Climate Change

Overview:
	Global climate change has emerged as a major environmental issue over the past 20 years. During that time period, the scientific community has moved gradually from a position of uncertainty and disagreement toward a broad scientific consensus that a) climate change is occurring, b) that it is caused by human activity, and c) that a changing climate are likely to have adverse and costly consequences. The evidence and analysis that has led, gradually, toward that scientific view include a wide range of data, analysis and examination of historical trends. Nevertheless, estimates of how rapidly climate change is occurring and will progress vary widely (graph of historical climate data). Scientists have found that changes in climate are largely the result of "greenhouse gas" emissions, which include carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and a range of other pollutants. These chemicals are generated from a wide variety of activities including industrial emissions, electricity generation, automobile emissions, and forest clearing. Potential global environmental impacts due to climate change include rising sea levels (graph), changes in regional temperatures and precipitation, changes in ocean currents (see graph of ocean currents), increased risk of droughts, floods and other extreme weather events, and threats to ecosystems and biodiversity. Most studies of the likely economic consequences of climate change conclude that the adverse effects will be significant, and, under some scenarios may be large. The possibility of catastrophic change is also recognized, although there is no way to know the likelihood of a catastrophic outcome. Researchers have constructed models which generate approximations of how regional and global economies will adjust to climate change. Economists have tried to estimate the likely costs of climate damages, as well as the costs of actions aimed at slowing climate change. An excellent survey of these ideas and approaches from an economic perspective is by John Weyant of Stanford University for the Pew Center of Global Climate Change can be found here. [more]
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
	FAQs on economic aspects (from the Pew Center for Global Climate Change)
	FAQs on policy aspects (from the Pew Center for Global Climate Change [PDF]
	FAQs on solutions (from the Pew Center for Global Climate Change)
	FAQs related to business (from the Pew Center for Global Climate Change)
	FAQs on scientific aspects (from the Pew Center for Global Climate Change)
Publications, Presentations and Working Papers and Publications:
	An Introduction to the Economics of Climate Change Policy (John Weyant) [PDF]
	Abrupt Climate Change (R.B. Alley et al) [PDF]
	Climate Change Costs: Recent Advancements in the Economic Assessment (Samuel Fankhauser) [PDF]
	Development, Equity and Sustainability (DES) in the Context of Climate Change (Mohan Munasinghe) [PDF]
	International Equity and Climate Change Policy (Marina Cazorla and Michael Toman) [PDF]
Other Resources and Internet Links:
	Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
	The Pew Center on Global Climate Change
	Climate Impacts Group (CIG) for the Pacific Northwest
	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
	United Nations Environment Program