Das National Climate Data Center (NCDC, das Nationale Klimadatenzentrum der USA) hat im Juni 2011 seinen Klimabericht „State of the Climate 2010“ vorgestellt (272 Seiten in englisch, unter: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/cmb/bams-sotc/climate-assessment-2010-lo-rez.pdf ). Dazu wurde eine Kurzfassung mit den Highlights des Berichtes (8 Seiten mit Schaubildern in englisch) erstellt, die sich in der Anlage findet, ebenso unter:

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/cmb/bams-sotc/2010/bams-sotc-2010-brochure-lo-rez.pdf

Der US-Klimabericht wurde von 368 Wissenschaftlern aus 45 Ländern erarbeitet.

Einige der zentralen Ergebnisse des Berichts:

Die Erdatmosphäre erwärmt sich immer weiter. Seit mehr als 20 Jahren liegt die globale •Temperatur jeden Monat über den jeweils gemessenen Durchschnittswerten des 20. Jahr-hunderts.

Die Jahre 2010 und 2005 teilen sich den Spitzenplatz als bislang wärmste Jahre seit Beginn •der Wetteraufzeichnungen.

Der weltweite CO2-Ausstoß steigt weiter an. 2009 war er um 1.6ppm auf 386.8 ppm und •2010 um 2.6ppm auf 389.4. Das sei mehr als der durchschnittlich jährliche Anstieg des CO2-Ausstoßes zwischen 1980 und 2010.

Das Mauna Loa Observatorium auf Hawai, das den internationalen Referenzwert für die CO2-•Konzentration in der Erdatmosphäre misst, hat als aktuellsten Wert die Konzentration für Mai 2011 auf seiner homepage ( http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/ ) veröffentlich: mit 394.16ppm handelt es sich um den höchsten Wert, den das Observatorium jemals gemessen hat.

Nach dem Bericht ist es „sehr wahrscheinlich“, dass große Klimaveränderungen, wie zuneh-•mende Feuchtigkeit in der Atmosphäre und höhere Temperaturen, viele verschiedene Arten von Extremereignissen beeinflusst haben und dies auch weiterhin tun würden. Zu solchen Ereignissen zählen heftige Regenfälle, Überschwemmungen, Hitze und Dürre.

Das Grönland-Eisschild hat 2010 mehr Masse als in den Vergleichzeiträumen der letzten 10 •Jahre verloren.

Die Arktis - mit ihren gemessenen Eisschmelzraten - verändert sich schneller als der Großteil des Rests der Welt.

Neuester US-Klimabericht 2010 - State of the Climate 2010. von Helmut Krodel und Peter Schmitt

Seite 1

11

CSR INFO 4/2011

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Schaubild 1 Schaubild 2 Schaubild 3

CO-2 Konzentration in Anstieg der Ober- Entwicklung des

der Erdatmosphäre flächentemperaturen Grönlandeises

In den „Highlights“ finden sich auch weitere Schaubilder, z.B. zu den beiden Wetterphänomenen

El Nino / La Nina •und der

Arktischen Oszillierung, einer atmosphärischen Strömung die in einer bestimmten Konstella-•tion für Kaltwinter in Europa verantwortlich ist sowie zur

Entwicklung des Arktikeises und der•

Entwicklung globaler Land- und Seetemperaturen zwischen 1880 und 2010•

Insgesamt bestätigt der Bericht die bereits aufgezeigten Trends des IPCC (Internationalen Klima-rates), gleichzeitig muss man hervorheben, dass es sich bei dem Bericht um den „US-Klimabe-richt“ handelt und dass die aktuellen Zahlen eher weiteren Grund zur Besorgnis (über das Risiko der Unumkehrbarkeit des Klimawandels) geben, uns aber gleichzeitig auch darin bestärken sollten, dass vermehrte Anstrengungen zum Klimaschutz und zur Reduzierung des CO2-Aussto-ßes unternommen werden müssen. //

Seite 2

2

2

.Schaubild 1 Schaubild 2 Schaubild 3

CO-2 Konzentration in Anstieg der Ober- Entwicklung des

der Erdatmosphäre flächentemperaturen Grönlandeises

In den „Highlights“ finden sich auch weitere Schaubilder,z.B. zu den beiden Wetterphänomenen

- El Nino / La Nina und der

- Arktischen Oszillierung, einer atmosphärischen Strömung die in einer bestimmten Konstellation für Kaltwinter in Europa verantwortlich ist sowie zur

- Entwicklung des Arktikeises und der

- Entwicklung globaler Land- und Seetemperaturen zwischen 1880 und 2010

Insgesamt bestätigt der Bericht die bereits aufgezeigten Trends des IPCC (Internationalen Klimarates), gleichzeitig muss man hervorheben, dass es sich bei dem Bericht um den "US-Klimabericht" handelt und dass die aktuellen Zahlen eher weiteren Grund zur Besorgnis (über das Risiko der Unumkehrbarkeit des Klimawandels) geben, uns aber gleichzeitig auch darin bestärken sollten, dass vermehrte Anstrengungen zum Klimaschutz und zur Reduzierung des CO2-Ausstoßes unternommen werden müssen.

Global Gender Gap Report 2010

Der "Global Gender Gap Report 2010" – der Globale Bericht zur Kluft zwischen den Geschlechtern 2010 - (in der Anlage, 334 Seiten, in englisch, und unter:http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2010.pdf) wurde von dem World Economic Forum (WEF - Weltwirtschaftsforum) in Zusammenarbeit mit den Universitäten Harvard und Berkely erstellt. Darin wurden Daten aus ILO (Key Indicators of the Labour Market und der ILO Datenbank), der UN (Human Development Report), der UNESCO und der Weltbank Datenbank, des CIA Factbooks und der WHO (Global Health Survey) verarbeitet und ein Ranking für 134 Länder aufgestellt.

2

CSR INFO 4/2011

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Anlage zu CSR INFO 4/2011

STATE OF THE CLIMATE 2010

CSR INFO 4/2011

QFC GmbH 2011

Informationen zu Corporate Social Responsibility I 7. Juli 2011

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2 HigHligHts: The State of the Climate in 2010

Flooding in Australia. Snowstorms in the eastern United States. The coldest winter in modern British history. During 2010, two of the world’s major climate patterns—the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation—drove many of the year’s most memorable weather events.

Searing heat in Russia. Floods in Pakistan. On the other hand, some events of 2010 had no apparent connection to large-scale climate patterns or trends, but were examples of unusual, extreme

weather. In the background of many unique events, long-term trends are visible in

the data; despite snow and cold in some locations, tens of thousands of observations around the world combine to reveal a 2010 average global surface temperature among the

two warmest years on record.

This document gives a brief view of climate data collected around the world in 2010, used

by scientists to understand the planet’s climate patterns and trends.

The transition from a warm El Niño climate pattern at the beginning of the year to a strong version of its cool sister pat-tern, La Niña, by July contributed to some unusual weather around the globe in 2010.

Quiet year for tropical cyclones, except in the North Atlantic The La Niña pattern brought cooler temperatures to the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean in the second half of 2010. Since cyclones get energy from ocean heat, that cooler water helped give the Eastern Pacific hurricane basin an extremely quiet season. Meanwhile, during an unusually active Atlan-tic season, no hurricanes made landfall in the United States while eastern Canada experienced one of its most active tropical cyclone seasons on record.

Global land and ocean surface temperatures among warmest ever recorded Warm land and ocean surface temperatures worldwide in 2010 were at least partly related to the El Niño climate pattern that prevailed in the first half of the year. The warm water temperatures and related air patterns, combined with a decades-long warming trend, were influential in making 2010’s global temperatures among the two warmest years on record.

Floods in Australia Australians were deluged with rain during late 2010. Influenced by the La Niña climate pattern, Australia experienced its wettest spring (in the Southern Hemisphere, September–November) since record keeping began 111 years ago. In December, precipitation in the state of Queensland was more than double the average amount.

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December 2010: surface air temperatures show a cool eastern Pacific and Australia influenced by la Niña. Cold air in the eastern United states and an unusually warm eastern Canada/Western greenland are both influenced by the negative Arctic Oscillation.

El Niño to La Niña

Cool in eastern Pacific and Australia

Warm ineastern Canada

Learn more at: http://www.elnino.noaa.gov.

MAjOr EVENts 2010

3

The Arctic Oscillation, an atmospheric climate pattern that affects large parts of the Northern Hemisphere, most often keeps colder air confined in northern latitudes. When it switches to its negative phase, as it did in 2010, this frigid air can flow out of the Arctic and contribute to unusually cold weather farther south.

Severe winter storms in the eastern United States Unusually heavy snow blanketed the East Coast at the begin-ning and end of 2010. Several cities, from Cincinnati to New York City, had their snowiest months on record during Febru-ary, as the Arctic Oscillation reached its most negative value.

Cold winter in Europe The strong negative Arctic Oscillation contributed to Britain’s coldest winter (December 2009–February 2010) since the win-ter of 1978/79. Britain also experienced its coldest December on record in 2010 as much of Europe was affected once again by the arctic weather.

Mild winter in Canada As the Arctic Oscillation remained negative throughout most of the year, Canada recorded its warmest year since records began in 1948. Oscillations in the jet stream allowed warm air to flow far north in parts of Canada.

Ice growth in the Antarctic Average sea ice volume in the Antarctic grew to an all-time record maximum in 2010. This accumulation of ice was related to a climate phenomenon known as the Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode.

Heat wave in Russia From late June through mid-August, Russia suffered from a searing heat wave. After 62 days of above-average heat, Russian officials attributed nearly 14,000 deaths to the unusual temperatures. This heat wave was caused by a persistent blocking pattern, which climate scientists do not currently see as part of any repeating or trending climate pattern.

Flooding in Pakistan Floods at the end of July and early August 2010 displaced more than 20 million Pakistanis and inundated a fifth of the country following heavy monsoon rains. Scientists analyzing climate indicators from 2010 believe that this disaster was in part related to the same blocking pattern that contributed to the heat wave in Russia.

MAjOr EVENts 2010Arctic Oscillation

Low Pressure

Positive Phase

HighPressure

Jet Stream

Low Pressure

Negative Phase

High Pressure

Jet Stream

Arctic Oscillation

Southern Annular Mode

Other Major Events

Flooding in Australia in December 2010 was influenced by the la Niña climate pattern.

the negative phase Arctic Oscillation, as shown above, is similar to events in February 2010 over North America.

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4 HigHligHts: The State of the Climate in 2010

Dozens of climate indicators, measured by tens of thousands of instruments around the world, track the major components of Earth’s

climate system, including the atmosphere, land, ice, and oceans. Climate indicators from the upper atmosphere to the ocean floor are monitored around the world for the purpose of better understanding the global climate, from year to year and over longer time periods. These data inform the State of the Climate in 2010 report.

SNOW COVER during February was high over the Northern Hemisphere, but by May warm surface temperatures reduced it to the lowest area ever recorded by satellites. The decrease in snow cover from December to May was the largest in more than 40 years. The amount of snow and timing of melt affects the water cycle and water supply.

AIR TEMPERATURE above land was the second warmest on record. The Arctic continued to warm at about twice the rate of lower latitudes. Locally and regionally, changes in temperature can influence the distribution of expected weather, alter precipitation patterns, and affect trends in many other climate indicators.

STRATOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE, air in the upper layers of the atmosphere, continued to be colder than average. This is expected, given increased greenhouse gases and decreased ozone levels.

ANTARCTIC SEA ICE grew to record levels during the South Pole’s winter, affected by an air circulation pattern that locked in the cold. Sea

ice responds to colder temperatures by growing more. In turn, more sea ice leads to less

sunlight absorption in the water and thus less warming.

The world’s mountain GLACIERS lost mass for the 20th consecutive year. Greenland glaciers lost more mass in 2010 than any other year on record. Water from melting glaciers and ice sheets around the world contributes to acceleration of the water cycle and sea-level rise.

More than 800 weather balloons are launched around the world every day to collect upper atmospheric data.

greenhouse gases

surface instruments collect data such as temperature, precipitation, and wind speed.

Levels of GREENHOUSE GASES in the atmosphere continued to rise. Carbon dioxide levels increased at a faster rate in 2010 than in 2009 and also faster than the average rate over the past 30 years. Greenhouse gases trap heat in Earth’s lower atmosphere.

5

ARCTIC SEA ICE shrank to its third smallest area on record. The area was so small in September that for the first time in modern history, both the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route were open for navigation. Sea ice responds to warmer temperatures by shrinking more. In turn, less sea ice leads to more sunlight absorption in the water and thus more warming.

SEA LEVEL continued to rise across the world’s oceans on average. Water expands as it warms and thus ocean heating is responsible for much of the sea-level rise; melting glaciers and ice sheets are responsible for the rest.

SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean cooled almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit from 2009 to 2010, reflecting the transition from an El Niño to La Niña climate pattern. Even so, the average sea surface temperature for 2010 of all the oceans around the world was the third warmest on record. These warmer temperatures contribute to more evaporation from the ocean into the atmosphere and to changes in sea level.

OCEAN HEAT CONTENT in 2010 was similar to 2009 and was among the highest values in the record. Oceans store a large portion of the heat that is trapped by increasing greenhouse gases. Changes in heat content contribute to changes in sea level.

OCEAN SALINITY - The world's oceans were saltier than average in areas where evaporation is high and fresher than average where precipitation is high, suggesting that the water cycle is intensifying. Heavier downpours and snows can be expected with a faster water cycle.

3000 Argo float sensors measure salinity and

temperature from the ocean surface down to a depth of approximately one mile.

Moored buoys transmit air, wind, water, and wave data.

6 HigHligHts: The State of the Climate in 2010

Year2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

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greenland's ice sheet continues to lose mass, and in fact lost more mass in 2010 than at any time in the past ten years.

Air samples collected weekly at NOAA’s Mauna loa observatory continue to show a rise in the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane.

Climate Patterns

Long-Term Trends

Even as the Earth is influenced by large-scale climate patterns, climate indicators continue to capture the underlying march of long-term trends, such as the steady increase in greenhouse gas concentrations and loss of Greenland's ice sheet.

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global surface temperatures continue to rise, as 2010 was one of the two warmest years on record.

Global Surface Temperature Greenhouse Gases

El Niño/La Niña

Greenland Ice Mass

Climate Patterns and long-term trends

©istockphotos.com/David jones

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in mid-2010, a year-long El Niño tran-sitioned into the la Niña part of its pattern, as shown by the Pacific Ocean temperature variations from average.

Throughout the complex ocean and air circulation patterns of Earth’s climate system, large-scale climate patterns shift back and forth repeatedly. The Arctic Oscillation and El Niño/La Niña are examples of such patterns. Some patterns last for weeks at a time, while some can persist for years.

7

Companies throughout the United States routinely reap the benefits of using

climate data for planning and risk management. NOAA estimates that dependable climate data helps American companies save billions of dollars each year. For instance, NOAA’s El Niño/La Niña forecasts

are estimated to save nearly $100 million per year for United States

agriculture in the Southeast alone by predicting areas that may be drier or wetter

than usual.

the map above shows how “overnight lows” in the United states compared to normal during summer 2010. twelve states in the East experienced their warmest summer on record; this warmth was driven by overnight lows, as opposed to hotter daytime highs.

Periods with unusually warm summer nights can affect: Energy Demand

Above-average summer heat occurred on the East Coast, where energy demand is greater than it would be in less densely populated areas.

Public Health those who work outdoors or live without air conditioning have less recovery time from heat stress.

AgricultureMany plants thrive when cooler nighttime temperatures allow some recovery from heat stress. When nights are hotter, some crop yields can drop.

Cover Notes:Front: Photo–Vancouver B.C. had little snow when it hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics (AP Photo/ricardo Mazalan).Figure–temperature anomalies in North America during winter 2010 (State of the Climate Report in 2010 Fig. 7.5)Back: record-breaking snow fell on the Capitol in Washington, DC. February 2010. ©istockphoto.com/DaveNewman

Summer 2010 Overnight Lows

©istockphotos.com/David jones

Climate data and the U.s. eConomY

Sector Use of Climate Data

Agriculture

• Choose seed types and planting and harvesting schedules.

• Plan for irrigation needs and forecast crop yields.

• Match garden and landscape design to long term expected conditions.

Energy

• Forecast fuel needs and electricity demand based on expected conditions.

• Analyze how temperature conditions affect demand.

• Assess the best sites for solar and wind energy.

Water

• Manage reservoirs in drought or flood conditions.

• Balance competing water demands such as industry, agriculture, recreation, and wildlife.

• Understand spring snowmelt in the West and the impact on water supply.

insurance

• Help businesses and individuals manage financial risks by designing insurance products based on raw and modeled climatic data such as temperature, wind, and sea surface temperatures.

infrastructure

• Plan airports, roads, bridges, levees, and other infrastructure to withstand extreme weather conditions.

• Design building performance for expected heating and cooling needs.

Health• Prepare public health response

measures such as cooling centers, vaccination programs, and epidemic action plans.

Bulletin of the American Meteorological society, Vol. 92, issue 6 supplement

PurposeState of the Climate in 2010 is the latest installment of an annual collection of climate observations from around the globe, edited at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and published each year in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMs). its purpose is to document dozens of observed climate indicators which, when viewed together, provide a picture of the world’s climate system and our capacity to observe it.

Information in this ReportClimate indicators tracked in State of the Climate in 2010 include temperature of the lower and upper atmosphere, precipitation, sea ice, greenhouse gases, humidity, cloud cover and type, glaciers, temperature and saltiness of the ocean, snow cover, and more. the report also documents extraordinary weather and climate events that took place during the year, and discusses climate patterns or trends to which they may relate.

AuthorsClimate scientists in academic and scientific institutions around the world contribute articles about their own regions or areas of specialty. the articles are edited at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC. the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society provides scientific peer reviewers for each chapter. More than 350 scientists from 45 countries contributed to State of the Climate in 2010. their names and institutions are listed in the full report.

Find this Report Online State of the Climate in 2010 and state of the Climate reports from past years are available online from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/bams-state-of-the-climate. the site also provides access to raw data from the report for key climate indicators.

aBoUt State of the Climate in 2010

The series of annual State of the Climate reports incorporate informa-tion from NOAA's monthly National and Global Climate Summaries. These monthly reports are available at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc.

June 2011

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/bams-state-of-the-climate/

Credits: Written by jennifer Freeman (AMs), jessica Blunden (stg, inc.), and Derek Arndt (NCDC). All information based on the BAMs State of the Climate in 2010 (Blunden et al. 2011). graphic design and copy editing provided by NCDC graphics team: sara Veasey (NCDC), glenn M. Hyatt (NCDC),Deborah B. riddle (NCDC), Deborah Misch (stg, inc.), and Mara sprain (stg, inc.).