Climate Change

Mary Scholes is a Professor in the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and is the SARChI (South African Research Chairs Initiative) chair with a focus on global change and systems analysis. Her climate change research focuses on agriculture and food security as well as impacts of acidic deposition resulting from the burning of fossil fuels.Robert (Bob) Scholes is a Professor of Systems Ecology at the University of the Witwatersrand. He has worked on the issue of climate change since 1990, and was a Lead Author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s influential assessments in 2000, 2007 and 2014. His specialty is the interaction between terrestrial ecosystems in Africa and the global climate, and he is widely regarded as a world expert in this field.Mike Lucas was an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Town. He was the South African and African member of the International Scientific Committee of Oceanic Research (SCOR), a special committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU). His own research focused on how climate change affects the marine environment, particularly the Atlantic and Southern Oceans, and how this in turn affects global climate.

• Foreword by Minister Pandor; General introduction: How do governments assess climate change? Earth system science - The processes that underlie climate change; Introduction; Why is Earth habitable?; How do greenhouse gases regulate Earth's temperature?; Is water vapour the most important greenhouse gas?; Why are clouds the wild card in climate change?; Isn't climate change just part of a long-term natural cycle?; Are climate variations just due to volcanoes or other Earth processes?; How do El Nino and La Nina events affect South African weather?; How hot might it get in South Africa this century? How might the rainfall in southern Africa change in the 21st century?; Are extreme weather events related to climate change?; How do land-use changes and deforestation add to global warming?; What is South Africa's contribution to global warming?; What happens to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions?; Can ecosystems keep sucking up carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil-fuel burning?; Could ocean currents slow down or change direction?; Is there any chance of runaway global warming?; Consequences of a changing climate for the southern African environment; Introduction; Maps: South African biomes, oceans; How resilient are ecosystems to climate change?; How will South Africa's plants respond to climate change?; Could rising carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations boost plant growth?; Is bush encroachment caused by global change?; Will South Africa's land animals cope with climate change?; Are South Africa's birds taking flight?; Will South Africa run out of water?; How will climate change affect freshwater systems?; How much, and how fast, will sea level rise?; What is ocean acidification?; How will ocean acidification affect marine organisms?; How is climate change affecting South Africa's coastal seas?; How is our marine life responding to climate change?; Will coral reefs survive climate change?; How are Antarctica and the Southern ocean responding to climate change?; Climate change at South Africa's Prince Edward islands; Consequences of a changing climate for society; Introduction; Is the South African economy vulnerable to climate change?; How will climate change affect agriculture?; Will there be enough food to eat?; Do cow-farts really cause global warming?; How will forestry in South Africa respond to climate change?; How will climate change affect marine fisheries and aquaculture?; What are the human costs of climate variability?; How do climate and air pollution affect human health?; Is climate change accelerating the spread of malaria in South Africa?; Should South Africans worry about rising sea levels?; What can we do to avoid and adapt to climate change?; Introduction; Is it cheaper to tolerate climate change or prevent it?; Is carbon trading desirable or useful?; Is it possible to take carbon dioxide (CO2) back out of the atmosphere?; Could ocean fertilization fix climate change?; Could we reduce incoming solar radiation?; Are there viable alternatives to coal for South Africa?; Can nuclear power provide the clean energy we need?; Can we harness the sea's energy?; Can we turn garbage into energy?; Do biofuels offer a solution?; Could spekboom save our bacon?; Can we help plants and animals adapt to climate change?; Can we build climate-friendly houses and cities?; How can I reduce my carbon footprint?; Codicil: Is there a dangerous level of climate change?