Climate
Define Weather.
Weather is the day-to-day variations of the atmosphere's condition locally. (Temperature, sky conditions, precipitation, and whether it's windy or calm.
When did the average global temperature begin to increase?
What are the greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor
How do melting glaciers affect the earth?
Melting glaciers cause the sea level to rise. This causes coastal cities like New York and Miami to sink.
Define Climate.
Climate is the long-term average weather over a large area.
Is the sun causing global warming? Why or why not?
No. Data for the amount of sunlight reaching Earth over the past 100 years shows that energy from the Sun has actually decreased in the last 50 years, while Earth’s temperature has continued to rise.
How does the greenhouse effect work?
Some gases in Earth’s atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor), can absorb infrared light and redirect it back to Earth, which warms it even more
Greenhouse gases trap thermal energy in the Earth's atmosphere. This keeps us warm.
What are some other consequences of global warming?
Increased natural disasters like stronger hurricanes, severe droughts, severe flooding, and catastrophic wildfires
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is measured over a short period of time (generally, weather can only be predicted with some degree of accuracy for seven to fourteen days), and climate is measured over a much longer period of time, as well as a larger area.
Are volcanic eruptions contributing to global warming? Why or why not?
No. Data from the past 200 years show that there has not been an increase in eruptions even though Earth’s temperature has increased.
What is causing greenhouse gases to increase?
Industrialization - We have become dependent on burning fossil fuels to power factories and for transportation. The burning of these fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere
You get 300 points just because!
You get 300 points just because!
How is climate measured?
Climate is measured by using thermometers and sophisticated tools like satellites that measure the surface temperature over the planet.
What is one gas that causing the atmosphere to warm?
Carbon dioxide
Why is it important for us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
If we keep releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the Earth will continue to warm and we will no longer be able to survive on the planet
How can we reduce dependency on fossil fuels
Use more renewable sources to generate electricity/energy
What are other indicators of climate change?
Tree rings give clues about yearly weather conditions with each ring representing a year of the tree’s life. Ice cores from glaciers can give us clues about the climate in the past for thousands of years.
If we continue to damage the earth, how would that affect life?
Life on Earth will not have enough time to adapt to the high temperatures
What is one way that we can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Use less electricity, take public transportation instead of driving a car, biking, walking
What are some of the renewable energy technologies mentioned in the reading?
Solar cells, better batteries for electric vehicles, biofueld, nuclear power, ways to harness energy from ocean waves, wind, and inside Earth (geothermal)