Climate Change

biome distribution

- an ecosystem is an interaction of biological communities (living) and abiotic (nonliving) factors - a biome describes similar types of ecosystems, generally characterized by: 1) climate (temp + precipitation) 2) plants and animals that inhabit it - b/c biome distribution is based on temp + precipitation, biome distribution follows a pattern based on the avg temp and precipitation in a region

climate change and weather patterns: U.S. precipitation

- avg precipitation has increased 4% in the past century - this change has been regional; central and northeast areas increased precipitation, west and southeast areas reduced precipitation - rate of extreme precipitation events and droughts is increasing

impact of CC on communities of organisms

- b/c biological communities are interlinked, a loss of one species, or the introduction of another, can have severe consequences to the structure of that community - CC promotes the success of invasive species - CC creates a ripple-effect that changes entire land and water ecosystems

seasons

- b/c the earth is tilted on its axis and orbits around the sun, different parts of planet are tilted toward or away from sun during different parts of year - northern and southern hemispheres experience opposite seasons

wind energy

- can be gathered nearly anywhere - energy is generated mechanically using wind turbines - an extremely clean method of generating electricity - entirely non-polluting - more expensive than traditional ways of converting energy

renewable energy sources

- can be replenished easily or is not depleted when used alternative energy sources: - solar power - wind energy - geothermal energy - biofuel - hydroelectric power - nuclear power

nonrenewable energy sources

- cannot be replenished b/c it exists in a finite quality fossil fuels: - coal - oil - natural gas

the carbon cycle

- carbon naturally cycles between non-living geologic and atmospheric reservoirs (sinks) and living organisms (sources) during this process

carbon sinks

- carbon reservoirs that include oceans and underground fossil fuels

how invasive species impact environment

- carrying disease (rats) - killing native species (arctic foxes) - outcompeting native species, driving them to near extinction (zebra mussels, gypsy moths, kudzu, lionfish)

prevent future CC

- clean energy tech - wind energy - solar energy

nuclear energy

- comes from splitting the tight-knit nucleus of an atom (usually using materials like uranium); nuclear power is considered cleaner than fossil fuels, but it is not without risk - the energy released from splitting these bonds is used to: A. create boiling water to power turbines (in boiling water reactors BWRs) B. create pressurized water to power turbines (in pressurized water reactors PWRs) - not entirely safe for people and environment: accidents w/ reactors or power plants can make people sick, or hurt/kill them

impact of CC on coral reefs

- coral bleaching, which kills the reef - coral reefs are symbiotic organisms that require relationships w/ photosynthetic algae to survive (the algae produce food in exchange for a place to live) - coral stressed by high temps will expel the algae and w/out it, will die - increased temps cause a breakdown of symbiotic relationships w/ algae, - we may lose up to 90% of coral reefs by 2050

the effect of CO2 in the atmosphere

- direct relationship between CO2 concentrations in atmosphere and the increase in global atmospheric and surface temps

factors that contribute to carbon footprint

- energy usage: sources of electricity and amount consumed - food choices: some foods produce more emissions in production and transport than others - transportation: fossil fuels in cars, planes, and buses versus carpool, public transit and hybrid or electric - waste disposal: reuse and recycling versus landfills

fossil fuels

- ex: coal, oil, shale, natural gas are formed from the remains of living organisms; their formation stores carbon deep within the earth - one of the biggest contributors to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations - when they are burned by humans for energy, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

things increasing due to climate change

- extreme weather events (heat waves, droughts, coastal flooding/extreme precipitation) - temp over land - air temp near surface (troposphere) - temp over oceans - ocean heat content - sea surface temp - sea level - humidity

impact of CC in individuals and species: the pace of evolution

- fast-forwarded pace of extinction - habitat loss and changes in vegetation

carbon

- four chemical bonds - long chains called hydrocarbons - complex ring structures - hydrocarbons may combine w/ functional groups to form organic molecules - the 4 electrons in carbon's outer shell allow it to form 4 chemical bonds

challenges of using tech to address climate change

- funding: finding the money especially for large-scale implementation; climate safe tech is expensive compared to current costs - public acceptance: convincing individuals and the general public to make large-scale changes to buildings and the environment - the unknowns: breaking ground w/ new tech involves trying to predict the effects of these tech known and unknown

tech that attempts to address current consequences of climate change

- geoengineering: (climate engineering) is the development of tech that directly alters earth's atmosphere to combat CC - CDR technology: carbon dioxide removal - SRM technology: solar radiation management - genetic engineering: modifying plants & animals

things decreasing due to climate change

- glaciers - snow cover - sea ice

how much methane in atmosphere

- historically, methane concentrations have been just below 800 ppb - over past century, these levels have increased to 1,867 ppb in 2019

carbon sources

- living organisms produce carbon and are also called carbon sources - they produce carbon during the process of cellular respiration, which breaks down organic material for energy

climate change and the oceans

- majority of planet surface is water - changes in ocean temp have an impact on climate of surrounding land

formation of oil and natural gas

- microscopic plants and animals lived in oceans millions of yrs ago - as they died they sank to bottom of ocean, were covered by sediments, were exposed to high pressure and heat over millions of yrs

impact of CC in individuals and species: heatwaves + droughts

- more heat-related deaths - disrupted agricultural practices

how is methane produced

- naturally during the decomposition of organic material - released by livestock and the production of agricultural products like rice - released by landfills

carbon dioxide

- one of the most influential greenhouse gases - large contributor to the greenhouse effect b/c of its ability to absorb infrared energy

solar energy

- one of the most readily available sources of clean energy - energy from the sun is captured on panels and converted to electricity - does produce a little bit of carbon - the more solar energy used instead of coal/oil, the lower the amounts of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere

how are fossil fuels formed

- organic materials are submerged over long periods of time - these submerged materials are subjected to the heat and pressure of the Earth's crust

formation of coal

- plants and animals lived in swampy ecosystems 300 mil yrs ago - as these organisms died, they were covered by the low-oxygen environment of swamps (this prevented their decay) - they became covered w/ water and dirt and were exposed to pressure and heat

removing CO2 from the atmosphere

- plants and other organisms remove CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis when they use carbon to produce organic compounds called carbohydrates (sugar)

photosynthesis

- process by which plants, algae, bacteria and other photosynthetic organisms convert solar energy into chemical energy of a carbohydrate inputs: CO2, H2O, sunlight outputs: carbs (sugar/glucose), oxygen

characteristics of methane

- rare in atmosphere (measured in parts per billion, ppb) - relatively unstable - once created, remains in atmosphere for around a decade

global warming

- refers to general increase in global temperatures since 1980s - during this period the planet has warmed over 1.8 degrees F - is concerned primarily w/ the surface temp of the earth

impact of CC in individuals and species: vector-born disease

- shift in range of disease-carrying mosquitoes, ticks - increased potential to spread disease

how is CO2 produced and used

- some CO2 is produced through natural events like fire and volcanic activity - animals (including humans) produce CO2 as we break down food - plants use CO2 to produce carbohydrates (the basis of most food chains on the planet) - more recent increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide can be attributed to human activities like the use of fossil fuels, changes in farming practices, burning coal, and deforestation

biological vector

- something that moves an infectious agent (bacteria or virus) from one organism to another 1) Mosquitoes: vector for dengue fever, West Nile virus, chikunguya, and Zika virus, and the parasite associated w/ malaria 2) Ticks: can spread Lyme disease - as the planet warms these insects are capable of living in previously uninhabitable places b/c they require warm temps for reproduction and access to warm-blooded hosts

geothermal energy

- taps into heat generated by earth - is much cleaner than power generated w/ fossil fuels - requires more localized sources - common in areas w/ tectonic + volcanic activity - the most common sources are reservoirs of heated water close to earth's surface

climate

- the average weather patterns in a given area over time defined by temp and rainfall

oceans becoming more acidic

- the pH of the ocean is decreasing resulting in acidification b/c - CO2 dissolves easily in water, forming carbonic acid (H2CO3) - the concentration of carbonate is decreasing - the presence of carbonic acid in oceans increases hydrogen ion (H+) concentration - more H+ = lower pH = more acidic what are the consequences - a heat sink is a natural phenomenon (ex: Florida has mild winters b/c of warm water) - but when a heat sink is present over long periods of time and in different places, they can influence the climate of surrounding land masses in new ways

the greenhouse effect

- warms the planet as gases in the atmosphere trap heat energy this process occurs as: 1) solar energy strikes the earth 2) energy from the sun is absorbed where it strikes oceans and darker portions of the planet (it is reflected by snow and ice) 3) solar energy is gradually released from the oceans and dark surfaces, moving back into atmosphere as heat energy 4) some of the heat energy is trapped by gases like water and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (some of the heat escapes into space) - the greenhouse effect influences the lower part of the atmosphere and the planet's surface the most b/c water vapor and carbon dioxide are usually found close to the surface

surface temps of ocean are increasing

- water has ability to absorb heat - ocean acts as a heat sink, temporarily storing the planet's heat energy

Kyoto Treaty

An international treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions. It was negotiated and opened for signatories in 1997, and took effect in 2005. Although signed by 169 (of 192) countries, the Bush Administration rejected the plan as too costly in 2001.

Ice Core Sampling

Analysis of air bubbles trapped in ice sheets. This sampling showed that CO2 concentrations were much lower during continental glaciations, but high during intervening warm periods.

climate change and weather patterns: U.S. temperatures

- avg temps have increased between 1.2 and 1.8°F over the past 50 yrs - the majority of change occurred since the start of the 21st century - the rate of regional heat waves is increasing

alternative energy

- comes from sources that are not fossil fuels like oil or natural gas - considered "clean" when compared to fossil fuels which release large amounts of carbon dioxide - nuclear power is cleaner than fossil fuels but has other risks

how much CO2 is in the atmosphere

- for past 400,000 years, CO2 levels in our planet's atmosphere have been less that 300 parts per million (ppm) - since 1950s, this concentration has increased annually to over 411 ppm in 2019 - recent increase is attributed to human activities

tech that attempts to prevent future consequences of CC

- solar power - wind energy - geothermal energy - biofuel - hydroelectric power

climate change and the planet's ice

- some of first evidence of global warming and global climate change came from observing glaciers - since 1970s, there has been a global loss of ice mass in glaciers

weather

- the day to day conditions in an area usually described by high and low temps and chances for precipitation

solar energy

- the energy that comes from the sun. has both wave and particle nature - it strikes the earth as a a particle called a photon and then travels at various wavelengths

solar energy, photosynthesis, + sunlight

visible spectrum (380 - 740 nanometers) in order to capture these wavelengths of light, plants use pigments that absorb specific wavelengths of light - chlorophyll a: absorbs wavelengths of violet-blue and orange-red light - chlorophyll b: absorbs wavelengths of blue light - carotenoids: absorb wavelengths of blue-green and violet light

impact of CC on global ecosystems

- CC and global warming are widely impactful - greenhouse gases influence the entire planet; the impacts on global ecosystems can be exemplified by coral reefs and grasslands, though impacts can be detected in every biome on earth 2) grassland biomes the conversion from grassland to desert can result from the combination of: - increased temps and decreased precipitation - deforestation - poor agricultural practices (cattle farming)

address existing consequences

- CDR tech - SRM tech - geoengineering - genetic engineering

Causes for sea level rise

- Thermal expansion of water - Ice caps melting

carbon footprint

- a calculation of the amount of carbon that is directly or indirectly released into the atmosphere by the actions of a specific entity; measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide - a person's carbon footprint is a measure of their own impact on climate change

invasive species

- a species that has been introduced outside of its range - this introduction is usually through human actions and often negatively impacts biodiversity, community structure, and ecosystem function in the native area - this relationship between CC and the success of invasive species is tied to adaptability; invasive species are more tolerant to change than native species, especially w/ regard to temp and precipitation ranges

methane (CH4)

- an important greenhouse gas because of its ability to retain and release almost 30 times the amount of heat as CO2

greenhouse gases

- one of most significant contributors to climate change - retain heat near surface of planet greenhouse gases in atmosphere: - water (H2O) (found close to earth's surface) - carbon dioxide (CO2)(found close to earth's surface) - methane (CH4) - nitrous oxides (N2O) - ozone (O3) - chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

how much energy comes from fossil fuels

- over 80% of U.S. energy needs

Troposphere

0-17 km above Earth's surface, site of weather, organisms, contains most atmospheric water vapor. (temperature decreases with increasing altitude, pressure decreases)

What percentage of scientists agree that climate change is due to human activities?

97%

La Nina

A climate event in the eastern Pacific Ocean in which surface waters are colder than normal.

albedo effect

A measure of how much of the Sun's energy is reflected off an object back out to space compared to how much is trapped in Earth's atmosphere

atmosphere

A thin layer of gases surrounding Earth

Microclimate

Climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area

Himalayan glaciers and climate change

Himalayan glaciers are expected to decline by 70% or more by 2100, endangering irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower

urban heat island

In large cities, expanses of paved surfaces, particularly asphalt, absorbs heat during day and radiates heat at night. Sparse vegetatation and paved surfaces increase rain runoff, furthering reducing cooling effects. Temperatures in the cities are usually 3-5 degrees hotter than surrounding country side.

What is climate stabilization wedge? Why is it an important concept?

It involves breaking down large problems into small bite size pieces This is important because over the years, the impact will become bigger

coral bleaching

Occurs when a coral becomes stressed and expels most of its colorful algae, leaving an underlying ghostly white skeleton of calcium carbonate. Common stressors are increased water temperature and increased acidification of water.

hydrologic cycle

The cycle through which water in the hydrosphere moves; includes such processes as evaporation, precipitation, and surface and groundwater runoff

Where does climate change currently have the greatest impact?

The polar regions, especially the arctic.

green house effect

The warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of the Earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and gases absorb and radiate thermal energy.

CDR technology

carbon dioxide removal - aims to lower the current level of carbon dioxide through reforestation & creating carbon sinks in soil and ocean

Paris Agreement (2015)

an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance starting in the year 2020.

Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) and what is its function

an international group of scientists that evaluates scientific studies related to climate change to thoroughly and objectively assess the data 1) gathers evidence that climate change is taking place 2) assesses impacts and future risks 3) providing options for adapting and mitigating to its effects

El Nino

an irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years, characterized by the appearance of unusually warm, nutrient-poor water off northern Peru and Ecuador, typically in late December.

Natural causes of climate change

changes in Earth's orbit, tilt, amount of solar radiation, volcanic eruptions

heat waves and droughts

changes in precipitation patterns in western U.S. have amplified instances and severity of droughts; the 3 yrs between 2014 and 2016 set records for statewide avg temps in CA heat waves in S. Florida - given current CC predictions, models suggest an 80% chance that CA and the rest of the southwest U.S. could experience a megadrought that will last more than 35 yrs - heat waves + droughts disrupt agricultural practices and increase instances of heat-related death; these events have particular impacts on the poor, elderly, and people w/ medical conditions

maintaining agriculture

climate change has had an effect on weather patterns: - increased temps - increased flooding - increased drought this can make farming challenging and even impossible in some places to prevent famine, plants and sometimes herd animals, could be genetically modified to: - require less water - withstand extreme temps

anthropogenic climate change

climate change which is human caused, either directly or indirectly

energy and carbon emissions

different sources of energy for electricity and transportation contribute to climate change differently in terms of carbon emissions higher carbon emissions: - electricity (fossil fuels) - transportation (fossil-fuel-powered cars, buses, trains, airplanes) moderate carbon emissions: - electricity (solar) - transportation (fossil-fuel-powered carpool, public transit) lower carbon emissions: - electricity (wind, geothermal) - transportation (electric-powered cars, buses)

What are the stabilization wedges that could help flatten or reduce CO2 emissions?

energy conservation, switching to renewable fuelswind, water, and solar energy

genetic engineering: removal of carbon dioxide from atmosphere

genetically engineered trees or plants to increase their consumption of carbon - large quantities of carbon dioxide are removed from atmosphere

more heat in the atmosphere leads to..

higher rate of evaporation and a greater capacity of the atmosphere for holding moisture

food and carbon emissions

highest carbon emissions: - red meat (cattle, lamb); raising cattle requires more land than other livestock & are some of the largest biotic contributors b/c they produce methane + other greenhouse gases - dairy (cheese) moderate carbon emissions - white meat (pork, chicken) lowest carbon emissions - fruits & vegetables (locally grown fruits and vegetables)

as ocean levels rise, coastal cities become more at risk of:

increased erosion of beaches and shorelines flooding from intrusion of ocean water increased risk of damage from storm surges

paradoxical effect of climate change

increases both drought and heavy precipitation events

Adaptation

involves adjusting lives and society to the expected climate. ex. drains in miami

mitigation

mitigation strategies designed to reduce emissions and stabilize levels of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere

genetic engineering

modification of plants and animals to: - take up more carbon dioxide - require less water - withstand extreme temps this way plants and animals used for agriculture can handle extreme temps and weather events like floods and drought

How have warmer temperatures increased pest insects?

mosquitoes spread diseases to expanded ranges; pine bark beetles have infested Boreal forests

climate change

refers to changes in temp. and precipitation, which are associated w/ weather events such as: - heat waves - droughts - extreme precipitation - coastal flooding general consensus: - the climate of our planet is changing - human activity is the major contributing factor to the changes

albedo feedback

rise in temp reduces accumulation of ice and snow in cryosphere; decreases albedo and increases energy surface absorbs; increased warming enhances temperature rise

SRM tech

solar radiation management tech aims to: - reflect solar energy before it reaches the earth - prevent solar energy from getting trapped by greenhouse gases and warming the planet further

patterns of glacier/snow/ice loss

the arctic ice cap - primarily located over open water, which retains heat - as a result , the extent of ice coverage has declines antartica - ice sheets have lost coverage annually - estimated to be losing 127 gigatones of ice per year greenland - ice sheets have lost coverage annually - estimated to be losing 286 gigatones of ice per year the loss of ice coverage is a major contributing factor to an increase in sea levels which have risen nearly 8 inches in the past century

convection current

the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another

wavelength

the oscillating path of a photon

photon

the smallest unit of light that oscillates along a path called a wavelength