Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand

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Basic overview - some gentle steps

The following links will provide you with a gentle introduction to the main concepts, science, and issues of climate change beginning with the most basic of material gradually adding depth and complexity.

1. The very first step for the climate change novice, (a two page fact sheet) .
2. International response , (another two page fact sheet).
3. Climate change 101 - a comprehensive introduction - set of pdfs
4. Climate literacy - a guide to the essential principles of climate science, available in either high or low resolution
5. Taking the temperature - global mean surface temperature
6. People Changing the Climate
7. Radiation Greenhouse gas and greenhouse effect
8. Climate Change Australia - 2009 Science update
9. Climate change in Australia - website. check the information located under Australia's future climate .The technical report can be accessed through the Resources tab.
10. An introduction to climate change in Queensland

By reading through the web based material available through the above links you will be able to answer the following questions:

• What is the internationally recognised measure of greenhouse emissions?
• What do the key terms mitigation and adaptation address?
• What are the key differences between the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol?
• If climate is not the same thing as weather, what is the difference?
• How does the concept of climate variability differ from climate change? what examples can you provide to illustrate the difference?
• What do merchant ships have to do with the measurement of sea surface temperatures?
• Describe some of the reasons why climate model estimates are uncertain.
• When scientists talk about inertia of the earth's climate system, what do they mean and what does this have to do with future climates?