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Vestlund, Sandra, and Linn Nykvist. "How does changes in symptom severity index relate to patients’ global impression of change?" Thesis, Umeå universitet, Tandläkarutbildning, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-178498.
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Background: The treatment outcome of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) can be assessed with Symptom Severity Index (SSI). In addition to this self-report measure, Patients’ Global Impression of Change (PGIC) provides information about the overall impression of change. The use of SSI and PGIC when assessing treatment outcome in the field of TMD, and their correlation, has not previously been reviewed. Aim: The aims of this study were to investigate the correlation between the scales SSI and PGIC, to gain knowledge about which factors that contribute to the impression of change and to identify the diagnoses that have the most improvement. Methods: Data from 193 patients was analyzed. The percentage change in symptoms between baseline and follow up was compared to PGIC. The patients were divided into three groups based on main diagnoses, for further analysis. PGIC categories “much improved” and “very much improved” were set as successful treatment outcome. Different factors impact on PGIC were analyzed. Results: Majority of the patients had a successful treatment outcome. A higher mean percentage change correlated with a better PGIC value. Patients with articular related diagnoses needed a greater reduction in SSI to rate the impression of change as improved. According to the regression analysis, diagnosis group, age, number of treatment visits and SSI-baseline were associated with treatment outcome. Conclusions: The present study supports the use of both SSI and PGIC for assessment of the treatment outcome when treating TMD. However, a possible discrepancy between the scales addresses the need for further examination and change of treatment approach.
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Norton, L. R. "The responses of plant populations to climate change." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.320820.
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Watson, Kevin, University of Western Sydney, of Arts Education and Social Sciences College, and School of Education and Early Childhood Studies. "Environmental attitudes : the Influence of culture." THESIS_CAESS_EEC_Watson_K.xml, 2002. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/727.
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Public awareness of environmental problems and the need to work towards their solution have been heightened at international conferences for over two decades.Knowledge of the range of environmental perspectives and attitudes, and understanding the reasons for them, are important requirements for decision-making when dealing with global environmental issues. It is argued that culture may impact on environmental views and attitudes may shape worldwide views that give rise to them.In this study, Australian, Maldivian and Indonesian trainee teacher communities served as sources of data to examine the influence of culture on environmental attitudes. The three communities examined viewed the term 'environment' differently, and that was one reason for different environmental attitudes being exhibited.It was also found that knowledge about environments was obtained from different sources, and some individuals and communities exhibited both pro-New Environmental Paradigm and pro-Human Exemptionalist Paradigm views simultaneously. This is inconsistent with a western view of environmentalism. The findings have implications for environmental education curricula and the negotiation of global environmental issues.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Valverde, A. L. James 1965. "Uncertain inference, estimation, and decision-making in integrated assessments of global climate change." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44499.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 198-204).
by L. James Valverde A., Jr.
Ph.D.
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Jurgielewicz, Lynne. "Global environmental change and international law : prospects for progress in the legal order." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 1994. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3175/.
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This thesis argues that international regimes exist within the international legal order. The use of regime theory to explain international regulation of an issue-area, although first introduced as a legal concept, has been primarily explored in the discipline of international relations. That discipline has for the most part, however, under-emphasised international law. In an effort to promote interdisciplinary research on the nature of the international legal order, this thesis explores the concept of international regimes within the international legal order, using examples of global environmental change. A discussion of the schools of thought within international law is undertaken, with the policy-oriented approach to be utilised in this thesis. The policy-oriented school, which views international law as a process, can incorporate the process of regime formation and development within its framework. An examination of the general international law applicable to climate change and ozone layer depletion is then undertaken, to help explain the need for regime formation in those areas. A discussion of the role of regimes within international law follows, including their formation, maintenance, source of legal obligation, and compliance mechanisms. The strength of a regime's normative or shared expectations, or norms and rules, depends on the shaping of cognitive expectations, or knowledge. These cognitive expectations are in turn dependent on the degree to which uncertainty regarding issues critical to the particular regime has been overcome. An examination of the critical issues particular to climate change and ozone layer depletion is made, as well as how regimes can overcome uncertainty. This is followed by a discussion of regime catalysts. Analyses of the ozone layer depletion and climate change regimes are then made, and an argument for their inclusion as law within the policy-oriented school is made. The thesis concludes that regimes are present within the international legal order and play a vital role in maintaining that order. Thus, this thesis aims to make an original contribution to the discipline of international law through the study of regimes, which signal the presence of the international legal order where it has previously been ignored or deemed nonexistent.
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Jian, Jinshi. "Global soil respiration: interaction with macroscale environmental variables and response to climate change." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/92195.
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The response of global soil respiration (Rs) to climate change determines how long the land can continue acting as a carbon sink in the future. This dissertation research identifies how temporal and spatial variation in environmental factors affects global scale Rs modeling and predictions of future Rs under global warming. Chapter 1 describes the recommend time range for measuring Rs across differing climates, biomes, and seasons and found that the best time for measuring the daily mean Rs is 10:00 am in almost all climates and biomes. Chapter 2 describes commonly used surrogates in Rs modeling and shows that air temperature and soil temperature are highly correlated and that they explain similar amounts of Rs variation; however, average monthly precipitation between 1961 and 2014, rather than monthly precipitation for a specific year, is a better predictor in global Rs modeling. Chapter 3 quantifies the uncertainty generated by four different assumptions of global Rs models. Results demonstrate that the time-scale of the data, among other sources, creates a substantial difference in global estimates, where the estimate of global annual Rs based on monthly Rs data (70.85 to 80.99 Pg C yr-1) is substantially lower than the current benchmark for land models (98 Pg C yr-1). Chapter 4 simulates future global Rs rates based on two temperature scenarios and demonstrates that temperature sensitivity of Rs will decline in warm climates where the level of global warming will reach 3°C by 2100 relative to current air temperature; however, these regional decelerations will be offset by large Rs accelerations in the boreal and polar regions. Chapter 5 compares CO2 fluxes from turfgrass and wooded areas of five parks in Blacksburg, VA and tests the ability of the Denitrification-Decomposition model to estimate soil temperature, moisture and CO2 flux across the seasons.
Cumulatively, this work provides new insights into the current and future spatial and temporal heterogeneity of Rs and its relationship with environmental factors, as well as key insights in upscaling methodology that will help to constrain global Rs estimates and predict how global Rs will respond to global warming in the future.Ph. D.
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Scott, A. H. "'Relevant' social science the case of global environmental change research in UK universities." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.549669.
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Recent science policy has stressed the need for academic research to be 'relevant' to the needs of society. Greatest emphasis has been placed on research that supports wealth creation, but other goals such as supporting the quality of life and the effectiveness of public policy have also been highlighted. University research is increasingly seen as a key resource in addressing challenges such as global environmental change. Connected to these developments in science policy, academic commentators have suggested that a new 'mode' of research is emerging - research conducted 'in the context of application'. However, there are significant questions over whether the current organisation of research in the university sector can facilitate this 'relevant' mode of research. This thesis investigates the tensions around the conduct of socially relevant research in British universities. It puts forward a novel conceptual framework for investigating the factors affecting the conduct of relevant research, arguing that researchers are influenced by five factors: academic disciplines, research institutions, research funding sources, personal motivations, and wider policy 'discourses'. The thesis analyses the pressures towards relevant research and the characteristics of such research, which tends to be inter-disciplinary, problem-centred and interactive. The thesis details how the factors identified in the conceptual framework affected the work of a group of social scientists involved in global environmental change research during the 1990s. The thesis demonstrates that 'relevant' research may bring not only a range of benefits but also certain potential 'hazards' to researchers conducting relevant research. There are therefore significant tensions around its implementation, tensions that the thesis suggests can be traced to the institutionalisation of academic research in universities. These tensions have significant implications for the implementation of relevant research in universities
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Belmont, Jonathon. "The study of carbon and nutrients in forests : a foundation for examining global change /." [Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/fullcit/3162225.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, 2004.Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Dec. 1, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-01, Section: B, page: 0177. Chair: J. C. Randolph.
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Uhre, Andreas Nordang. "On Transnational Actor Participation in Global Environmental Governance." Doctoral thesis, Stockholms universitet, Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-89748.
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The formal access of transnational actors (TNA) to international organizations (IO) has increased steadily over the past five decades, and a growing body of literature is at the moment concerned with the theoretical and normative implications of these developments. However, very little is known as of yet about who the TNAs in global governance are, where they come from, which issue areas they focus on, and when and where they choose to participate. Using analytical tools from interest group theory, in particular a subfield called population ecology, this study describes and explains the chronological development of two populations of TNAs in global governance, namely the observer communities of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. TNAs’ financial resources and their geographical proximity to global governance venues emerge as important factors influencing their capacity to participate, causing these TNA populations to be stratified and volatile.
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Nordrum, Amy L. "“War on Global Warming”: Militarized Language in Environmental Journalism." Ohio University Honors Tutorial College / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1273610932.
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Braganza, Karl 1971. "Climate change detection and attribution using simple global indices." Monash University, School of Mathematical Sciences, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/7783.
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Street, Jalika C. "Predicting Ecological Behavior in the Era of Climate Change." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2011. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_theses/84.
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The most devastating effects of climate change may be avoided if humans reduce activities that produce greenhouse gases and engage instead in more sustainable ecological behaviors. The current mixed methods study of 279 undergraduate students explored whether environmental worldview, belief in climate change, knowledge of climate change, personal efficacy, and intention to address climate change influenced participants’ engagement in ecological behavior. Results indicated that those with a stronger intention to address climate change and a more ecocentric worldview reported significantly more ecological behavior. Next, the study examined whether participants’ intentions to address climate change mediated the relationship between their belief in climate change and engagement in ecological behavior and whether intentions mediated the relationship between efficacy and ecological behavior. Intentions to address climate change did not mediate the relationship between belief and ecological behavior but fully mediated the relationship between efficacy to address climate change and ecological behavior.
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Filion, Anna-Belle. "Severe weather intensity index using the 1-km global environmental multiscale limited area model output." Thesis, McGill University, 2013. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=119464.
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Severe weather (SW) can have a huge impact on someone's life and property. Presently at Environment Canada (EC), there is no useful automated tool to help the forecasters in their SW forecast. The goal of this thesis was to develop a useful automated tool to help the SW forecasters in their SW predictions. A severe weather intensity (SWI) index was created from the 1-km Global Environmental Multiscale Limited Area Model (GEM-LAM) outputs. The GEM-LAM 1-km was run on summer days in 2008 and 2009 over Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. The dataset of summer 2009 was used to create algorithms that use the model's outputs to detect severe thunderstorm structural features, compute the quantity of the ingredients needed to initiate severe thunderstorms, and estimate the intensity and the type of SW expected. The post-processed fields were subjectively verified with the SW observations and radar images for the summer of 2009 leading to a decision tree for the SWI index for each region. An object-oriented method was used to verify the SWI index forecasts with the SW observations for the summer of 2008. The results showed that the SWI index forecast was very accurate over Ontario, accurate over Quebec, and much less accurate over Alberta. The lack of SW observations and the model's spin up mainly affected the results. Finally, the skill of the SWI index forecast was compared to the forecaster-derived SW forecast to verify if the index could help the SW forecasters to improve their SW forecast. The results indicate that the SWI index could improve the prediction of SW events, but not the positioning.Le temps violent (TV) estival peut avoir un impact important sur la vie des gens et leurs biens. En ce moment, aucun outil n'est assez performant pour aider les prévisionnistes à prévoir le TV. Cette thèse a pour but de créer un outil automatisé pour aider les prévisionnistes dans leurs prévisions de TV d'été. Un indice d'intensité de TV à été créé à partir des données du modèle global environnemental à multiéchelles à aire limitée (GEM-LAM) avec une résolution horizontale de 1 km. Le GEM-LAM 1-km à été roulé pour tous les jours d'été 2008 et 2009 sur les régions de l'Alberta, le sud de l'Ontario et le sud du Québec. Les données de l'été 2009 ont été utilisées pour créer des algorithmes qui utilisent les sorties du modèle pour détecter les structures particulières aux orages violents, évaluer les quantités de plusieurs éléments nécessaires à la formation d'orages violents, et estimer l'intensité et le type de TV attendu. Les champs post-traités ont été subjectivement analysé avec les observations de TV et les images radar pour l'été 2009 permettant de bâtir un arbre de décision pour l'indice d'intensité de TV pour chaque région. Une méthode par objet a été utilisée pour faire une vérification des prévisions de l'indice d'intensité de TV avec les observations de TV pour l'été 2008. Les résultats montrent que la prévision de l'indice d'intensité de TV est très juste pour l'Ontario, est assez juste pour le Québec, mais l'ai beaucoup moins pour l'Alberta. Le faible nombre d'observations de TV et le temps d'ajustement du modèle affectent les résultats. Finalement, la précision de l'indice d'intensité de TV et celle de la prévision de TV émit par un prévisionniste ont été comparées de façon à vérifier si l'indice peut aider le prévisionniste à améliorer sa prévision. Les résultats démontrent que l'indice d'intensité de TV pourrait améliorer la prévision d'un évènement, mais pas son positionnement.
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Tousignant, Denise. "Selection response to global change of Brassica juncea (L.) czern." Thesis, McGill University, 1993. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=69693.
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The potential for an adaptive response to global climatic change was evaluated for an annual C$ sb3$ weed, Brassica juncea, by performing a selection on fecundity for eight generations. During the selection, atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature were gradually increased from current levels (370 $ rm mu L cdot L sp{-1}$ CO$ sb2$, 20$ sp circ$C) to conditions predicted during the next century by climate models (650 $ rm mu L cdot L sp{-1}$ CO$ sb2$, 23.6$ sp circ$C) including heat stress events at 32$ sp circ$C/26$ sp circ$C day/night), At the end of the selection, a reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted to identify genetic differences between control selection lines of plants and those selected under increasing CO$ sb2$ and temperature. I observed a genetic adaptation of early vegetative growth elevated CO$ sb2$ and temperature, which resulted in to 63% more biomass and 11% higher photosynthetic rates. Reproductive biomass, however, was decreased during the selection, mainly due to temperature stress, which disrupted flower development and induced strong maternal effects, counteracting the selection on fecundity.
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Lacy, Mark J. "Security and climate change : international relations and the limits of realism /." London [u.a.] : Routledge, 2005. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip051/2004021926.html.
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James, Rachel Anne. "Implications of global warming for African climate." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2014. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5c49af92-1739-422c-b8f2-e4433c792cc6.
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A 2°C increase in global mean temperature (ΔTg) has been widely adopted as a benchmark for dangerous climate change. However, there has been a lack of research into the implications of 2°C, or any other degree of warming, for Africa. In this thesis changes in African temperature and precipitation associated with 1°C, 2°C, 3°C, 4°C, and beyond are investigated for the first time, using output from 350 climate model experiments: a collection of simulations from international modelling centres (CMIP3), two Perturbed Physics Ensembles (PPEs), and a group of five regional models. The models project temperature and precipitation anomalies which increase in magnitude and spatial extent as global temperature rises, including a wet signal in East Africa, and drier conditions for African rainforests. The models consistently show that the evolution of change with global warming is gradual, even at 4°C and beyond; but the amplitude and direction of precipitation change at each ΔTg increment vary between models and between datasets. The PPEs project precipitation signals which are not represented by CMIP3, in particular a large drying (>0.5 mm day-1 °C-1) of western Africa. There are also important differences between global and regional models, especially in southern and West Africa (>1 mm day-1). Analysis of atmospheric circulation responses suggests that the higher resolution projections are no more credible in this case. Some of the variation between models can be understood as the result of untrustworthy simulations, leading to constraints on the PPEs, and casting doubt on the strong drying of west Sahel; but model evaluation is found to be limited by observations in the case of the Congo Basin. The implications of global warming are different depending on which models are consulted. The findings emphasise that caution should be exercised in the application of climate model data to inform mitigation debates.
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Steynor, Anna C. "The impact of global climate change on the runoff and ecological sustainability of the Breede River." Thesis, University of Cape Town, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6754.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-111).The Breede River catchment in the South Western Cape is already under pressure for its water resources due to its supporting a variety of different land uses. The predominant land use in this catchment is agriculture, which demands the majority of river water for irrigation. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry are currently investigating the future demand for water from the river, in this respect it is important to know what effect climate change will have on the change in river flow. Self Organising Maps (SOMs) are used to identify changes in the circulation systems contributing to the rainfall of the region and from this the potential change is assessed for the Breede River flow under future climate change. It is assessed that the runoff in the Breede River is expected to change under all the models of ECHAM4, CSIRO and HadAM. The magnitude of this alteration is calculated by using the change in the SOM node frequencies between the present and the future data. This is then subtracted from the present runoff data supplied by DWAF. A source of runoff decrease in the future is agricultural irrigation. The increase in irrigation under climate change is determined by inserting future climate data into an agricultural model. Once the increased amount of water used in irrigation is determined, it is subtracted from the projected future runoff. From this it is determined whether the river will be ecologically sustainable under climate change.
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Young, Shona Linda. "Effects of global climate change on the recruitment of Anchovy in the Southern Benguela upwelling system." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9749.
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Includes bibliographical references.Changes to global climate patterns, as predicted by many climatologists, will impact on ecosystems in numerous ways. The nutrient-rich waters of marine upwelling environments enable prolific plankton growth, which in turn supports vast shoals of pelagic fish. The nutrient supply is dependent on the strength and direction of winds, which govern the upwelling process as well as turbulence. A change in climate may thus affect the food supply and feeding conditions required by pelagic fish populations. This thesis investigates predicted changes in wind patterns in the southern Benguela system and assesses how these changes may impact on the recruitment of the Cape anchovy, Engraulis capensis. A general circulation model (NCAR Climate System Model) is used to compare a future simulation under double C02 conditions with a simulation of the present day wind regime. Climate change effects on anchovy in the other main upwelling systems, off the coasts of California, Peru and Morocco are also examined. Wind speeds and turbulence off the Agulhas Bank in the southern Benguela system are expected to remain suitable and potentially become even more conducive to spawning in the future. The results show similar mean wind speeds to present day values, a decrease in mean turbulence, a decrease in the frequency of extreme wind speeds and a decrease in the frequency of extreme turbulence during the anchovy spawning season (i.e. September-February). An increase in Lasker events is expected at the Eastern Bank Grid Cell, which suggests that this area may become the preferred spawning habitat in the future. The Cape Town Grid Cell also shows suitable conditions in the future simulation for anchovy spawning and may thus become an alternative spawning location. The West Coast shows an increase in alongshore wind stress and thus an increase in upwelling in the future simulation from November - February. This is likely to increase planktonic food availability and ultimately anchovy recruitment. Future simulations from the Climate System Model show that the upwelling systems off the coasts of California, Peru and Morocco are likely to continue supporting anchovy spawning and may become even more suitable in terms of wind and turbulence regimes.
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Lunch, Claire Kerl. "Primary productivity in an annual grassland ecosystem : responses to global change and local environmental variation /." May be available electronically:, 2009. http://proquest.umi.com/login?COPT=REJTPTU1MTUmSU5UPTAmVkVSPTI=&clientId=12498.
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Hadley, Kershaw Eleanor. "Co-producing Future Earth : ambiguity and experimentation in the governance of global environmental change research." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2018. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49869/.
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The aim of this thesis is to investigate efforts to transform global environmental change research through co-design and co-production (involving non-academic actors in research governance and conduct). Social scientific work to date on this topic has largely taken an evaluative perspective, outlining challenges of and guidelines for co-production on the ground. By contrast, there is little work on how co-production is conceptualised and put into practice through (international) research governance. Yet institutions aiming to govern research are significant arbiters of meaning and power; their efforts to change research are worthy of investigation. The thesis is based on a qualitative case study of Future Earth, a major international research initiative on global environmental change (GEC) and sustainability. Future Earth is unique in its ambition to internationally coordinate and co-design/co-produce new GEC/sustainability research at a global scale. The study is grounded in co-productionist, interpretive science and technology studies, drawing on ideas about political imaginaries of science and experimental approaches to engagement. It is based on thematic analysis of data from documents, interviews, focus groups and observation of Future Earth’s emergence and development between 2010 and 2015. The analysis suggests that visions of Future Earth were ambitious, diverse and sometimes ambiguous, evoking two potential institutional forms: a unified, cohesive ‘flagship’, or a ‘rich tapestry’ of varied initiatives. Ambiguity persisted in how co-production and related concepts were understood, with varying definitions motivated by different rationales for increased (or limited) involvement of non-academic stakeholders, from ensuring relevance to democratising expertise to preserving the objectivity or independence of science. These notions of appropriate engagement were underpinned by disparate conceptions of the value of research (as a service to society, site of democratic deliberation, or public good), reproducing (and challenging) established models of science and democracy. The thesis argues that, from an experimental perspective, this ambiguity in visions of (co-production in) Future Earth can be seen to enable flexibility and allow differences to co-exist. This might require new, perhaps radical, thinking about how to organise, conduct and value research and its outcomes, with an increased emphasis on fostering, appreciating and productively working with diversity and institutional indeterminacy.
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Comte, Adrien. "Coral reefs ecosystem services under global environmental change : interdisciplinary approaches to guide science and action." Thesis, Brest, 2018. http://www.theses.fr/2018BRES0002/document.
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Les changements environnementaux globaux (CEG) menacent les écosystèmes marins et les populations humaines qui en dépendent. Une recherche scientifique croissante tente d’évaluer les impacts des changements environnementaux sur les écosystèmes et les services écosystémiques, notamment pour guider les politiques publiques. Focalisée sur les systèmes socio-écologiques (SSE) des récifs coralliens, cette thèse analyse les approches proposées dans la littérature et conçoit de nouvelles méthodologies, évaluations et indicateurs pour guider la science et l’action publique. Nous montrons qu’une stratégie de recherche régionale doit prendre en compte la complexité et produire de meilleures projections des impacts des CEG sur les récifs coralliens et les services associés. Nous cartographions des indicateurs à l’échelle globale pour évaluer où la dépendance des sociétés aux récifs coralliens sera affectée par les menaces globales dues à un niveau de CO2 élevé. Nous analysons comment la science répond aux impacts des CEG sur les récifs coralliens et nous identifions des pistes pour la recherche. Enfin, nous opérationnalisons une facette de la vulnérabilité, la capacité d’adaptation écologique, pour servir d’outil pour évaluer l’effectivité des actions locales dans un contexte de CEG. Ce manuscrit contribue à des avancées théoriques et méthodologiques sur l’évaluation des impacts, de la vulnérabilité et de l’adaptation aux CEG. Il développe des approches interdisciplinaires pour l’étude des SSE et des services écosystémiques, ciblant les récifs coralliens comme étude de cas. Enfin, il analyse l’émergence d’un champ scientifique sur les solutions aux GEC pour les récifs coralliensGlobal environmental change (GEC) in the ocean threatens marine ecosystems and the people who depend on them. A growing scientific effort is attempting to evaluate the impacts of environmental changes on ecosystems and ecosystem services and guide policy-making to respond to this global issue. Focusing on social-ecological systems of coral reefs, this thesis critically reviews the approaches put forward in the literature to understand gaps and to design new methodologies, assessments, and indicators to guide science and policy. Our findings show that a regionally targeted strategy of research should address complexity and provide more realistic projections about the impacts of GEC on coral reefs ecosystems and ecosystem services. We map global-scale indicators to understand where human dependence on coral reef ecosystems will be affected by globally-driven threats expected in a high-CO2 world. We then analyze how science is responding to the challenge posed by GEC on coral reefs and to identify gaps in research.Finally, we attempt to operationalize an overlooked component of vulnerability assessments, ecological adaptive capacity, to serve as a tool to help assess where local actions can be effective in the context of climate change. This manuscript contributes to theoretical and methodological advances to evaluate impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to GEC. It develops interdisciplinary approaches for the study of social-ecological systems and ecosystem services, targeting coral reefs as a case study. Finally, it synthesizes critically the emergence of a scientific field on solutions to GEC for coral reef social-ecological systems
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Cocking, Christopher. "Raising awareness of global environmental change : a comparison of perceived efficacy of involvement in direct and indirect environmental collective action." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.298147.
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Bunn, Andrew Godard. "Temporal and spatial patterns at alpine treeline in the Sierra Nevada USA implications for global change /." Diss., Restricted to MSU On campus access only, 2004. http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/2004/bunn/BunnA0805.pdf.
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Drenkhan, Fabian. "In the shadow of global change: towards integrated and adaptive water resources management in the Andes of Peru." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Centro de Investigación en Geografía Aplicada, 2016. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/119465.
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In the Tropical Andes of Peru and adjacent lowlands, human livelihoods are exposed to strong changes in hydroclimatic and socioeconomic patterns. On the one hand, climate change impacts are particularly visible by means of glacier retreat and growth of glacier lakes. With decreasing ice masses in highly glacierized catchments, river discharge probably diminishes and its streamflow variability increases. On the other hand, growing energy demand promotes extensions of hydropower plants and thus a major need to rely on a predictable minimum discharge during the whole year. Additionally, the expansion of irrigated agriculture and population growth exert new pressures in the catchments. The antagonistic situation of successively depleting water supply and growing water demand put at risk future water availability.This study analyzes the state of the art of water supply in the Santa (Ancash, La Libertad) and Vilcanota (Cusco) river catchments. The water balance in both catchments is embedded in the framework of Integrated Water Resources Management and the new Water Resources Law. Multiple water conflicts which prevail in Peru, make visible the need for a water resources governance with pathways towards more participative, secure and sustainable water management. Intertwined and complex hydroclimatic and socioeconomic processes with high uncertainty in the Andes of Peru could be tackled with Adaptive Water Management in the future.En los Andes Tropicales del Perú y regiones adyacentes aguas abajo, la subsistencia humana está expuesta a fuertes cambios en los patrones hidroclimáticos y socioeconómicos. Por un lado, los impactos del cambio climático son particularmente visibles a través del retroceso glaciar y crecimiento de lagunas glaciares. Conforme se va reduciendo la masa de hielo en cuencas altamente glaciadas, el caudal de río probablemente decrecerá y su variabilidad aumentará. Por otro lado, la creciente demanda de energía promueve la extensión de centrales hidroeléctricas y por ende una mayor necesidad de contar con un caudal mínimo predecible durante todo el año. Además, la expansión de la agricultura de riego y el crecimiento poblacional generan nuevas presiones en las cuencas. La situación antagonista de una oferta de agua sucesivamente menor y demanda de agua creciente pone en riesgo la futura disponibilidad de agua.Este estudio analiza el estado del arte de la oferta y demanda de agua en las cuencas de los ríos Santa (Ancash, La Libertad) y Vilcanota (Cusco). Se contextualiza el balance hídrico en ambas cuencas en el marco de la Gestión Integrada de Recursos Hídricos y la nueva Ley de Recursos Hídricos. Múltiples conflictos por el agua que prevalecen en el Perú hacen visible la necesidad de una gobernanza de recursos hídricos con trayectorias hacia una gestión más participativa, segura y sostenible. Procesos hidroclimáticos y socioeconómicos entrelazados y complejos con alto grado de incertidumbre en los Andes del Perú, podrían abordarse mediante una Gestión Adaptativa del Agua en el futuro.
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Iniesta-Arandia, Irene, Federica Ravera, Stephanie Buechler, Isabel Díaz-Reviriego, María E. Fernández-Giménez, Maureen G. Reed, Mary Thompson-Hall, et al. "A synthesis of convergent reflections, tensions and silences in linking gender and global environmental change research." SPRINGER, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622830.
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This synthesis article joins the authors of the special issue "Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change" in a common reflective dialogue about the main contributions of their papers. In sum, here we reflect on links between gender and feminist approaches to research in adaptation and resilience in global environmental change (GEC). The main theoretical contributions of this special issue are threefold: emphasizing the relevance of power relations in feminist political ecology, bringing the livelihood and intersectionality approaches into GEC, and linking resilience theories and critical feminist research. Empirical insights on key debates in GEC studies are also highlighted from the nine cases analysed, from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Further, the special issue also contributes to broaden the gender approach in adaptation to GEC by incorporating research sites in the Global North alongside sites from the Global South. This paper examines and compares the main approaches adopted (e.g. qualitative or mixed methods) and the methodological challenges that derive from intersectional perspectives. Finally, key messages for policy agendas and further research are drawn from the common reflection.
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Vladimirova, Ekaterina. "Values for sustainable future: transforming values in the context of climate change and global environmental degradation." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/241295.
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Matsuzawa, Setsuko. "The transnational diffusion of global environmental concerns via INGOs in China a new framework for understanding diffusion in authoritarian contexts /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC IP addresses, 2007. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3259055.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007.Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 11, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-197).
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Meque, Arlindo Oliva. "Investigating the link between southern African droughts and global atmospheric teleconnections using regional climate models." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/16686.
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Includes bibliographical referencesDrought is one of the natural hazards that threaten the economy of many nations, especially in Southern Africa, where many socio-economic activities depend on rain-fed agriculture. This study evaluates the capability of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) in simulating the Southern African droughts. It uses the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI, computed using rainfall and temperature data) to identify 3-month droughts over Southern Africa, and compares the observed and simulated drought patterns. The observation data are from the Climate Research Unit (CRU), while the simulation data are from 10 RCMs (ARPEGE, CCLM, HIRHAM, RACMO, REMO, PRECIS, RegCM3, RCA, WRF, and CRCM) that participated in the Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) project. The study also categorizes drought patterns over Southern Africa, examines the persistence and transition of these patterns, and investigates the roles of atmospheric teleconnections on the drought patterns. The results show that the drought patterns can occur in any season, but they have preference for seasons. Some droughts patterns may persist up to three seasons, while others are transient. Only about 20% of the droughts patterns are induced solely by El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), other drought patterns are caused by complex interactions among the atmospheric teleconnections. The study also reveals that the Southern Africa drought pattern is generally shifting from a wet condition to a dry condition, and that the shifting can only be captured with a drought monitoring index that accounts for temperature influence on drought. Only few CORDEX RCMs simulate the Southern African droughts as observed. In this regard, the ARPEGE model shows the best simulation. The best performance may be because the stretching capability of ARPEGE helps the model to eliminate boundary condition problems, which are present in other RCMs. In ARPEGE simulations, the stretching capability would allow a better interaction between large and small scale features, and may lead to a better representation of the rain producing systems in Southern Africa. The results of the study may be applied to improve monitoring and prediction of regionally-extensive drought over Southern Africa, and to reduce the socio-economic impacts of drought in the region.
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Leong, Elaine. "Water Situation In China - Crisis Or Business As Usual?" Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Industriell miljöteknik, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-94186.
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Several studies indicates China is experiencing a water crisis, were several regions are suffering of severe water scarcity and rivers are heavily polluted. On the other hand, water is used inefficiently and wastefully: water use efficiency in the agriculture sector is only 40% and within industry, only 40% of the industrial wastewater is recycled. However, based on statistical data, China’s total water resources is ranked sixth in the world, based on its water resources and yet, Yellow River and Hai River dries up in its estuary every year. In some regions, the water situation is exacerbated by the fact that rivers’ water is heavily polluted with a large amount of untreated wastewater, discharged into the rivers and deteriorating the water quality. Several regions’ groundwater is overexploited due to human activities demand, which is not met by local. Some provinces have over withdrawn groundwater, which has caused ground subsidence and increased soil salinity. So what is the situation in China? Is there a water crisis, and if so, what are the causes?This report is a review of several global water scarcity assessment methods and summarizes the findings of the results of China’s water resources to get a better understanding about the water situation. All of the methods indicated that water scarcity is mainly concentrated to north China due to rapid growth, overexploitation from rivers and reduced precipitation. Whereas, South China is indicated as abundant in water resources, however, parts of the region are experiencing water scarcity due to massive dam constructions for water storage and power production. Too many dam constructions in a river disrupts flow of the river water and pollutants are then accumulated within floodgates.Many Chinese officials and scholars believe that with economic growth comes improved environmental quality when the economy has reached to a certain of per-capita level. However, with the present water situation it is not sustainable or possible for China to keep consuming and polluting its water resources. Improvement of environmental quality does not come automatically with increased income, and policies, laws and regulations are needed in order to stop further deterioration of the environment.China’s water situation is not any news and the key factor is human activities, but the question is how to solve it. China’s water crisis is much more complex than over exploitation of groundwater and surface water. There are three water issues in China: “too much water – floods, too little water – droughts, and too dirty water – water pollution” (Jun & Chen, 2001). Thus, solving China’s water crisis is a huge challenge to solve without negatively affecting the economic growth.
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Yang, Qian. "Applications of Satellite Geodesy in Environmental and Climate Change." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6440.
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Satellite geodesy plays an important role in earth observation. This dissertation presents three applications of satellite geodesy in environmental and climate change. Three satellite geodesy techniques are used: high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS), the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). In the first study, I use coastal uplift observed by GPS to study the annual changes in mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet. The data show both spatial and temporal variations of coastal ice mass loss and suggest that a combination of warm atmospheric and oceanic condition drove these variations. In the second study, I use GRACE monthly gravity change estimates to constrain recent freshwater flux from Greenland. The data show that Arctic freshwater flux started to increase rapidly in the mid-late 1990s, coincident with a decrease in the formation of dense Labrador Sea Water, a key component of the deep southward return flow od the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Recent freshening of the polar oceans may be reducing formation of Labrador Sea Water and hence may be weakening the AMOC. In the third study, I use InSAR to monitor ground deformation caused by CO2 injection at an enhanced oil recovery site in west Texas. Carbon capture and storage can reduce CO2 emitted from power plants, and is a promising way to mitigate anthropogenic warming. From 2007 to 2011, ~24 million tons of CO2 were sequestered in this field, causing up to 10 MPa pressure buildup in a reservoir at depth, and surface uplift up to 10 cm. This study suggests that surface displacement observed by InSAR is a cost-effective way to estimate reservoir pressure change and monitor the fate of injected fluids at waste disposal and CO2 injection sites.
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Dogrul, Selver Ayca. "The effect of global climate change on the release of terrestrial organic carbon in the Arctic Region." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2014. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-effect-of-global-climate-change-on-the-release-of-terrestrial-organic-carbon-in-the-arctic-region(64ed1c27-07ff-42b3-83a7-7803b4b697f4).html.
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The Arctic Region is currently experiencing an amplified warming if compared to the rest of the world. The soils in this region store approximately half of the global soil organic carbon (OC), mainly locked in the permanently-frozen ground (permafrost). This carbon sink is sensitive to global warming meaning that the predicted warming will likely increase the thaw-release of this ‘old’ carbon. However, what happens to this remobilized OC once it is transported to the Arctic Ocean, including the potential conversion to greenhouse gasses causing a positive feedback to climate warming, remains unclear. In this work, we further investigate the fate of terrestrial derived OC (terrOC) in the Eurasian Arctic Region. The key findings of this work are: • Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) and bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are present in marine sediments of the Eurasian Arctic Region and the associated Branched and Isoprenoidal tetraether (BIT) and Rsoil indices can be used to trace terrOC in marine realm. However, a slight modification in the Rsoil index is suggested (R’soil). • Analyses indicate that the behaviour of BIT is largely controlled by a marine GDGT contribution while the R’soil index is mainly controlled by the removal of soil marker BHPs. Although both indices suggest a non-conservative behavior for the terrOC, this leads to differences in the estimations for the percentage terrOC present. A multi-proxy approach is essential since the use of a single-proxy approach can lead to over/under estimation.• Comparison of BIT and 13Csoc indices across the East Siberian Shelf indicates that the BIT index is possibly reflecting a predominantly fluvial input while 13Csoc represents a mixed fluvial and coastal erosion input.• The macromolecular terrOC composition varies along a west-east Eurasian Arctic climosequence and is mainly controlled by the river runoff of surface derived terrOC and wetland coverage (sphagnum vs. higher plants) but is not affected by the presence/absence of continuous permafrost. • The phenols/(phenols+pyridines) ratio was suggested as a proxy to trace terrOC at the macromolecular level along the Kolyma River-East Siberian Sea transect. The results indicate a non-conservative behavior of the macromolecular terrOC comparable to the bulk of the terrOC.All molecular analyses/based proxies used showed that the remobilized terrOC in the Eurasian Arctic region behaves non-conservatively potentially causing a positive feedback to global climate change.
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Foy, Valencia Pierre Claudio. "Considerations weather on environmental relevant of international conventions." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2014. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/116109.
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In the first part we introduce what we consider the main features of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (CMCC) and its context, in terms of prejuridical issues about climate diplomacy and general considerations about this convention. In the second part, we discuss some references in order to show the synergies between the international agreements and the CMCC and some other more specific legal instruments.En la primera parte se elabora una caracterización de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (CMCC) y su contexto en términos de consideraciones prejurídicas acerca de la diplomacia climática y de consideraciones generales sobre dicha convención. En la segunda parte se abordan, a modo de muestra, referencias sobre las sinergias entre compromisos internacionales y la CMCC y algunas derivaciones jurídicas más específicas.
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Kurtz, Reed Michael. "Climate Change and the Ecology of the Political: Crisis, Hegemony, and the Struggle for Climate Justice." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1566180060639625.
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Hooten, Mevin B. "Hierarchical spatio-temporal models for ecological processes." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4500.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (April 26, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
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Herbstein, Tom Philip. "Insurance and the Anthropocene: like a frog in hot water." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/16571.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical referencesThis thesis explores the relationship between the commercial insurance industry, global environmental change (GEC) and what Beck (1992; 1999) termed the 'risk society'. In recent decades, there have been growing concerns that many of the risks impacting contemporary society have undergone fundamental changes. Many of these risks are increasingly being linked to the unintended consequences of humankind's remarkable progress in science and technology, and have been described as debounded, given that they so often transcend both geographical and temporal boundaries (Beck 1992). Within the risk society, the commercial insurance industry - which relies on statistical (actuarial) analysis to help it assess and manage its risk exposure - has been described as demarcating the frontier barrier between bounded (i.e. insurable) and debounded (i.e. uninsurable) risk. However, this claim has been a highly contested one, leading to calls for more empirical data to help clarify how commercial insurance is actually responding under conditions of uncertainty. Of all the debounded risks, GEC has emerged as one of the risk society's most recognisable. Now understood to be a result of the anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gasses, particularly since the onset of the industrial revolution, its impacts have risen so sharply in recent decades that it has prompted claims that Earth has moved away from the era of the Holocene and into the Anthropocene (Crutzen 2002). Given that at least 40% of the cost of environmental catastrophes is now borne by commercial insurance, GEC provides an excellent opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how the industry is responding to debounded risk at the risk society's frontier barrier. Early commentators suggested that the commercial insurance industry would be well motivated to respond proactively to GEC, by taking a more mitigative approach to managing its drivers at both the global and local levels. However, the industry, so far, has been described as more adaptive of its own business activities than mitigative. This raises questions about whether such claims are true across all three of the insurance industry's activities - as risk carriers, risk managers and as investors, why they have responded in such ways, and what implications this has for broadening our understanding of the complex relationship between commercial insurance, debounded risk and the risk society's frontier barrier. To consider these questions, a collective case study was undertaken with a variety of commercial insurance companies, re-insurers, asset managers, clients, brokers, industry associations and regulators across South Africa, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Belgium. The research identified how commercial insurers have indeed responded more by adaptation of their business activities than mitigation of the drivers of GEC. This is mainly through the use of defensive underwriting to help them manage their exposure. However, the research extends this analysis by highlighting some of the nuances of the industry's response. This includes its focus on centralisation, the influence of the existing paradigm framing its understanding of risk, and by highlighting the irony that the area of insurers' activities, initially believed to be most suited for responding to GEC (i.e. their investment portfolios), have, in practice, been the area recording the least response. In exploring why this is so, the study draws on understandings of the Anthropocene to argue that commercial insurers are finding their existing risk assessment tools progressively out-dated in a world where risk is no longer as predictable as it once was. This is further compounded by increasingly plural access to the risk society's science and technologies, which, in some instances, are undermining the role commercial insurance plays as society's primary financial risk manager. This raises questions around the role commercial insurance plays in demarcating the risk society's frontier barrier which, ultimately, has far broader implications for why so many of society's institutions are struggling to adapt to risk in the 21st Century.