Showing papers on "Climate commitment published in 1978"
TL;DR: In this article, a numerical climate model is used to simulate climate change forced only by random fluctuations of the atmospheric heat transport, which is shown to be a possible 'cause' not only of the variability of the annual world average temperature about its mean, but also long-term excursions from the mean.
Abstract: A numerical climate model is used to simulate climate change forced only by random fluctuations of the atmospheric heat transport. This short-term natural variability of the atmosphere is shown to be a possible 'cause' not only of the variability of the annual world average temperature about its mean, but also long-term excursions from the mean. Various external causes of climate change are also tested with the model and the results compared with observations for the past 100 years. Volcanic dust is shown to have been an important cause of climate change, while the effects of sunspot-related solar constant variation and anthropogenic forcing are not evident.
111 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors score countries based on their efforts to reduce emissions under current climate arrangements including the Kyoto Protocol, including the U.S., Japan, Australia, and Canada.
Abstract: Climate change is largely the legacy of developed and industrialized countries. These include OECD states in Europe, as well as the U.S., Japan, Australia, and Canada. Expectations under current climate arrangements, including the Kyoto Protocol, are that these countries will reduce their emissions to a baseline (i.e., 1990 levels) by a certain target date. We score this group based on their efforts to reduce emissions.
73 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, it is suggested that vegetational modification of the earth's surface albedo, a process which occurs during a change in global climate, could produce a significant albed-climate coupling or feedback mechanism.
Abstract: It is suggested that vegetational modification of the earth’s surface albedo, a process which occurs during a change in global climate, could produce a significant albedo-climate coupling or feedback mechanism. Employing the ice age of 18 000 years ago as a comparative climate, it is estimated that such a long-term biosphere-albedo feedback might roughly double the sensitivity of the global climate to factors which produce climatic change.
65 citations
TL;DR: The global climate system is a complex nonlinear system, and the large number of feedback loops between its different components mean that it is sensitive to large-scale changes in any one part as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Local effects of energy-conversion systems have already been observed, and the influence of cities can already be quantified. The global climate system is, however, a complex nonlinear system, and the large number of feedback loops between its different components mean that it is sensitive to large-scale changes in any one part
4 citations