7.2 Climate change

Question 1

Climate change

Answer 1

been a normal feature of the Earth’s history, but human activity has contributed to recent changes.

Question 2

Impacts fall into 3 broad categories

Answer 2

Water: oceans, ice caps, glaciers, hydrologic cycle and climate patterns

Productivity: plant growth in natural ecosystems and agriculture

People: cities, forced migration, and economics

Question 3

climate

Answer 3

describes how atmosphere behaves over relatively long periods of time

Question 4

weather

Answer 4

describes the conditions in the atmosphere over a short period of time

Question 5

what does oceanic and atmospheric circulatory systems

Answer 5

weather and climate

Question 6

State the human factors used to construct GCMs

Answer 6

Low Emissions vs. High Emissions
- Population growth
- Economic activity
- Energy conservation
- Energy technology
- Land Use

Question 7

small scale activities

Answer 7

can’t be detected by humans easily

Question 8

Human activities, when increased greenhouse emission

Answer 8

(GHGs, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour) in the atmosphere, which leads to: an increase in the mean global temperature

Question 9

how does human activities impact weather events

Answer 9

• hurricanes energy comes from warm oceans
• warmer it is, more energy

Question 10

impacts of climate change

Answer 10

may vary from one location to another, may be perceived as either beneficial or adverse.

Question 11

example of the impacts

Answer 11

changes in water availability, distrubution of biomes and cop growing areas, loss of biodiversity and ecosystems services, costal damages, and negative impact to human health

Question 12

distribution of biomes & growing crop areas (adverse)

Answer 12

bad for some certain animals

Question 12

distribution of biomes & growing crops areas (benefits)

Answer 12

provides humans with more crops due to agriculture, more for consuming

Question 13

implications for biodiversity of global warming

Answer 13

One ice-free Arctic summer per 100 years: Limiting warming to 1.5°C instead of 2°C would prevent the thawing of 1.5-2.5 million km² of permafrost over centuries.

Alpine species migrate upwards: These species will move to higher altitudes on mountain slopes due to warming.

Marine species shifted to higher altitudes: Ranges of marine species will shift to higher altitudes.
70-90% decline of coral reefs: Coral reefs face a significant decline under a 1.5°C warming scenario.

Shifts in insect pollinator ranges: These shifts have unknown implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Question 14

UNEP

Answer 14

organization that takes of environmental change (all of the problems)

Question 15

ICJ

Answer 15

they are in charge of solving environmetal conflicts

Question 16

Ocean acidification due to climate change

Answer 16

Driver: Burning fossil fuels, cement manufacture, and land-use change

Atmospheric Change: Increased atmospheric CO₂

Ocean Acidification: Increased CO₂, decreased bicarbonate ions and pH

Changes to Organisms and Ecosystems: Reduced shell and skeleton production, changes in assemblages, food webs, and ecosystems, biodiversity loss, changes in biogas production and feedback to climate

Socio-economic Impacts: Fisheries, aquaculture, and food security, coastal protection, tourism, climate regulation, carbon storage

Policy Options for Action: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Conference of the Parties, IPCC, Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20),

Convention on Biological Diversity, geoengineering, regional and local laws and policies to reduce other stresses

Question 17

Impact of Climate Change on Human Health and Exacerbation of Existing Inequities

Answer 17

Environmental Degradation: Forced migration, civil conflict, mental health impacts, loss of jobs and income

Rising Temperatures: Extreme heat, heat-related illness and death, cardiovascular failure

More Extreme Weather: Injuries, fatalities, loss of homes, mental health impacts

Water & Food Supply Impacts: Malnutrition, diarrheal disease

Water Quality Impacts: Cholera, cryptosporidiosis, Campylobacter, leptospirosis, harmful algal blooms

Air Pollution & Increasing Allergens: Asthma, cardiovascular disease, respiratory allergies

Changes in Vector Ecology: Malaria, dengue, encephalitis, hantavirus, Rift Valley fever, Lyme disease, chikungunya, West Nile virus
Degraded Living Conditions & Social

Inequities: Exacerbation of existing social and health inequities and vulnerabilities

Question 18

explain (8 point question)

Answer 18

more details + examples

Question 19

discuss

Answer 19

details + examples + conclusion (your opinion backed up with evidence)

Question 20

To what extent

Answer 20

details + examples + conclusion (your opinion backed up with evidence)

Question 21

compare and contrast

Answer 21

similarities & differences

Question 22

evaluate

Answer 22

pros & cons

Question 23

global climate models are complex, degree of uncertainty regarding

Answer 23

Complexity of climate models: The graph shows a wide range of model projections, indicating the complexity of climate systems and the difficulty of accurately predicting future trends.
Uncertainty in predictions: The variations among the model outputs highlight the inherent uncertainty in climate modeling due to the numerous factors involved.
Comparison with observations: The graph also compares model projections with observational data, providing a sense of how well the models are capturing current trends.

Question 24

negative feedback mechanism

Answer 24

work to maintain a stable equilibrium by counteracting changes

Question 25

positive feedback mechanism

Answer 25

they get bigger and faster over time. For example, if the Earth gets warmer, more ice melts, which reflects less sunlight, making the Earth even warmer.

Question 26

global dimming

Answer 26

where less sunlight reaches the Earth’s surface due to air pollution. This happens because tiny particles in the atmosphere, like those from burning fossil fuels, reflect sunlight back into space. This can affect weather patterns, agriculture, and ecosystems.

Question 28

Aerosols

Answer 28

tiny particles suspended in the air. They can come from natural sources like volcanic eruptions or human activities like burning fossil fuels. When aerosols are in the atmosphere, they can reflect sunlight back into space, causing global dimming.

Question 29

water vapor

Answer 29

the most powerful greenhouse gas but its impact is not fully quantified. It’s constantly changing and contributes significantly to the greenhouse effect, estimated at 40-70%. The IPCC estimates its contribution to be 50%.

Question 30

Paris Agreement (IPCC)