Global change

Global change refers to nothing. The system consists of the land, oceans, atmosphere, polar regions, life, the planet’s natural cycles and deep Earth processes. These constituent parts influence one another. The Earth system now includes human society, so global change also refers to large-scale changes in society.

More completely, the term “global change” encompasses: population, climate, the economy, resource use, energy development, transport, communication, land use and land cover, urbanization, globalization, atmospheric circulation, ocean circulation, the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle and other cycles, sea ice loss, sea-level rise, food webs, biological diversity, pollution, health, over fishing, and more.

History of global-change research

In 1980, a group of scientists led by Swedish meteorologist Bert Bolin set up an international programme, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), to determine whether the climate was changing, whether climate could be predicted and whether humans were in some way responsible for the change. The programme was sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization and the International Council for Science (ICSU). As time went on, there was a growing realisation that climate change was one part of a larger phenomenon, global change. In 1987, a team of researchers, led again by Bert Bolin, James McCarthy, Paul Crutzen, H. Oeschger and others, successfully argued for an international research programme to investigate global change. This programme, sponsored by ICSU, is the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). The programme has eight projects investigating different parts of the Earth system and links between them.

Latest News for: Global change biology

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‘A Little Dystopian’: Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates Bankrolling Methane Vaccine for Cattle

GlobalResearch 20 Nov 2024
The fund intends to distribute all of its money by 2030, by funding projects to “fight climate change and protect nature.” ... As Microsoft founder Gates, Amazon and Google pour money into changing the biology of cows to reduce methane, their own carbon footprints are soaring due to the increased energy needed to power their artificial intelligence....
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Egypt, Global Environment Facility discuss funding issues

Daily News Egypt 02 Nov 2024
This came on the sidelines of Fouad’s participation in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Colombia. The Minister stressed that building the global funding system needs to change, especially in regard to supporting developing countries and development....
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No Paris Agreement without nature, Emirati climate champion calls for united efforts

Gulf News 31 Oct 2024
“We must sharpen our focus on the indispensable role of nature in maintaining biodiversity and propelling global resilience and economic stability,” Razan, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, said on the sidelines of the event ... climate change, and desertification....

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