Discuss a range of possible impacts of climate change.

You should support your answer with specific examples.

The temperature of the atmosphere will increase. 

1. One impact of rising temperatures is more frequent droughts. Droughts are periods with little or no rainfall. Climate change is causing droughts to happen because Increased atmospheric temperatures can cause dry seasons to extend into long droughts, reducing the availability of food and water. 

2. Another impact of rising temperatures is extinctions. Extinction is when an animal or plant dies out. Climate change is causing extinction to happen because habitats are becoming lost or unsuitable for animals. For example, the bumblebee is needing to move north to cooler climates so may become locally extinct. 

Sea temperatures are higher as the sea and ocean acts as a thermal reservoir. 

1. One impact of higher sea temperatures is tropical storms. Tropical storms such as hurricanes can cause widespread damage to property and lives. Climate change is causing tropical storms to happen more often because sea temperatures are higher, which increases the frequency and severity of storms (e.g. Hurricane Milton, 2024).

2. A second impact of higher sea temperatures is acidification. Acidification is when oceans become more acidic, affecting marine species. Climate change is causing acidification to happen because the ocean is absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is impacting corals, which expel algae and turn white, making them unsuitable habitats for other species.

3. A third impact of higher sea temperatures is the need for investment in infrastructure. Infrastructure at the coasts will have to be improved and made more resilient, which comes at a cost to landowners or governments. Climate change is causing this to happen because storms and rising sea levels will cause more coastal erosion. Harbours will have to be protected with breakwaters and properties will need to be protected by sea walls. These projects cost millions of pounds and have to be publicly or privately funded.

Higher atmospheric and oceanic temperatures will impact on people.

1. One impact will be on people who live on low-lying islands. Low-lying islands such as the Maldives could be flooded. Climate change is causing this to happen because thermal expansion of the oceans and melting of continental ice sheets is causing sea level rise, which will flood low-lying islands and coastal areas. 

2. This may further lead to evacuation. Evacuation in places such as the Maldives will see people leave, becoming climate refugees. Climate change is causing evacuation to happen because people are no longer able to grow food, access water and live safely in coastal areas. 

3. Lastly, people may be more at risk of diseases, which will become more widespread. Climate change is causing this to happen because of shortages of water (which results in people using unclean sources which may have cholera) and a wider geographic spread of the areas where malaria carrying mosquitoes can live.

Describe strategies you have studied and comment on their effectiveness.

The development of renewable energy such as offshore wind is one strategy to reduce greenhouse gases. In Scotland there are currently 7 operational offshore wind farms and 20 more in development. These projects are additionally effective as they create jobs in the Highlands, such as in the manufacture of wind turbine parts and the logistics of getting them to the seabed.

A second strategy has been the promotion and funding of improved insulation in homes, reducing heat loss. The funding schemes are designed to help those on low incomes or at risk of fuel poverty to improve the insulation of their homes. This has the additional benefit of lowering their energy bills.

Local authorities have also been focussing on  changing waste management strategies. This aims to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill or incineration, for example by increasing recycling rates from 35%. In Highland, households and businesses have been given an extra bin to seperate plastics and paper. The council used funding from the Scottish Government to buy the new bins and fund the changes to collection and routes. More recycling will also save the council money, as they have to pay for disposal and incineration. 

Low emissions zones have been introduced in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee. These force individuals and businesses to change to vehicles which are lower in greenhouse gas emissions. This works effectively because fines are given out which generates income for the council and also forces behaviour change. It also has the additional benefit of reducing air pollution, which can cause health issues for people who live in polluted areas. Individuals, businesses and even the council have had to invest in new compluiant vehicles, although there were small amounts of funding to do this. 

Finally, carbon offsetting strategies have aimed to mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases. This is mainly through woodland creation and peatland restoration. This is a way that companies and organisations can be "net zero" even if they have unavoidable emissions. This can be done through the carbon market (Woodland Carbon Code) or by individual businesses and organisations. For example, the University of Edinburgh has invested in carbon offsetting to deal with emissions from air travel. Peatland restoration and woodland creation have additional environmental benefits such as habitat restoration and reducing flood risk. However, their creation is slow and it can take 7 to 25 years before meaningful carbon is stored.

Explain why using only one development indicator, such as Gross National Income per capita, may fail to reflect accurately the true quality of life within a country.

Intro: Single indicators such as GNI are averages and show data for a whole country. This means that they don't always reflect the true quality of life. (1 mark)

1) Variations, which affect quality of life aren't shown. These include income inequality which means that levels of extreme poverty or extreme wealth aren't accurately represented. (1 mark) This can also be related to other factors such as race - for example in South Africa, due to apartheid, there are still significant differences between the wealth of blacks and whites, which is not shown in the GNI. (1 mark) 

2) Some regions might be wealthier than others due to natural resources or economic activity. (1 mark) For example, in Russia, oil-rich areas such as the Yamal Peninsula have a GNI which is 25x more than some regions on the border with Georgia. (1 mark)

3) Another reason that they are not accurate is that they don't show what government money is being spent on. (1 mark) For example, in Saudi Arabia, more money is spent on defence than investing in healthcare and education.

4) Some cultures, particularly those in less developed countries, rely heaving on the informal economy and subsistence agriculture. These economic activities aren't reflected in GNI figures. (1 mark)

Composite indicators: A better option would be to use a composite indicator, such as HDI, which combines data about wealth, health & education into one indicator. This would give a more balanced view of the quality of life in a country. (1 mark)