Changing Climate Flashcards
How do we know about climate change in the past?
- ice cores (more co2 is hotter)
- tree rings
- fossils
- paintings
- newspapers
What happened during the little ice age?
- lasted from 15th century to 19th century
- crops did not grow well
- winters were cold and summers were short
- more hunting had to happen
- different crops had to be grown
- due to natural climate change
What is evidence of the little ice age?
- diaries
- newspapers
- paintings
- tree rings
What was the impacts of climate change on megafauna?
- they had evolved during ice age to survive colder temperatures
- when ice age ended temperatures rose 5 degrees in 10000 years
- they couldn’t adapt and became extinct at the end of the quaternary period
What are natural causes of climate change?
- earths orbit
- sun spots
- volcanic ash
- ocean current changes
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Weather: state of atmosphere at a particular time and place
Climate: long-term state of the atmosphere at a particular location
How may climate change in the UK be a result of human activity?
- burning fossil fuels
- factories increasing
- driving cars
- CFCs from aerosols and fridges (enhanced greenhouse effect)
What are the different greenhouse gases?
- carbon dioxide
- methane
- nitrous oxide
- water vapour
How are CO2 and CH4 released into the atmosphere?
CO2- volcanic eruptions, respiration, decomposition, fuel combustion
CH4- decomposition, melting of permafrost, animal waste/gas
Why are greenhouse gases important?
They keep the earths surface a lot hotter than it would be and human life would not be possible
What are reasons for changing climate in the UK?
- pressure systems (low pressure from west makes lots of rainfall)
- altitude(the higher the colder)
- distance from sea(near=warm in winter cool in summer)
- latitude(North is cold)
- prevailing wind(south west moist warm)
How is extreme weather in the UK affecting people?
FLOODS-damage homes/buildings, contaminated water supplies, death, disrupt transport
DROUGHT-hose pipe bans,crop failure
HIGH TEMP- more crops can grow, railway lines will buckle, death by heat
How can we reduce negative impacts of extreme climate change in the UK?
- preparing- flood defences and education
- planning- emergency services should know all procedures
- warning- give people time to prepare
What has caused global warming?
- increase in human activities like burning fossil fuels, intensive farming and deforestation
- greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere
Why are impacts of global warming to people?
- economic: farming will perish or flourish
- social: malnutrition/starvation/death from perishing crops
- environmental: rising sea levels/habitats lost/desertion
- politic: competition over resources may lead to war/ increased immigration
What are some responses to global warming?
International- Kyoto protocol aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, each country is set a target
National- transport strategies, tax on polluting vehicles and factories
Local- conserving energy/recycling/congestion charging
What are possible impacts of future climate change in the UK?
- average temperature rise
- less predictable rainfall
- changing seasons
Why will climate change in the UK?
- North Atlantic current likely to move(less rainfall and reduce sea temp)
- more air masses will come from North(storms+extreme cold in winter)
- paths of depression may be altered
What are some environmental impacts of climate change in the UK?
- sea levels rise/loss of costal land/increased erosion/flooding
- more severe storms and droughts
- ecosystem change(plants and animals move+new species emerge)
- warmer temperatures could encourage diseases like malaria
What are some economical impacts of climate change in the UK?
- increase in refugees
- farmers can grow different crops
- people have more holidays in UK
- damage from floods is expensive
- flood defence is expensive
What environmental impacts would climate change have on Bangladesh?
- more river flooding
- tropical storms more frequent and move further inland
- more droughts
What are economic impacts of climate change in Bangladesh?
- sea rise can reduce farm/agricultural land
- repairing destroyed homes
- intense storms cause damage to infrastructure
- land too salty to grow crops
- increase spread of waterborne diseases
