The greenhouse effect
True or False: greenhouse gases absorb energy.
True
Name 2 examples of fossil fuel types.
Coal, oil, gas, ...
True or false: Dairy and meat are better for the environment than plant-based foods.
False
True or False: A Pluvial is the opposite of a drought.
True
How does climate change increase the spread of dangerous diseases?
Makes the climate better for mosquitoes.
What happens when greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere?
The temperature increases because radiation is more easily absorbed and reflected back toward Earth by the atmosphere.
Why are fossil fuels harmful to the environment?
Burning them releases greenhouse gases.
Name 3 activities that burn fossil fuels
[answers will vary]
Name 4 types of natural disasters that have increased in intensity and/or frequency in the last 100 years due to climate change.
Wildfires, Hurricanes/Cyclones/Typhoons, Droughts, Heat Waves, Pluvials, Landslides, etc.
Why is a plant-based diet better for the environment?
It requires significantly less energy to produce plant food because animals must be fed plants throughout their lives, and that energy is used up in them, not in people.
In your own words, explain the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gases absorb and reflect heat, making Earth hold on to the Sun's energy for longer.
In your own words, explain how fossil fuels form. What 3 things are needed for them to form?
Fossil fuels formed over millions of years when organisms decomposed under minerals and experienced immense heat and pressure. Time, heat, pressure.
Name a specific cause of climate change that is not one of the ones where fossil fuels are burned.
Deforestation, rotting food, dairy production, manufacturing, etc.
Name 2 animals harmed by melting ice caps.
Polar bears, fish, seals
What are 3 specific things you will do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
[answers will vary]
Name 2 greenhouse gases.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Water Vapor (H2O), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), and fluorinated gases (F-Gases)
Why are fossil fuels so widely used?
They are inexpensive and have a high energy density.
Explain how traditional farming contributes to climate change.
Traditional farming involves tilling or plowing the soil, which releases the CO2 within.
Name 2 effects of glaciers melting.
Rising water levels, harm to wildlife due to more freshwater, and disrupted weather patterns.
In your own words, explain ocean acidification and its causes.
Carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere due to human activity. Some of this reacts with the water in the ocean to form carbonic acid. This is harmful to ocean wildlife, such as creatures with shells and coral reefs, because it could dissolve them or halt their growth.
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Weather refers to hour-by-hour conditions, while climate refers to the conditions over a long period of time.
What are the two main ways fossil fuels are used?
Transportation (such as cars, planes, trains, etc.) and electricity generation (such as in coal power plants)
What is the largest contributor of Greenhouse gas emissions in the United States?
Transportation
How does climate change lead to natural disasters?
What is permafrost, and why is it extra bad that climate change is causing it to melt?
Permafrost is ice that has been frozen for thousands of years. It is extra bad that it is melting because it contains soil, and when it melts, it will release large amounts of greenhouse gases.