Climate Change 1
True or False: Climate change refers to SHORT-TERM fluctuations in weather patterns.
False. Climate change refers to LONG-TERM shifts in global or regional climate patterns.
What are the 3 main green house gasses
methane, water vapor, carbon dioxide
All of the radiation from the sun is absorbed by the Earth.
True or False
False
Which countries are presently emitting the most CO2? ( list 2)
US/ China
What historical event in the 1800s caused average global temperatures to increase drastically?
The Industrial Revolution
What is the greenhouse effect and why is the increase of Greenhouse gasses a big issue?
Certain gasses in the atmosphere trap heat and warm the Earth
Solar radiation is trapped by the Earth's atmosphere, leading to an increase in global temperatures
Fill in the blank: The oceans absorb more than ___ %of the heat added to the planet.
90%
How many additional deaths attributable to climate change in developing countries every year?
150,000 deaths
What is the main reason for the increase in atmospheric CO2 levels?
a) Volcanic eruptions
b) Deforestation
c) Burning of fossil fuels
d) All of the above
c) Burning of fossil fuels
Name 3 natural disasters caused by climate change
Droughts
heatwaves
Hurricanes
floods/Severe storms
What process naturally removes carbon dioxyde from the atmosphere and releases carbon dioxyde ?
photosynthesis
What is the Paris Agreement ?
This is an international treaty on climate change adopted in 2015 that covers climate mitigation, adaptation, and finance.
Countries agreed to specific reductions in of their own making to reducing carbon emissions (not binding under international law). On paper it is a good idea, at those who made commitments make up 70% of emissions, however, the non-binding nature of the agreement, means it only works if the nations do their part, which has yet to be seen.
Name two renewable and two non-renewable energy resources
Renewable: wind, solar, geothermal, wave/ tidal, hydroelectric, etc
Non-Renewable: coal, gas, nuclear, oil
This industry is responsible for more emissions than all transportation emissions combined
Meat industry (raising livestock) (main source of methane emissions)
Why is sea level rise a concerning effect of climate change?
More than 600 million people (around 10 per cent of the world’s population) live in coastal areas that are less than 10 meters above sea level.
Nearly 2.4 billion people (about 40 per cent of the world’s population) live within 100 km (60 miles) of the coast.
What are some ways to mitigate climate change?
Answer: Reducing energy consumption, increasing energy efficiency, and transitioning to renewable energy sources.
Recycle, carpool, unplug devices/lights, eat fewer animals, take shorter showers, take public transportation, use less water.
List four things that are evidence of global climate change?
1. rising global temperatures
2. melting ice caps and sea level rise
3. More natural disasters
4. Ocean acidification
Changing weather patterns;
food production shifting;
biodiversity loss and ecosystem changes;
human migration;
How does deforestation contribute to climate change?
Living trees remove carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis (they are natural carbon sinks), and when they die and stop photosynthesizing
Trees have carbon stored in their biomass. If it degrades or is burned that carbon is released
desertification, soil erosion, flooding, heating of soil
How does the melting of polar ice caps cause the rate of climate change to increase?
Ice reflects sunlight (heat) back into outer space. Water absorbs sunlight (heat). As the polar ice caps melt there is less and less ice in the ocean to reflect the sun's rays. Those rays are instead absorbed by the ocean which further raises the temperature of the ocean. This causes more ice to melt, thus reinforcing global warming.
Give three examples of adaptations that could be used to combat climate change
Examples may include: Changing land use policies - such as not being allowed to build on flood plains; building or resisting flooding through water catchments or minimizing run-off, building houses on stilts or with garages underneath which can be flooded; changing agricultural production through irrigation techniques, rainwater storage for water reuse, GMOs for more drought tolerant crops, growing different crops; managing weather through seeing clouds for rainfall, planting trees to encourage more rainfall. etc.
Accept any reasonable adaptation that can be justified as a LOCAL change.