Bio Final

Weather (def)

measure of precipitations, temperature, humidity in a local area over a short period, day, week, month

What is direct measure for detecting climate change?

measuring weather, e.g.: climate now

What is good about the Haber-Bosch process?

provided needed fertilizer for food production as global populations rose

What happens with deforestation?

releases C02 (burning), and reduces carbon sequestration on the planet in lieu of the atmosphere

What happens when you burn fossil fuels?

releases C02 into the atmosphere

What happens with industrial agriculture?

synthetic fertilizer manufacturing has probably been the worst of all of these

What does the Vostok ice core study show?

the glacial cycle on earth begins with altered orbit around the sun, and is amplified by increase in methane and C02

What is an indirect measure for detecting climate change?

using old deposits in ice/sediments to infer past climate

Is ozone a greenhouse gas?

yes

H20 (what % of atmosphere)

0.25%

Without the greenhouse affect, would would be the average temp. of the surface of the earth?

0

What are the natural causes of global warming?

-Earth's orbit -solar - sunspots -volcanic activity -the oceans temp and cycles change weather and ultimately climate (water retains most of the heat of the Earth due to its high specific heat capacity) e.g.: el nino, la nina

What do the spiritualities of many world religions mean by the idea of 'balance' in our relationship with Earth? How does global climate change disrupt this balance?

-an equilibrium between air, Earth, fire and water -human beings have taken the familiar patterns of climate and weather in their environment as a resource for inner, spiritual balance

What 3 human activities are cited for causing the increase of greenhouse gasses like C02?

-burning fossil fuels -industrial agriculture -deforestation

What are the main natural drivers of climate change?

-changes in solar activity -volcanic activity -variations in Earth's orbit -the role of the oceans

Why is it hard to effectively deal with GCC?

-climate change is a problem in a world w/o an international political authority fully capable of managing it -climate change is an intergenerational problem. b/c greenhouse gases that we continue to release into the atmosphere will stay there for a very long time, future generations will suffer the greater effects of global climate change -a power differential exists b/w the people suffering most from climate change and the people responsible for causing it

What processes are cited in industrial agriculture that effect greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere?

-deforestation - releases C02 into the atmosphere, removes a large carbon storage component, and decreases C02 depletion from the atmosphere -inorganic fertilizer production -fossil fuel use supporting agriculture, growing, processing district

What are the main anthropogenic drivers of climate change?

-greenhouse gas emission -deforestation -burning of fossil fuels

What is bad about the Haber-Bosch process?

-serious imbalances to the nitrogen cycle -high fossil fuel energy inputs -negative effects on soil organisms and soil organic matter -excess runoff causes ocean dead zones -major component of weapons including roadside bombs

Permafrost Loss

-since the area never thaws, it has carbo rich materials that accumulate over time and begin to be decomposed a the temp rises -this anaerobic decomp produces methane gas - highly potent GHG *global warming can create a feedback loop that increases the rate of global warming

Explain the greenhouse effect

-sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the Earth's surface. This heat is radiated back toward space -most of the outgoing heat is absorbed by greenhouse gas molecules and re-emitted in all directions, warming the surface of the Earth and the lower atmosphere

How does climate affect human culture? How can climate, in turn, affect human spirituality?

-the long-term and historic regional weather patterns and atmospheric conditions to which human communities have adapted for thousands of years contribute to everything from people's distinctive diets, recreational activities and manners of dress, to diverse languages, art forms, musical expressions and spiritual traditions -the Inuit look closely at the aurora borealis. for them, they see the spirits of their departed families and friends dancing in the next life -if conditions changes to that they could no longer see their loved ones, the spirituality - and culture - of the people would be drastically altered.

How does climate change affect Earth's oceans?

-warming temps in turn keep the oceans warmer than they'd naturally be -this leads to glaciers melting more than normal; increased sea level; flooding; etc. *ocean acidification which threatens the life of many animals and microscopic organisms

Why is global climate change sometimes referred to as a "perfect moral storm?

Because it intersects several highly complex ethical problems -climate change is a global problem in a world w/o an international political authority fully capable of managing it -climate change is an intergenerational problem - b/c the greenhouse gases that we continue to release into the atmosphere will stay there for a very long time, future generations will suffer the greater effects of global climate change -a power differential exists between the people suffering most from climate change and the people responsible for causing it

What are the variable components of the atmosphere?

N02, water vapor, C02, methane

Define climate change

a change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that permits for an extended period, typically decades or longer

Ozone Layer (03)

a variable gas that is protective, blocking harmful UV light from reaching the earth when it is found in the upper atmosphere

What is the Kyoto protocol? Did the US ratify this protocol?

an international agreement linked to eh UN framework convention on climate change, which commits its parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets The US has yet to sign the protocol

Climate (def)

composite of humidity, temp, rainfall, etc. averaged over a year and presented over long periods of time (years, decades, etc.)