Greenhouse Gases
This gas is the most commonly discussed greenhouse gas from burning fossil fuels.
What is carbon dioxide?
Burning these fuels is one of the leading causes of global warming.
What are fossil fuels?
Global warming is causing glaciers and ice caps to do this.
What is melting?
Energy from the sun is called this.
What is solar energy?
The difference between climate and weather.
What is time?
This greenhouse gas is released in large amounts by livestock like cows.
What is methane?
This human activity removes trees that absorb CO₂.
What is deforestation?
Rising ocean levels are mainly caused by this.
What is melting ice and thermal expansion?
Name one renewable energy source.
What is wind, solar, or hydropower?
The layer of gases surrounding Earth is called this.
What is the atmosphere?
Explain how greenhouse gases cause warming.
They trap heat in the atmosphere and prevent it from escaping into space (greenhouse effect).
Farming practices, particularly livestock (methane) and fertilizers (nitrous oxide), release potent greenhouse gases.
What is commercial agriculture?
This type of weather is becoming more frequent due to climate change.
What is extreme weather (hurricanes, droughts, heatwaves)?
This everyday action reduces your carbon footprint.
What is recycling, biking, saving energy, etc.?
Name the 4 main layers of the atmosphere (closest to farthest).
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
This greenhouse gas is naturally present but increases as the temperature rises, acting as a feedback.
What is water vapor?
Factors like volcanic eruptions and variations in solar activity affect the climate.
What are natural factors?
Coral bleaching, stronger storms, or ecosystem disruption
What is warming of the ocean?
Trees help fight global warming.
What is they absorb CO₂ through photosynthesis?
This type of radiation from the Sun enters Earth’s atmosphere.
What is ultraviolet radiation (or shortwave radiation)?
The third largest contributor to warm temperatures. The release of gases into the air by power plants and fertilizers.
What is Nitrous Oxide?
Major contributor due to the emission of carbon dioxide using petroleum.
What is transportation?
Carbon Footprint
What is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person/activity?
This fuel is considered cleaner than coal but still contributes to global warming.
What is natural gas?
This term describes the balance between incoming and outgoing energy on Earth
What is Earth’s energy balance?