Greenhouse Gases
True or False: The Greenhouse Effect is a bad thing.
What is False. The Greenhouse Effect is necessary for life on this planet!
Some consider this species the "poster child" of climate change. Because ice sheets are melting, this animal has to swim longer distances to find its food.
What is the Polar Bear?
This gas has increased 40% since the Industrial Revolution.
What is CO2?
This is Maine's fastest changing season.
What is winter?
How some species, like pikas, are changing behavior in response to climate change.
What is adapting?
This greenhouse gas is the primary source of warming.
What is CO2?
This consequence of increasing amounts of CO2 in the ocean will cause the significant loss of shellfish, including the iconic Maine lobster.
What is ocean acidification?
Warming is occurring in only this layer of the atmosphere.
What is the troposphere?
This Maine county's average temperature has increased by 1.9 degrees C.
What is Cumberland County?
On January 27, 2026 this country withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement for the second time. It is the only country not part of the Accord.
What is the United States?
Note: Despite the federal withdrawal, the U.S. Climate Alliance and "America Is All In" have vowed to continue pursuing emission reductions at state and local levels.
This greenhouse gas has increased due to melting permafrost and raising livestock in factory farms
What is CH4 (methane)?
Amphibians, trout and many bird species tend to respond early to changing environmental conditions. They are often given this label.
What is an indicator species?
Because the ocean is the 2nd largest carbon sink, more CO2 is dissolving causing ocean acidification. Predictions are the ocean will be this pH by 2100.
What is 7.8.
If this happens, 1/3 of ocean species could perish.
The migration of this species has led to decreased catches in southern Maine, but record high landings Downeast.
What is lobster?
Warming temps are a boon to Maine's agriculture, like orchards or blueberry fields because of this
What is a longer growing season?
This GHG accounted for about 7% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, especially from fossil fuel combustion.
N2O (NOx)
The name given to the process which causes corals to expel their photosynthesizing algae.
What is coral bleaching?
Levels of summer sea ice in the Arctic have decreased 40% since 1978. This white sea ice usually reflects the sun's rays back into space. What is this called?
What is the Albedo Effect?
Increased winter tick survival (due to milder winter weather) has been linked to this species' population decline.
What is Moose?
In 1988 the United Nations and the World Meteorological Association established this group of scientists and gov't officials who assess the science related to climate change.
What is the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC)?
These are potent GHGs which were also responsible for depleting the ozone layer
CFCs and HCFCs
This is the study of changing patterns in migration, plants blooming, etc.
What is phenology?
When fossil fuels are burned this isotope of carbon is found in higher concentrations in our atmosphere.
Carbon-12
During May 24th's New Moon, Maine will possibly experience the highest of high tide levels. This may cause "fair weather flooding" on places like Commercial Street in Portland.
What are "king tides"?
In June 2019, ME Governor Janet Mills signed into law bills that focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Maine by enhancing renewable energy like solar and wind, and established this council.
What is the Maine Climate Council?
(They will provide an action plan to be updated every 4 years.)