CHAPTER 1B: Climate Change

Question 1

refers to atmospheric conditions that occur locally over short periods of time—from minutes to hours or days.

Answer 1

Weather

Question 2

refers to the long-term regional or even global average of temperature, humidity, and rainfall patterns over seasons, years or
decades.

Answer 2

Climate

Question 3

thin part of the Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs almost all of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet light.

Answer 3

Ozone Layer

Question 4

Ozone layer is part of what layer of atmosphere?

Answer 4

Stratosphere

Question 5

Thinning of ozone layer due to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are everywhere, mostly in refrigerants and plastic products since they are inexpensive, they don’t catch fire easily, and they don’t usually poison living things.

Answer 5

Ozone Depletion

Question 6

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere

Answer 6

Greenhouse Gases

Question 7

A gas that came from burning fossil fuels (coal,
natural gas, and oil), solid waste,
trees and other biological materials,
and also as a result of certain
chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture
of cement).

Answer 7

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Question 8

removed from the atmosphere (or
“sequestered”) when it is absorbed
by plants as part of the biological
carbon cycle.

Answer 8

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Question 9

Gas that came from the production and transport
of coal, natural gas, and oil.

Answer 9

Methane (CH4)

Question 10

From agricultural and industrial
activities, combustion of fossil
fuels and solid waste, as well as
during treatment of wastewater.

Answer 10

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Question 11

4 main types of greenhouse gases

Answer 11

1. Carbon Dioxide
2. Methane
3. Nitrous Oxide
4. Fluorinated Gases

Question 12

because they are potent greenhouse
gases, they are sometimes referred
to as High Global Warming Potential
gases (“High GWP gases”).

Answer 12

Fluorinated Gases

Question 13

• Caused by the warming of sea surface temperature in the Pacific and
  can affect air and sea currents.
• Results in reduced rainfall that led to dry spells, droughts and
  stronger typhoons.

Answer 13

El Nino Phenomenon

Question 14

characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in the Equatorial Pacific which causes increased numbers of tropical storms in the
Pacific Ocean

Answer 14

La Nina Phenomenon

Question 15

long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the preindustrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities,
primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere

Answer 15

Global warming

Question 16

Effects of Climate Change

Answer 16

1. Global Warming
2. Lengthened Frost-free and Growing season
3. Changes in precipitation patterns
4. Extreme cyclone events
5. Extreme drought and heat waves
6. Iceberg melting
7. Rise in sea level

Question 17

reducing climate change through reducing the flow of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, either by reducing sources of these gases (for example, the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat or transport) or enhancing the “sinks” that accumulate and store these gases (such as the oceans, forests and soil)

Answer 17

Mitigation

Question 18

involves adjusting to actual or
expected future climate.

Answer 18

Adaptation

Question 19

Holistic approaches in Climate Change

Answer 19

1. Global cooperation
2. Enhanced government climate and environmental policies
3. Changed energy sources, from non-renewables to renewables (not
   abrupt but gradual shift)