Environmental Science

How much of the earth is water?

71%

How much of the earth's water is salt water?

97%

What is a renewable resource versus nonrenewable? Give an example of each.

A renewable resource is a resource that naturally regenerates itself through nature. An example of this is oxygen. Oxygen is not man-made, oxygen "replenishes" itself once some has been used. A nonrenewable source is the opposite. This is when there is only a limited supply of a resource and can not be remade once it is used up. An example is oil.

Open Systems

Allows interaction from the outside

Greenhouse Effect

An increase in Earth's average temperature from the buildup of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere is called

Why did greenhouse gases increase after the Industrial Revolution?

But now due to population growth and increased fossil fuel burning, we are increasing these gases in the atmosphere

The most significant greenhouse gas emitted in large quantities by human society is...

CO2

What major country has not agreed to participate in reducing global warming?

China

Increased greenhouse gases originate from what?

Coal burning power plants, transportation, deforestation

Atmosphere

Composition of the atmosphere, layers of the atmosphere, greenhouse effect, Radiation ,conduction & convection

Dependent Variable

Depends on other factors

Hypothesis

Educated guess

Data

Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis.

According to computer models, most coastal areas will experience what effect of global warming?

Flooding

What is the first step in the decision making model?

Gather information

Closed Systems

Isolated from the environment

Independent Variable

It is a variable that stands alone and isn't changed by the other variables you are trying to measure

Describe the measurements of CO2 levels in the atmosphere since 1950 (the Keeling curve)?

Levels of CO2 were steady until the mid-1970s, when they began to increase rapidly

What does living sustainable mean?

Living off the Earth's natural income without depleting

Major components of the atmosphere

Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, water vapor

Pros and Cons of fracking

Pros-----reduces dependence on foreign oil lower energy costs good for the economy Cons----ground water/air contamination human harm earthquakes

What have been reported and are possible signs of global warming?

Spread of some tropical diseases away from the equator. Bleaching of coral reefs in tropical areas with warmer water. Increased retreat of some glaciers on the tops of mountains in the Northern Cascades. Northward migration of some warm-climate fish.

What are the two main problems with fossil fuel?

Supply is limited and obtaining and using them has environmental consequences.

Geosphere

Tectonic plates, composition of Earth, layers of earth, earthquakes & volcanoes, erosion

The __________ was an international agreement presented in 1997 that attempted to limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from developed countries.

The Kyoto Protocol

Describe the correlation between carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature.Why is this important for understanding climate change?

The correlation between CO2 and temperature is essentially that when CO2 levels rise, the Earth's temperature rises. This is important for understanding climate change because CO2 levels rising are the cause for Earth's temperature to rise. Someone must understand that to understand why the temperature is increasing.

Biosphere

The factors that make life possible on earth, closed vs open systems

Climate

The long-term, prevailing atmospheric conditions

Control

The one part of the experiment that does not change.

Fossil fuels

The remains of ancient organisms that changed into coal, oil, or natural gas

Explain 3 predicted impacts of global climate change.

Three predicted impacts on global climate change are sea levels rising, drought, and ice melting throughout the world.

In the global agreement to reduce CO2 emmissons, which type of resource should we be using more? Explain your answer.

To reduce CO2 emissions, we need to be using more renewable resources because they are less harmful to the planet and there is not as much of a shortage of them as nonrenewable resources. A major problem in the world is the shortage of oil and coal (nonrenewable resources) and are causing CO2 levels to rise.

Without the greenhouse effect, Earth's atmosphere would be _____ to support life.

Too cold

Sequence of layers of the atmosphere starting from the layer closest to Earth

Troposphere-stratosphere-mesosphere-thermosphere

What are the top 3 countries using the most energy per person?

USA, UAE, and Canada

Qualitative Data

Use your senses to observe the results.

Quantitative Data

Using numbers, measurements...the results are measurable

Hydrosphere

Water cycle, importance of ocean currents, ocean as a temperature regulator, salinity, % of saltwater vs freshwater

Developed Nations

have higher average incomes, slower population growth, and diverse industrial economies .

What are our main environmental issues?

Pollution, loss of biodiversity, resource depletion

Developing Nations

lower average incomes, large population growth, and agriculture based economies.