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Review of current understanding of global climate change and its impacts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2012

M. Sciortino
M. Sciortino*
Affiliation:
ENEA-CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00060 Roma, Italy
*
†E-mail: maurizio.sciortino@enea.it
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Abstract

This review paper is based on the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in particular on the Working Group I (WG I) ‘The physical science basis’ and on the WG II ‘Impacts adaptation and vulnerability’ reports. The WG I report represents the state of the current scientific understanding of the observed and projected climate changes. The natural and anthropogenic drivers of climate change are addressed, focusing on the physical science understanding of observed records and on model-generated global climate change scenarios. The WG II report concerns the relationship between the observed changes of climate variables and the changes in the natural and human environment, addressing key policy-relevant scientific findings. Projected impacts and findings about vulnerability and adaptation on fresh water, natural ecosystems, food, fiber, coastal areas industry and health are also addressed for all continents. Scientific findings subsequent to the publication of the AR4 are not included in this review paper, whereas the recent decisions by the European Union (EU) and the agreements adopted within the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change based on the AR4 are reported.

Keywords

climate changenatural variabilityanthropogenic forcingimpacts
Type
Review Article
Information
Advances in Animal Biosciences , Volume 2 , Issue 3: The interactions between the livestock industry and climate change. Plenary Session, EAAP Annual Meeting, Crete 2010 , 20 February 2012 , pp. 594 - 600
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

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