ABSTRACT

This chapter addresses the scientific data that relates to some of the major climate drivers and manifestations. It discusses the climate forcings from the sun, the impact of the oceans, and the documented changes to glaciers, the Arctic, and the Antarctic. The chapter describes the three principal impacts of the sun on the climate. The first is the movement of the Earth around the sun, the second is sunspots and solar flares, and the third is solar insolation Insolation is simply the amount of sunshine or solar radiation striking the Earth. The continuing carbon emissions affect the Earth's energy balance heating of the atmosphere is the balancing response. Changing chemistry will gradually change the oceans as crustaceans lose their ability to form shells and as dissolved oxygen decreases Planners need to expect that certain species will crash with cascading and unpredictable effects on the ocean ecosystem.