Global Climate Change Final Exam
Know what kind of extreme events are happening because of climate change.
- Heat and Drought - Storms and Floods - Snow and Frigid Weather
Coal
A fossil fuel that forms underground from partially decomposed plant material
Scientific Method
A series of steps followed to solve problems including asking a question, collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and forming a theory.
Externalities
A side effect of an action that affects a third party other than the buyer or seller.
Atmosphere
A thin layer of gases surrounding Earth
How is global warming influencing the Atmosphere?
A warming atmosphere affects more than just air temperatures: while heat waves and droughts are becoming more common and intense, rainstorms are also becoming more powerful, sometimes provoking dangerous floods.
Hydrosphere
All the water on earth
What ways does coal contribute to global warming?
Burning coal at higher temperatures is more efficient, but it is technologically demanding and expensive to implement. If coal is necessary to meet the growing demand for electrical power, carbon sequestration and storage must be a priority.
Explain which countries are responsible for much of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.
China, US, India, Russia, Japan
fossil fuels
Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.
Cryosphere
Frozen water on earth
Energy Poverty
Lack of access to modern energy services.
Be able to explain the basics of oil and the different types of oil.
Oil is the primary fuel for transport. Since 1980, most growth in the use of oil in the United States has been in the transport sector. Conventional oil reserves have passed peak production and will decline rapidly with increasing demand from India and China.
Climate
Overall weather in an area over a long period of time
Be able to explain what our current energy problem is.
Production of fossil fuels is expected to rise, approximately doubling the amount of use of each fossil fuel. As world population continues to grow and the limited amount of fossil fuels begin to diminish, it may not be possible to provide the amount of energy demanded by the world by only using fossil fuels to convert energy.
How does Earth lose its heat?
Radiating it out into space at more or less the same rate all the time.During the day, the sun is adding heat at a higher rate than it is being lost out into space - so temperatures go up. During the night, the sun isn't adding heat - so that loss of heat gradually cools things off.
Weather
The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place.
Understand how a few well connected and well paid people are able to sow doubt about climate change to the American public.
They donate to congressmen for them to stay in office and push doubt on climate change. FF industries fund think tanks w/ specific agenda to doubt climate change
Main Greenhouse Gases
carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, water vapor
Be able to explain the basics about how changes in the earth's orbital parameters change the earth's climate.
effects from the primary factors of Earth's axial tilt angle, Earth's orbital eccentricity, and the precession of solstices and equinoxes
Be able to explain the basics of carbon capture and storage as related top coal.
the process of capturing waste co2 at the sources of production such as coal powerplants and then transporting it to a storage site for disposal in a place such as an underground geological formation so it can't enter the atmos.
Lithosphere
the solid, outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle
In addition to ice melting and seas warming - be able to explain additional factors increasing sea level rise for different parts of the world.
- Antarctica: The Antarctic ice sheet mass balance is affected by snowfall accumulations, and ice discharge along the periphery. Under the influence of global warming, melt at the base of the ice sheet increases. - Greenland: The sources contributing to sea level rise from Greenland are from ice sheet melting and from glacier calving.
Be able to explain the main regions of the world with ice and how they are melting
- Arctic: Sea ice is currently in decline in area, extent, and volume and may cease to exist sometime during the 21st century. - Antarctic: While the interior of East Antarctica is gaining land ice, overall Antarctica has been losing land ice at an accelerating rate. Antarctic sea ice is growing despite a strongly warming Southern Ocean.
Be able to explain how we as a society are subsidizing fossil fuels.
- Cheap source of energy - Safe to transport - Massive economic benefits - Completely stable - Useful by product - Reliable
Be able to explain the major economic sectors (such as transportation) and their greenhouse contributions.
- Electricity production accounts for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. - Industry is responsible for 21% of global greenhouse gas emissions - Transport accounts for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions. - Buildings account for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions. - Waste is responsible for 3.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. - Land use change and forestry are responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions. - Agriculture is responsible for as much as 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Be able to explain how we will be able to reduce emissions in the future.
- Expand the use of renewable energy - Increase vehicle fuel efficiency and support other solutions that reduce U.S. oil use. - Place limits on the amount of carbon that polluters are allowed to emit. - Build a clean energy economy by investing in efficient energy technologies, industries, and approaches. - Reduce tropical deforestation and its associated global warming emissions.
Be able to explain the ways that we are able to measure sea-level rise
- Markers: As the tide marker is attached to land, this provides a measurement of sea level relative to land. - Satellite altimetry: where satellites measure the actual height of the ocean surface.
Be able to list a number of different Climate proxies and explain how they tell us about past climates.
- Rocks: Different earth activities are recorded in rocks as they form and transform. - Fossils: tells about the type of life living and the type of climate can be surmises from it. - Ice Cores: can hold atmosphere (gases) from past times. - Ocean Sediments: tiny plankton (Foraminifera) from the past can be found.
Observed changes happening on earth
- Temperatures are rising world-wide due to greenhouse gases trapping more heat in the atmosphere. - Droughts are becoming longer and more extreme around the world. - Tropical storms becoming more severe due to warmer ocean water temperatures. - As temperatures rise there is less snowpack in mountain ranges and polar areas and the snow melts faster. - Overall, glaciers are melting at a faster rate. - Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean around the North Pole is melting faster with the warmer temperatures. - Permafrost is melting, releasing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.- - Sea levels are rising, threatening coastal communities and estuarine ecosystems.
Potential future changes in climate change
- Temperatures wil continue to rise - Frost-free season (and growing season) will lengthen - Changes in precipitation patterns - More droughts and heat waves - Hurricanes will become stronger and more intense - Sea level will rise 1-4 feet by 2100 - Arctic likely to become ice-free
what countries use the most energy?
- United States - China - Russia - India - Japan
Be able to explain the Carbon Wedge and how we can mitigate greenhouse gases.
A carbon wedge is a SMART goal that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 gigatonne of carbon a year by 2055. By using carbon wedges, we aim to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at current levels and then decrease the atmospheric concentration of CO2 starting around 2055.
Negative Feedbacks
A negative feedback loop minimizes change. An example is the sun heats water, water evaporates, creates a cloud, sun reflects, keeps temperature the same. more examples: methane in permafrost is being released as the cryosphere melts, more methane in the atmos., greenhouse gas effect
Positive Feedbacks
A positive feedback loop increases change throughout the loop process. An example of a positive feedback loop in relation to climate change is when solar radiation shines down and reflects off ice, but some ends up getting absorbed which leads to the melting of the ice. More melting of ice leads to more solar radiation getting absorbed and the process continues on like this.
Science
A way of learning about the natural world
How is Earth a system?
Air, water, rock and life work together in another part of Earth. The Earth system involves a constant flow matter through different parts.
why the Media is not so reliable when it comes to climate change information.
Bord et al. claim that a substantial portion of the United States public has a flawed understanding of global warming, seeing it as linked to general "pollution" and causally connected in some way to atmospheric ozone depletion. First, journalists distort reality by making scientific errors. Second, they distort by keying on human-interest stories rather than scientific content. And third, journalists distort by rigid adherence to the construct of balanced coverage.
Be able to explain who in the world should take the lead in mitigating future climate change
Cities, cities are a key contributor to climate change, as urban activities are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Estimates suggest that cities are responsible for 75 percent of global CO2 emissions, with transport and buildings being among the largest contributors.
Be able to explain how climate change will affect humans and our society.
Climate change could affect our society through impacts on a number of different social, cultural, and natural resources. For example, climate change could affect human health, infrastructure, and transportation systems, as well as energy, food, and water supplies. Some groups of people will likely face greater challenges than others. Climate change may especially impact people who live in areas that are vulnerable to coastal storms, drought, and sea level rise or people who live in poverty, older adults, and immigrant communities.
Reliability of current climate data
Climate models have to be tested to find out if they work. We can't wait for 30 years to see if a model is any good or not; models are tested against the past, against what we know happened. If a model can correctly predict trends from a starting point somewhere in the past, we could expect it to predict with reasonable certainty what might happen in the future.
Be able to explain how scientists predict future climate changes (modeling)
Climate models work like a laboratory in a computer. They allow scientists to study how different factors interact to influence a region's climate. In a climate model, a scientist can change the temperature of the oceans safely inside a computer. The model then figures how lots of other things would change because of the warming oceans.
Be able to explain what coastal communities can do to prepare for sea-level rise.
Communities can protect and restore critical habitats, such as wetlands and dunes, and plan out a buffer zone so that wetlands and dunes can migrate inland while providing inland infrastructure with natural shoreline protection.
How is the earth heated?
Earth is heated through radiation, some light that Earth is exposed to, gets trapped in the atmosphere and warms Earth as a whole
Basic chemical components that make up atmosphere
Earth's atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, and 0.03% carbon dioxide with very small percentages of other elements.
Be able to explain what Geoengineering is with some examples.
Geoengineering technologies are designed to enhance and extend natural processes that either remove carbon from the atmosphere or reflect more of the Sun's radiation. Solar radiation management (SRM) reduces the amount of solar radiation absorbed by Earth's surface. Carbon dioxide reduction (CDR) captures CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it safely in deep natural reservoirs.
basic stakeholders concerning climate change.
Healthcare providers Assisted living / nursing homes Early childhood centers Food banks Safety-net service providers Low-income neighborhoods Communities of color
Be able to explain the different types of renewable energies.
Hydroelectric Power: Most large rivers with hydroelectric power potential are now in use. Small local hydroelectric power generators have more future potential. Geothermal Power Geothermal power is not available only in hot zones like Iceland. Normal geothermal gradients can be used to heat water in the winter and cool in the summer. Wind Energy Wind energy is free, clean, and plentiful. We need an away to store energy for times when the wind is not blowing.
Know how water resources are being influenced by climate change.
In many areas, climate change is likely to increase water demand while shrinking water supplies. This shifting balance would challenge water managers to simultaneously meet the needs of growing communities, sensitive ecosystems, farmers, ranchers, energy producers, and manufacturers.
Be able to explain ways that we can sequester greenhouse gases.
Increase the generation of power from sources that produce fewer emissions. Dramatically increase the production of renewable energy. Enhance CO2 sequestration during industrial production. Increase the efficiency of public and commercial transport by road. Decrease the use of cars and trucks for transport by road. Decrease the overall demand for power through conservation and efficiency. Reduce greenhouse gases from waste treatment. Stop unnecessary deforestation and loss of carbon from soils. Change agricultural practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Alter ecosystems to increase the sequestering of CO2.
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The charge of the IPCC is to provide governments with the scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information needed to guide climate policy.
Be able to explain how Developed countries and Developing countries differ in their outlook on climate change. Also be able to explain the political differences between these two groups when it comes to global negotiations on climate change.
Leaders from the developing world have more problems and less resources, for example there are millions of people living in poverty in the developing world. Developing nations need cheap energy, which is often fossil fuels. They need energy for the basics of life. They know that fossil fuels are bad, but they feel that the rich countries use fossil fuels for their luxury lifestyle and they need to cut back to using fossil fuels for the basics, like the developing world. Developing nations appear unready to sacrifice economic growth when they have not reached the base level of per capita emissions necessary for survival and the Developed world is hesitant to go it alone when they feel strong competitions from countries like china, Brazil, India.
Be able to explain the difference in energy demand for different groups on Earth (developed vs. developing)
Leaders from the developing world have more problems and less resources, for example there are millions of people living in poverty in the developing world. Developing nations need cheap energy, which is often fossil fuels. They need energy for the basics of life. They know that fossil fuels are bad, but they feel that the rich countries use fossil fuels for their luxury lifestyle and they need to cut back to using fossil fuels for the basics, like the developing world. Developing nations appear unready to sacrifice economic growth when they have not reached the base level of per capita emissions necessary for survival and the Developed world is hesitant to go it alone when they feel strong competitions from countries like china, Brazil, India.
Be able to explain the current situation with nuclear power.
Many people fear nuclear power, even though it has one of the best safety records of all energy sources. France has produced most of its energy from nuclear power since the oil crisis of the 1970s. It has had no serious incidents and is now a net exporter of electrical power.
How is global warming influencing the cryosphere?
Melting Ice Causes More Warming, Melting Permafrost Releases Greenhouse Gas, Less Ice on Land Means Sea Level Rises
El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
Natural climate cycle that involves both the atmosphere and oceans. Irregularly periodical variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting much of the tropics and subtropics.
Be able to explain the basics about natural gas and it production of CO2
Natural gas is a cleaner fuel than coal and produces much less carbon dioxide when burned.
Greenhouse Effect
Natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases
How do we study paleoclimate?
Past climate can be reconstructed using a combination of different types of proxy records. These records can then be integrated with observations of Earth's modern climate and placed into a computer model to infer past as well as predict future climate.
Be able to explain how population growth and poverty influence climate change.
Population growth in India, China, Nigeria, and other countries in the developing world is increasing global demand for energy.
Be able to explain how in the scientific community it is an established fact that the Earth is heating up and it is being caused by human activity.
Scientists say the accumulation of heat in the oceans is the strongest evidence of how fast Earth is warming due to heat-trapping gases released by the burning of fossil fuels. Scientists agree that today's warming is primarily caused by humans putting too much carbon in the atmosphere, like when we choose to extract and burn coal, oil, and gas, or cut down and burn forests.
Be able to explain the different impacts of sea-level rise on coastal communities
Shoreline erosion and degradation, Amplified storm surges, Permanent inundation. Many low-lying coastal land areas are expected to be gradually submerged by rising sea levels.
Be able to explain the difference between a scientific climate skeptic and a climate denier.
Skepticism is an important part of the scientific process. Health skepticism challenges the prevailing scientific paradigm and continually tests the quality and consistency of the observations, and methodology of science. Scientists are skeptical. To be a true climate skeptic is to look at the data and methods in a detailed way, and accept the results of proper science. Climate deniers have tried to damage leading climate scientists such as Jim Hansen and Michael Mann. Hansen and Mann have been vindicated on all accusations against them, but conservative bloggers keep on attacking the science and the scientists - trying to intimidate them.
How is global warming influencing the Hydrosphere?
Some evidence suggests global warming is already responsible for more extreme precipitation events. Precipitation in a warming world is also projected to lead to departures from current timing and patterns of rainfall distribution.
Be able to explain why some states are reluctant to decrease the use of fossil fuels and some states are willing to do so.
Some states are very dependent on fossil fuels and so there is a strong economic argument against climate legislation. They need to be shown economic data that shows that inaction will be more costly. This is a job for economists, not natural scientists. Most of the movement for action comes from Green states like Vermont and California, while the energy producing states like Texas and Wyoming push against any change.
Be able to explain why we use so much oil.
The US has a large population and an excellent network of roads. We are also a major air travel hub. In addition, oil makes sense as a fuel source for transportation, so absent government opposition market forces will cause oil to be a major energy source.
Be able to explain how economic growth influences climate change.
The demand for cheap coal to generate electrical power is rising, although the economic recession in 2008 saw a small decrease in demand.
Be able to explain the economic analysis of climate change - and how it includes future issues into the economic analysis.
The economists need to show the damage that will be caused in the future and the costs it will incur. Then they need to examine the costs of today cutting back on fossil fuels and show that it would be cheaper to take action today. Communities put at risk by climate change solutions (forced to reduce the use of coal and other fossil fuels) need to believe that they will benefit from a green economy in the long run. To estimate the cost of future climate change, economists use various models with different scenarios to estimate future costs from things such as sea-level rise, stronger storms, heat waves, etc. These models allow policy makers to make informed decisions. One of the problems however, is that there are often so many economic variables.
Be able to explain some of the initiatives being undertaking in the US.
The gap between the projected level of greenhouse gas emissions with no action and the flat path of emissions proposed by this plan opens up a so-called stabilization triangle over time. This triangle represents all the CO2 that has been successfully removed and sequestered or never produced in the first place.
How is global warming influencing the lithosphere?
The lithosphere is being heated up by the greenhouse gasses not being able to escape the atmosphere and it's melting the ice caps which contain frozen carbon which is polluting the atmosphere even further.
Carbon Cycle
The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again
Be able to explain how the politics of climate change is different from the science of climate
There are major divides in the way partisans interpret the current scientific discussion over climate, with the political left and right having divergent perceptions of modern scientific agreement, differing levels of trust in the information they get from professional researchers, and different views as to whether it is the quest for knowledge or the quest for professional advancement that drives climate scientists in their work.
What changes are humans causing (such as species extinction)?
We change our environment, and not always in ways that are good for the planet. We have mostly taken whatever we can, not because we are deliberately out to cause harm, but for food and to survive. Our strength as a species has been our ability to find new ways to take advantage of the Earth and its natural resources. It's this ability that has made us the dominant species on the planet.
How are weather and climate different?
Weather - consists of conditions in one place at one time that changes often. Climate - is the average of weather conditions over a long period of time usually 30 years
Be able to explain how today's global warming is different from past periods of global warming.
When CO2 levels jumped rapidly, the global warming that resulted was highly disruptive and sometimes caused mass extinctions. Humans today are emitting prodigious quantities of CO2, at a rate faster than even the most destructive climate changes in earth's past.
Be able to explain how the free market (capitalism) alone might not be able to solve the climate change issue.
While it is true that government intervention is not always necessary, it is also true that the free market has not always responded properly or in a timely manner for environmental problems. Some government oversight will be necessary to maintain a balance between the public good and the demands of the free market.
Stakeholders
any persons or groups who will be affected by an action
Paleoclimate
climate of the geological past
Critical Thinking
comparing what you already know with the information you are given in order to decide whether you agree with it
Know in some detail how climate change is affecting New England.
extreme weather, rising sea levels, large increase in the amount of rainfall measured during heavy precipitation events because warmer temps lead to more evaporation, agriculture will likely face reduced yields
Be able to explain what you can do about climate change
invest in further growth, upgrade infrastructure, and focus on the expansion of a new "green" economy. The time for talking has passed. It is time to turn our knowledge into action.
Climate Proxies
measurements or observations of physical variables that tell us about climate
sea level rise
one result of global climate change, due to melting glaciers and ice caps
Be able to explain the reasons why our seas are rising
rising temps on earth causes the oceans to warm and expand which leads to a rise in sea levels. risings temps are also causing land ice to melt and release water into the oceans. melting of cryosphere
temperature anomalies
the difference between the temperature and a reference temperature
Be able to explain a couple of ways that the climate changes naturally.
wobbles in Earth's orbit altered when and where sunlight falls on Earth's surface. Variations in the Sun itself have alternately increased and decreased the amount of solar energy reaching Earth. Volcanic eruptions have generated particles that reflect sunlight, brightening the planet and cooling the climate. Volcanic activity has also, in the deep past, increased greenhouse gases over millions of years, contributing to episodes of global warming.
