Chapter 14 Flashcards
Global Climate Change
Climate
area’s long-term atmospheric conditions
Weather
conditions over a period of hours/days
Global climate change/climate change
changes in temperature/precipitation/frequency and intensity of storms across the world
Global warming
increase in Earth’s average temperature, one aspect of climate change
Which three factors have the most influence on Earth’s climate?
sun, atmosphere, oceans
Greenhouse gases
atmospheric gases with three or more atoms that absorb infrared radiation given off the Earth’s surface then re-emit it down (e.g. water vapor, ozone, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, halocarbons)
Greenhouse effect
re-warming of the lower atmosphere by the emitting of infrared energy by greenhouse gases
Global warming potential
relative ability of greenhouse gas molecules to contribute to warming (expressed in relation to CO2)
Anthropogenic
human-generated
Aerosols
microscopic droplets that have a warming or cooling effect in the atmosphere, usually either by absorbing or reflecting solar energy
Radiative forcing
amount of change in thermal energy a given factor exerts on Earth’s temperature (positive warms, negative cools)
Milankovitch cycles
regular long-term cycles in which the Earth wobbles on its axis, varies its tilt, and experiences changes in its orbit shape
Proxy indicators
types of indirect measurements that serve as substitutes for direct measurement
Climate models
programs that combine knowledge of atmospheric circulation/ocean circulation/atmosphere/ocean interaction/feedback cycles to simulate climate dynamics
Fifth Assessment Report
released by the IPCC in 2013 and 2014 to summarize trends in surface temperature, precipitation, snow and ice cover, sea levels, storm intensity, etc.
How much have average surface temperatures risen in the last century?
1.1 degrees C
Jet stream
high-altitude air current that blows west to east and curves north to south
Atmospheric blocking pattern
north-south loops become longer as the jet stream slows (blocks eastward movement of weather patterns), causing weather patterns to be held in place for longer periods of time
How would sea levels be affected by the melting of the West Arctic ice shelf?
rise three meters
Permafrost
permanently frozen ground, which releases underground methane when melted
How much have average sea levels risen in the last 135 years?
24.1 cm
Storm surges
greater impact by localized sea level rises
Ocean acidification
oceans absorb more CO2 as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations rise
Social cost of carbon
between $10 and $350 per ton
Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change
concluded climate change would cost the world 5 to 20% of GDP by the year 2200
Mitigation
alleviate/reduce severity of climate change by improving energy efficiency, switching to clean/renewable energy sources, preserving forests, recovering landfill gases, protecting soil quality
Adaptation
strategies to cushion ourselves from climate change impacts
Carbon footprint
amount of carbon we are responsible for emitting
Carbon capture and storage
technologies/approaches that remove carbon dioxide from emissions and store it underground in reservoirs
Carbon pricing
strategies designed to compensate the public for external costs of climate change resulting from greenhouse gas emissions (shifts costs to those responsible for emissions)
Carbon tax
green tax on emission of carbon dioxide or carbon content of fossil fuels (often get passed directly to consumers)
Fee-and-dividend
government transfers carbon tax into a tax refund, given to taxpayers
Revenue-neutral carbon tax
tax with no net transfer of revenue from taxpayers to the government, like the fee-and-dividend approach
Carbon cap-and-trade
system where industries and utilities compete to reduce emissions for financial gain (cap is lowered over time)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
1992 convention using a voluntary approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which failed
Kyoto Protocol
1997 document mandating signatory nations to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases to levels below those of 1990 by 2008 to 2012 (only the U.S. did not ratify it)
Carbon-neutrality
no net carbon is emitted
Carbon offsets
voluntary payments paid by a producer unable to reduce its emissions and given to an institution that can
Geoengineering
risky idea to take steps to directly alter climate by fertilizing phytoplankton to draw out carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, designing artificial trees to filter out carbon dioxide, and blocking sunlight from reaching Earth
