An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology, 2021
An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology, 2021
An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology, 2021
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CLIMATE CHANGE | 77<br />
Results of Current Climate Models<br />
Around the world, different teams of scientists have built <strong>and</strong> run models <strong>to</strong> project future climate conditions<br />
under various scenarios for the next century. The model results project that global temperature will continue <strong>to</strong><br />
increase, but show that human decisions <strong>and</strong> behavior we choose <strong>to</strong>day will determine how dramatically climate<br />
will change in the future.<br />
How are Climate Models Different From Weather Prediction Models?<br />
Unlike weather forecasts, which describe a detailed picture of the expected daily sequence of conditions starting<br />
from the present, climate models are probabilistic, indicating areas with higher chances <strong>to</strong> be warmer or cooler<br />
<strong>and</strong> wetter or drier than usual. Climate models are based on global patterns in the ocean <strong>and</strong> atmosphere, <strong>and</strong><br />
records of the types of weather that occurred under similar patterns in the past.<br />
View maps showing short-term climate forecasts »<br />
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)<br />
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the most prominent international scientific body<br />
for assessing climate change. It was formed in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) <strong>and</strong> the<br />
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). There are currently 195 member-countries in the IPCC,<br />
<strong>and</strong> membership is open <strong>to</strong> all countries in the WMO <strong>and</strong> UN. The IPCC is responsible for reviewing <strong>and</strong><br />
evaluating scientific, technical, <strong>and</strong> socioeconomic information related <strong>to</strong> climate change. While the IPCC<br />
neither conducts research nor moni<strong>to</strong>rs any climate change data directly, it provides policymakers with the most<br />
comprehensive picture of the scientific consensus.<br />
Who are the people in this panel?<br />
<strong>An</strong> interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it<br />
online here:<br />
https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/isb202/?p=155<br />
To learn more about some of the scientists involved, check out the IPCC’s playlist “25 Years of the<br />
IPCC- Individual Videos.”
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