Climate Change « Ask a Real Expert « Ask an expert

Climate change is one of the major challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century. We asked for your questions on climate change and selected the most frequently asked and the most intriguing ones. Here are the answers from some of Australia's top climate change experts.

How long before sea levels rise to a significant level? Answer Image: Reuters

Q1: How can scientists tell that climate change is due to greenhouse gases, rather than part of a natural climate cycle?
Submitted by Bob Joyce

Q2: By how much have our actual emissions gone up?
Submitted by Cathie

Q3: What is the accuracy of climate change modelling? Why can't we accurately predict what's going to happen in the future?

Q4: In all of the modelling for climate change is the 'end of oil' scenario being factored in? In other words are the models accounting for likely changes to oil consumption?
Submitted by Malcolm Wilkie

Q5: There has been a small rise in world temperatures over the 20th century, but not in exact parallel with CO2. Please explain why average temperatures both in Australia and globally have not exceeded their 1998 levels despite the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the last six years, an increase equivalent to about 20% of the total increase from 1960 to 1998.
Edited from questions submitted by John McLean and Paul

Q6: Since there have been also solar changes & land use changes, how have the role of all these been separated to say the Kyoto Protocol is needed?
Submitted by Paul

Q7: What does the world of real science know of the effect of solar wind (from sun spots and flares) on clouds and temperature? Specifically, what percentage of current warming can be attributed to this phenomenon?
Edited from a question submitted by Janet Dean

Q8: How is the cost of global warming calculated? Some sites claim the Kyoto protocol is costing huge amounts of money for no appreciable gain, but how can we know what it will cost us to do nothing?
Submitted by Gary Beilby

Q9: What are the key elements of building a business case for greenhouse reduction when dealing with a variety of stakeholders (community, local government, state/federal government) and business?
Submitted by Daniel Murphy

Q10: Can you explain why people don't talk about leaving carbon in the ground? How much of the carbon (in the form of fossil fuels) still unused, needs to be left in the ground to avoid catastrophic global warming?
Submitted by Rod Thorn

Q11: Just wondering how long it will be before sea levels rise to a significant level - ie destroying coastal towns completely.
Submitted by Caitlin

Q12: Do we really have any idea about what will happen to the climate in different areas of Australia? I live in Maleny in Southeast Queensland, what are the changes expected for my area?
Submitted by Jackie Montgomery

Q13: Given the expected build up of clouds due to global warming, how long before global cooling will happen? Is there a danger of runaway greenhouse like on Venus?
Submitted by Ferenc Jakab

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