For a slightly different take on the Five Friday Facts comes the “virtually certain” impacts of climate change. This data comes from the IPCC’s (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change) Summary for Policy Makers (PDF).
| Phenomenon and direction of trend | Likelihood of future trends based on projections for 21st century using SRES scenarios | Agriculture, forestry, and ecosystems | Water resources | Human health | Industry, settlement and society |
| Over most land areas, warmer and fewer cold days and nights, warmer and more frequent hot days and nights | *Virtually Certain
*>99% probability of occurrence |
Increased yields in colder environments; decreased yields in warmer environments; increased insect outbreaks | Effects on water resources relying on snow melt; effects on some water supplies | Reduced human mortality from decreased cold exposure | Reduced energy demand for heating; increased demand for cooling; declining air quality in cities; reduced disruption to transport due to snow, ice; effects on winter tourism |
The definition of virtually certain used by the IPCC is a greater than 99% probability of occurrence. According to statistical analysis, the likelihood of these occurrences are statistically significant. However, they are all based on projections that reflect science’s current knowledge and as a result cannot account for all factors related to climate variability.
- Eric Wilson
Posted in 
Tags: 
