What is Climate Change?

The build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) threatens to set the Earth inexorably on the path to an unpredictably different climate. The International Panel Climate Change (IPCC) says many parts of the planet will be warmer. Droughts, floods and other forms of extreme weather will become more frequent, threatening food supplies. Plants and animals which cannot adjust, will die out. Sea levels are rising and will continue to do so, forcing hundreds of thousands of people in coastal zones to migrate.

One of the main GHGs which humans are adding to the atmosphere, carbon dioxide (CO2), is increasing rapidly. Around 1750, about the start of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, there were 280 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 in the atmosphere. Today the overall amount of GHGs has topped 390 ppm CO2e (parts per million of carbon dioxide equivalent - all GHGs expressed as a common metric in relation to their warming potential) and the figure is rising by 1.5-2 ppm annually. Reputable scientists believe the Earth's average temperature should not rise by more than 2°C over pre-industrial levels. Among others, the European Union indicated that this is essential to minimize the risk of what the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) calls dangerous climate change and keep the costs of adapting to a warmer world bearable. Scientists say there is a 50 per cent chance of keeping to 2°C if the total GHG concentration remains below 450 ppm.

Source: UN Environment Programme (UNEP) 

Media and Climate Change

Climate change could be the biggest story of the twenty first century, affecting societies, economies and individuals on a grand scale. Equally enormous are the adjustments that will have to be made to our energy and transportation systems, economies and societies, if we are to mitigate climate change.

All journalists should understand the science of climate change - its causes, its controversies and its current and projected impacts. Start by doing your own research from established sources, such as reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or from local scientific experts you trust. Climate Change Reporting Guide

Throughout most of the developing world, media coverage of global warming is inadequate. Although there is a general realization that the climate is changing, ignorance about the causes and projected impacts is widespread. This deficit is especially worrying given that developing nations, collectively known as the global South, are usually the most vulnerable to impacts such as worsening drought and rising sea levels.

Yet it isn't lack of commitment from journalists on covering complex science that's the problem, but rather the inordinate number of obstacles they face in reporting the issues for local media. Experts are now looking at how the quantity and quality of climate change reporting can be raised, mainly through donor-assisted journalism training programs. Rescuing Reporting in the Global South