|
Arctic amplification: causes, manifestations, impacts
Houser, Mikoláš ; Huth, Radan (advisor) ; Krauskopf, Tomáš (referee)
The Arctic amplification is a byproduct of the climate change, manifested by faster warming in the Arctic region compared to other parts of the planet. This paper summarises the basic understanding of the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon (mainly snow-ice albedo and temperature feedback) and the potential impacts of Arctic amplification for atmospheric circulation at mid-latitudes. The research is completed by a correlation analysis describing the relationship between Arctic amplification and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Based on the literature it is suggested that Arctic amplification may influence various factors of the mid-latitude atmospheric circulation (e.g., phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation, jet stream, circumpolar vortex), but natural variability of the climate makes it difficult to unravel this relationship. Recent climate model outputs seems more likely to show a smaller influence of Arctic amplification compared to the internal variability of the climate system. This is demonstrated by the results of the correlation analysis, which show very little statistical connection of the observed variables and large statistical uncertainty in the results.
|
|
Nakládání s potravinovým odpadem
Voznicová, Eliška
This bachelor’s thesis focuses on food waste management, which is closely related to global climate change, overpopulation and food waste. The aim of this thesis is to complete legislative regulations related to this topic and to define how food waste is categorized and at that stage, food is discarded. This thesis also deals with selected processing and mentions sustainable food consumption and food labelling. The research used a mapping method to verify whether gastronomic establishments comply with legal regulations and have designated special containers for food waste and waste collection companies. Another method used was an interview with a freegan and subsequently with a gastronomic establishment employee. The mapping research revealed that an unsuitable time was chosen for the mapping. The main finding from the interviews was that some gastronomic establishments are open to new trends in reducing food waste. Despite increasing demands for legislative regulations on food waste disposal, the main takeaway from the interviews was that it is possible to consume only discarded food.
|
|
Knowledge and attitudes of secondary school pupils on global climate change
Lacinová, Ludmila ; Rynda, Ivan (advisor) ; Pospíšilová, Tereza (referee)
These days, the global climate change is not only a very frequently discussed topic, but above all a threat to the entire planet. In 2009 Johan Rockström published the concept of the nine planetary boundaries that humans ought not to breach if they wish to preserve a safe space for human activities and avoid dangers of global significance. Nevertheless, three of these boundaries have already been breached and are currently in a critical state. The climate change is one of them and its breach is very serious. That is why this master's thesis is dealing with this important issue, which needs to be tackled on the global as well as the individual level since everyone's contribution, though small on the global scale, is necessary and it is vital that all take part in solving this global problem. The thesis is therefore focusing more specifically on the individual level, namely, the knowledge and the attitudes of high school students as regards the global climate change. The master's thesis is divided into four parts - the theoretical, the methodological, the empirical, and the discussion part. The crucial part of this master's thesis is the empirical part, which includes quantitative research in the form of a questionnaire survey among the pupils at selected secondary schools with different...
|
|
Snow drought and driving factors affecting snowpack inter-annual variability in the Sumava Mts
Bek, Dominik ; Jeníček, Michal (advisor) ; Hotový, Ondřej (referee)
The bachelor thesis deals with the problems associated with the snow drought that is defined as below-average accumulation of snow. The main goal of the work was 1) to evaluate the current stage of in the research focused on the snow drought as well as 2) to analyze the winter snow conditions in the period 2015-2020. Data obtained by measurements carried out at the weather stations operated (1) by the Department of the physical geography and geoecology of the Faculty of Sciences of the Charles University and (2) by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute in the Bohemian Forest region (Sumava) have been applied. Special attention has been paid to the identification of meteorological causes affecting the inter- annual variability in snow storages. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the research review dealing with the snow drought and its various types as well as with ongoing and future changes in snowpack. The results data analysis is presented in the second part. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to calculate the strength of the relationship between the snow and climatic variables and between the snow characteristics themselves. The results have revealed that the air temperature represents the most dominant factor affecting the inter-annual...
|
|
Formation of the Czech national interest in global climate change
Mohelníková, Tereza ; Rolenc, Jan Martin (advisor) ; Doležal, Tomáš (referee)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change described the existing evidence of global warming as unequivocal. However, global climate change is far from being a solely scientific issue. Many political debates currently focus on the topic, notably in the Czech political scene. This bachelor thesis briefly summarizes the development of the Czech environmental policy, including a chapter on climate scepticism and general public opinion on climate change in the Czech Republic. The main aim of the thesis is to assess Czech national interest in global climate change, using criteria of legitimate national interest. To this end, election programmes and other issues are analysed, such as the passing of the climate-energy scheme and the breaking of limits on brown coal mining.
|
|
Vliv zvýšené vzdušné koncentrace oxidu uhličitého na růst buku lesního
Sokolová, Tereza
Elevated CO2 concentration influences the anatomical, physiological and morphological characteristics of plants, both directly and indirectly. The aim of this thesis was to determine the effect of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration on growth of European beech (Fagus sylvatica). The experiment was carried out from autumn 2005 on environmental work place Bílý Křiž in Beskydy and established in artificial conditions (A-ambient - natural air concentration of CO2 - 385 ppm, E-elevated - 700 ppm, C-control - open control area). Two-year old seedlings of beech and three years old spruces seedlings have been planted in a triangular spacing in lamellar biospheres in a total of 96 individuals. The study is focused on biomass production of beech in different types of mixed cultures together with Norway spruce (P-pure - monoculture, I-Individual -- individual mixing, G-group -- group mixing). In mid August 2013 has begun destruction of beeches, which was completed in September 2013. Aboveground parts were dividend in to group consisting of branches and trunk and roots were subjected to destructive analysis later. Separate parts of the trees were dried in the oven for 48 hours at 80 °C and subsequently 2 hours at 105 °C and then were weighed to determine the biomass. After eight years of experiment, cultivation of spruce and beech in lamellar biospheres, there were no signifiant differences in total biomass of trees between varieties A and E. However, it showed significant influence of CO2 on the biomass of individual organs (leaves, branches, trunks and roots, including stumps ) as well as trees grown in a single mixed culture (I). When comparing the total biomass in the spheres, sphere E showed average total biomass of an individual tree about 27 % higher, in mixed G variety 25 % lower and in the P mixing 147 % higher than mixed I in the sphere A. Biomass production of roots without identification of mixing factor increased by 60 % in the E variety. Most significant difference in belowground biomass was detected in variety of mixing I. In the E sphere was 200 % more belowground biomass compared to sphere A. These preliminary results show that total biomass of beech was higher in sphere E than in the sphere A. Differences in total biomass , however, can be caused by mixing and correspond to the concentration of CO2.
|
|
Environmental global problem
Sedláček, Václav ; Jeníček, Vladimír (advisor) ; Joklová, Kateřina (referee)
V prvních dvou kapitolách je práce zaměřena na znečištění jednotlivých složek životního prostředí - tj. atmosféry, hydrosféry a pedosféry. U každé složky je uveden její stručný popis, její význam, jednotlivé typy znečištění a podíl člověka na tomto znečištění. Problému ozonové vrstvy je pak věnována samostatná kapitola. Ve třetí kapitole je pojednáno o globálním oteplování. Je zde popsán skleníkový efekt a jeho příčiny, obsahuje také krátký pohled do minulosti klimatických změn naší planety, možné důsledky globálního oteplení a možnosti, jak tyto důsledky zmírnit.
|