This page gives you access to resources which you can use in your
personal and political responses to climate change. See our News
page for current climate change news or our Events
page for upcoming and recent past events.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports
The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (www.ipcc.ch)
is being released this year. The report is made up of three working
groups:
- The Physical Science Basis (www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf):
This assesses the current scientific knowledge of the natural
and human drivers of climate change, observed changes in climate,
the ability of science to attribute changes to different causes,
and projections for future climate change. It was released on
2nd February 2007.
- Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation (www.ipcc.ch/SPM6avr07.pdf):
This provides a comprehensive scientific, environmental and
socio-economic analysis of how climate change is affecting natural
and human systems, what the impacts will be in the future and
how far adaptation and mitigation can reduce these impacts.
The report also contains chapters on specific systems, sectors
and regions and was released on 6th April 2007.
- Mitigation (www.ipcc.ch/SPM040507.pdf):
this working group summarises new literature on the scientific,
technological, environmental, economic and social aspects of
the mitigation of climate change.
- Synthesis report: In mid-November 2007, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) met in Valencia, Spain, to
finalize the synthesis of their Fourth Assessment on climate
change. After extensive debate, national representatives issued
the sternest warning yet from the IPCC, agreeing that climate
change could have "abrupt" and "irreversible"
consequences. The summary can be downloaded directly from http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf.
Summary of the predicted impacts for New Zealand and the South
Pacific NIWA has locally specific information available at
www.niwascience.co.nz/ncc/clivar
and that can be directly downloaded from www.niwa.co.nz/media/ipcc_4.pdf.
Oxfam report - Adapting to climate change - What's needed
in poor countries, and who should pay – May 2007
Available from http://www.oxfam.org.nz/news.asp?s1=news&aid=1454
Energy Revolution
A study by the German Aerospace Center, commissioned by Greenpeace
and Europe's Renewable Energy Council, contends that half of the
energy needs in 2050 could be met by renewable energy and energy
efficiency gains. It is estimated that alternative energy sources
including wind and solar could provide nearly 70% of the world's
electricity. They state there would be no need for nuclear nor
coal energy, though biofuels would be intensified under this scenario.
The report can be accessed from www.energyblueprint.info
or a pdf direct from www.energyblueprint.info/fileadmin/media/documents/energy_revolution.pdf
Greenpeace NZ has also released a report examining how New Zealand
can restructure its energy system to drastically reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. The New Zealand report is available from http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/newzealand/press/reports/nz-energy-revolution-report.pdf
Galvanizing National Action on Climate Change
A Yale University report on how to bring about political action
on climate change in the US. Many of the recommendations are also
applicable to New Zealand.
environment.yale.edu/doc/2141/galvanizing_national_action_on_climate_change
Stern Report on the Economics of Climate Change
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2006/press_stern_06.cfm
New Scientist - Climate change: A guide for the perplexed
"With so much at stake, it is right that climate science
is subjected to the most intense scrutiny. What does not help
is for the real issues to be muddied by discredited arguments
or wild theories. So for those who are not sure what to believe,
here is a round-up of the 26 most common climate myths and misconceptions
and a guide to assessing the evidence. In the articles include
lots of links to primary research and major reports for those
who want to follow through to the original sources."
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11462?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=dn11462
Greenpeace report: New Zealand's expanding carbon footprint
- March 2007
www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/press/reports/expanding-carbon-footprint-report
Greenpeace NZ has released an analysis of New Zealand's Emissions
Trading Scheme which outlines its major flaws and barriers to
emission reductions.
What We Can Do: Personal action on climate change
PDF - 48 KB.
What You Can Do about Climate Change: 50 Top Tips (from
a European perspective)
PDF - 1.0 MB.
Answering the Climate Change Sceptics:
Briefing Paper
(PDF, 888 KB)
Footnoted Articles
(PDF, 370 KB)
The Politics of Climate Change - GlobalEd Resource
http://www.globaled.org.nz/comm/documents/00549_GB_0906_1_1.pdf
