The Atmosphere
This gas is the primary byproduct of burning fossil fuels and is the leading cause of human-driven global warming.
What is Carbon Dioxide
As global temperatures rise and glaciers melt, this global measurement is rising, threatening coastal cities.
What is sea level?
DOUBLE POINTS:This is the biological process where plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar.
What is photosynthesis?
This is the term for cutting down or burning large areas of trees to make room for farms or buildings.
What is deforestation?
These energy sources, like wind and solar, come from resources that will never run out.
What are renewables?
DOUBLE POINTS: This specific layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer and gets warmer as you go higher up.
What is the Stratosphere?
When the ocean absorbs too much carbon dioxide, the water's pH drops, leading to this "acidic" problem.
What is ocean acidification?
This is a "storage locker" for carbon; the ocean is the largest one on Earth.
What is a carbon sink?
This is the total amount of greenhouse gases that an individual or family produces in their daily life.
What is a carbon footprint?
Instead of gas, these vehicles use electricity stored in batteries to power their motors.
What are electric cars?
Often released by melting permafrost or livestock, this greenhouse gas is much more effective at trapping heat than Carbon Dioxide
What is Methane
DOUBLE POINTS: This occurs when ocean water gets too warm, causing coral to kick out its colorful algae and turn white.
What is coral bleaching?
This term describes carbon that has been trapped underground in the form of coal, oil, or natural gas.
What are fossil fuels?
This type of gas is found in old refrigerators and hairsprays; it is famous for causing a hole in the ozone layer.
What are chlorofluorocarbons? (CFCs)
This is the practice of planting a new forest in an area where there were no trees before.
What is afforestation?
This is the natural process where gases like water vapor and Carbon Dioxide absorb infrared radiation and radiate it back toward Earth
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
This is the process where water actually grows in volume and takes up more space as it gets warmer.
What is thermal expansion?
When humans and animals eat and breathe, they release carbon dioxide back into the air through this process.
What is respiration?
This is the primary human activity that releases the most carbon dioxide into our atmosphere.
What is burning fossil fuels?
This technology involves catching carbon dioxide at power plants and pumping it underground so it stays out of the air.
What is carbon capture?
This term describes the percentage of solar radiation reflected back into space; ice has a high value, while dark oceans have a low one.
What is Albedo?
This is the "global conveyor belt" of ocean currents that moves heat around the planet based on salt and temperature.
What is thermohaline circulation?
This is the specific type of "loop" where a warming planet causes permafrost to melt, which then releases more gases and makes the planet even warmer.
What is a positive feedback loop?
DOUBLE POINTS: This "protocol" or agreement was an international treaty that committed countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
DOUBLE POINTS: This is a "tax" or fee that governments place on companies to encourage them to produce less pollution.
What is a carbon tax?