Ozone depletion and climate change

How much has the planet warmed up since 1880?

1.7 degrees F

Steppe

10-12 inches of rain per year Not enough train for forests Located next to desert DRY, SEMI-ARID

Warmest years on record

2016 2015 2014

When will the ozone hole stop depleting

2070 The chlorine must fall below the 1990s levels

What is the average carbon footprint for an average American family?

5 tons of CO2 a year

Percent that the average American family can cut back on their carbon footprint

60% by changing the little things

What is the average carbon footprint of the US?

7 billion tons of CO2 a year

El Nino

A climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Occurs irregularly in 2-7 year intervals and lasts 10-12 months on average Means "blessed child"

Ozone layer

A region of the Earth's Stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's UV radiation. Contains high comcetration of ozone (O3) 10-50km thick

Note

Addressing these issues is complex. There is clearly a divide in addressing these issues between developed and underdeveloped countries.

Highland

Affected by altitude (mountains) Cold Thin air (less oxygen) Sherpas adapted to the climate

Montreal Protocol (1987)

An international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by banning the CFCs and other compounds that deplete the ozone layer.

What would happen if humans keep warming the earth?

Antarctica will start to break apart by 2050 This would result in 43 feet of sea level rise

How is the human geographic theme related to this issue?

At the start of the industrial revolution, the amount of CO2 produced by humans rapidly increased. Humans are changing the environment.

Suggestions for rolling back rising temperatures

Be energy efficient Produce less waste Fly less Eat organic foods Become informed on this issue

Marine west coast

Best climate zone Steady climate Cool air coming off of Pacific Ocean MIDDLE LATITUDES

Note

Billions of tons of carbon are stored in trees

Greenhouse gases (primary)

Carbon Dioxide (main cause) Methane Nitrous Oxide Ozone CFCs

Tundra

Cold, long winter and spring like summer Ground is frozen year round Permafrost is starting to thaw out and get softer Causing architecture to crumble HIGH LATITUDE

Worst-case senario

Collapse of food production Disintegration of the polar ice sheets

Kyoto Protocol

Commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mainly CO2) based on the premise that global warming exists and human-made CO2 emissions have caused it.

Paris agreement

Developing countries are also pledging to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases.

Impacts to Punta Arenas

Direct UV radiation Ocean under ozone hole has little life Cataracts are very common More skin rashes

Impacts of El Niño

Drier and milder winter (in our area) A lot of rain causing flood and mud slides (south US) Seals suffer bc fish move to different currents

Optimistic senators of global climate change

Earth turns out to be less sensitive to greenhouse gases than currently believed Plants and animals manage to adapt Human developer a greater political will to bring emissions under control Technological break through (not very logical)

Man-made greenhouse effect

Enhances the natural greenhouse effect by the additional greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.

Ozone hole

Fluctuates in size from year to year (sometimes large and sometimes small) First discovered above the Antarctic in 1975

Note

For every verticals foot of sea level lost, a beach loses 100 feet of coast

Subtropic

Four seasons Transition seasons are much shorter Winter is long and cold Short summers HIGH LATITUDES

Ice cap

Frozen year round Polar bears live here Sea ice is melting/shrinking HIGH LATITUDES

Causes of ozone depletion

Greenhouse gases Aircraft Nuclear explosions CFCs Air pollution

Mediterranean

Hot and humid MIDDLE LATITUDES

Humid tropical

Is right in the equator One season (direct sun year round) Hot, humid, and wet climate zone 80+ inches of rain per year Lack of rain is leading to drying up rain forests LOW LATITUDES

Natural greenhouse effect

Keeps the earth's climate warm and habitable. Produced from animal and plant Respiration Vital for the planet

Desert

Less than 10 inches of rain per year Sandy, rocky, hot, or cold climate Conditions will control what plants and animals live in them DRY, SEMI-ARID

CO2

Main cause of global warming because the release of this gas causes the atmosphere to change temperature.

How are scientists study climate change?

Measuring the CO2 in the air Look at sea levels Ice cores

Impacts of climate change

Melting ice Extinction Amazon (drought) Thermal expansion Coral dying in Great Barrier Reef

What climate zones are changing?

Middle latitudes are pushing northward.

Are scientific models accurate and consistent?

More often than not these models are correct. The more quality information put in, the more accurate the results will be.

Methane

More potent at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, but it breaks down more quickly in the air.

Note

Ocean is rising about a foot per century

Why was the ozone hole only recently discovered?

Satellites were necessary in finding this hole and the technology wasn't that advanced in the past.

Future prediction for ozone depletion

Scientists believe that it will heal itself by 2070.

Note

Scientists have found that more than half of the shrinkage is due to atmospheric chlorine.

Effects of ozone depletion on people

Skin cancer Birth defects Cataracts Damage to farm crops Sunburns Premature aging of skin Blindness Weakening immune system Damages DNA

Note

Some climates experience fire seasons. These seasons have not come to an end in recent years due to dry/drought conditions. Ex: Australia

Note

Steppes and deserts can be found anywhere

Where does methane come from?

Swamps Decay of food Cattle and Dairy farming Leaks from natural gas wells/pipelines

How could a family cut back on their carbon footprint?

Switching to energy efficient light bulbs Install a smart thermostat Unplugging electrical appliances (when not used) Use public transportation Plug leaks in insulation

When did the ozone begin depleting?

The ozone was always naturally depleting, but when the industrial revolution started, the depletion became more affected.

Greenhouse effect

The trapping of the radiation emitted by the sun, caused by gases that allow incoming sunlight to pass through but retain heat radiated back from the planet's surface.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

These gases contain chlorine molecules which break down the ozone molecules. This reduced the ozone layer's ability to absorb the UV radiation. Stay in the atmosphere for 50-70 years Released from aerosol sprays and old refrigerators

Human activities that produce these fossil fuels

Transportation Deforestation Electricity Farming Industrial processes

Tropical savanna

Two seasons Wet season (summer) Dry season (winter) LOW LATITUDES

Humid continental

Two types: one further south and one further north South- longer, warmer summer and shorter, mild winter North- longer, colder winter and shorter, cool summer MIDDLE LATITUDES

Humid subtropical

Very hot, humid, and rainy Mild, warm winters MIDDLE LATITUDES

Will reducing meat in my diet help the climate?

Yes Cows produce emissions of methane