The Greenhouse Effect and Increasing Greenhouse Gases

Identify the greenhouse gas that is the reference point for the global warming potential (GWP) scale

Carbon dioxide is the reference point for the gWP scale . It is set as 1.

Identify TWO anthropogenic sources of methane in the atmosphere.

Biomass burning, rice cultivation

Identify TWO anthropogenic sources of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.

Burning of fossil fuels and biomass

List the four greenhouse gases from #1 in order of lowest GWP to highest GWP (water vapor is excluded).

CO2 , CH4, N2O, CFC

Identify THREE environmental problems caused by excess greenhouse gases from anthropogenic sources in the atmosphere.

Global climate change, caused by excess greenhouse gases from anthropogenic sources, lead to a variety of environmental problems. Rising sea levels, Ocean acidification , Melting Ice sheets , Ocean water expansion, Disease vectors spreading from the tropics towards the poles , climate change.

Identify TWO natural sources of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.

Oceans , soils , grasslands

Identify TWO anthropogenic sources of CFCs in the atmosphere.

Refrigerators , cleaning solvents

Identify TWO other gases (not the ones listed in #1) that act as greenhouse gases.

SF6 , PFC

Explain why water vapor doesn't contribute significantly to global climate change.

The most abundant greenhouse gas overall , water vapor differs from other greenhouse gases in that it doesn't contribute significantly to global climate change because it has a short residence time in the atmosphere.

Identify the 5 principal greenhouse gases.

The principal greenhouse gases are Carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4 ) Water Vapor (H2O) Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Besides GWP, what other factor plays a role in the effect a greenhouse gas has on the greenhouse effect?

Two key ways in which these gases differ from each other are their ability to absorb energy (their "radiative efficiency") , and how long they stay in the atmosphere ( also known as their "lifetime" or "residence time")

Identify TWO anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

burning fossil fuels , car emissions, electricity generation

Identify ONE other environmental impact besides global warming that comes from the use of CFCs.`

can break down the ozone

Identify TWO natural sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

organic decay

Identify THREE ways/solutions to reduce the addition/amount of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.

stop burning fossil fuels , use sustainable agriculture, produce less waste!

Identify TWO natural sources of methane in the atmosphere.

wetlands , termites