Chapter 7 Flashcards

1
Q

intro

A
  • Climate is naturally variable
  • Over the past 100 years or so, the world’s climate has changed noticeably
  • By early in the twenty-first century, climate change had become part of the vocabulary of the North American public
  • Much complexity and uncertainty is associated with climate change
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

weather

A
  • Refers to short-term (hourly or daily) fluctuation of atmospheric conditions (air temperature, humidity, type and amount cloudiness, type and amount precipitation, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed and direction) (elements of weather).
    e. g. cloudy, raining, 10C
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

climate

A
  • In contrast, climate refers to long-term average of atmospheric conditions of a specific region or entire planet, such as:
  • Temperature (e.g. Winnipeg: monthly mean temperature for July is 22ºC, January=-18ºC, Vancouver: July 16ºC and Jan. 3ºC.
  • The global average temperature of the Earth is: 15º C = 59º F.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

climate change vs global warming

A

-is a long-term alteration in the climate of a particular location, region or for the entire planet (temperature, clouds, precipitation, frequency of weather events
(warmer or colder, wetter or drier)
-In contrast, global warming addresses changes only in average surface temperatures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

nature of climate change

A
  • Natural events, such as volcanoes and El Niño, are known to have an influence on climate
  • Volcanoes, eject large quantities of dust and sulphur particles into the atmosphere, which reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the Earth
  • El Niño represents a marked warming of the waters in the eastern and central portions of the tropical Pacific that triggers weather changes and events in two-thirds of the world
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what happens after volcanic eruption

A

Following a volcanic eruption, large amounts of SO2, HCl and ash spew into the Earth’s stratosphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

The following statements are supported by solid scientific evidence

A
  • The world has been warming
  • Greenhouse gas emissions have been rising for several decades( CO2, CH4, N2O and tropospheric O3)
  • Glaciers have lost more mass than they have gained
  • Reduced snow cover has been documents, as well as earlier spring melting of ice on rivers and lakes
  • Total sea ice in Canada has been declining each decade
  • Measurements show that permafrost is warming in many regions. Over one-half of Canada is underlain by permafrost
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

scientific evidence related to climate change

A
  • The increase in the average temperature of the northern hemisphere during the 20th century was the largest of any century in the past 1,000 years
  • The average rate of sea-level rise rose from 0.1 to 0.2 mm/year during the past 3,000 years to 1 – 2 mm/ year in the 20th century, a tenfold increase, and
  • traditional environmental knowledge all indicate that climate change is occurring
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

who is a major contributor to rising level of CO2

A

The forest industry is a major contributor to the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, not only through deforestation, but also through emissions from processing plants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Maldives rising sea levels

A

Some countries, such as the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, are so low-lying that they could be mostly flooded as early as early as 2050 if global sea levels rise as predicted

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

primary cause for climate change

A

Fossil fuel combustion is the primary cause for climate change

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

greenhouse effect

A
  • Earth’s surface radiate infrared energy back toward space
  • Greenhouse gases (including water vapor) absorb the outgoing infrared energy and trap heat close to the Earth’s surface.
  • This warms up the troposphere and the Earth’s surface
  • Humans have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the troposphere
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

sources of greenhouse gases

A
  1. Carbon dioxide
  2. methane
  3. nitrous oxide
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

carbon dioxide

A

fossil-fuel burning
–Atmospheric levels increasing steadily
–Most important cause of warming

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

methane

A

ruminants, rice paddies

–Absorbs more infrared than CO2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

nitrous oxide

A

–burning organic material

–Using inorganic fertilizers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

global warming effects

A

-More extreme weather; droughts, floods, heat waves and hurricanes.
-These extremes have increased significantly in the last decade.
-Sea level has risen 6 to 8 inches in last century.
-If we do nothing, Greenland’s ice will melt and raise sea levels 20 ft.
-South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu already abandoned due to climate change
Growing seasons- lengthening in Northern hemisphere.
-Some animals are breeding earlier or extending their range. Others are disappearing.
-Droughts are more frequent and widespread
-Storms more severe.
-Infectious diseases will increase. Why?
–Insects that spread them are able to move to places where they could not live before.
–West Nile, malaria, and dengue fever have appeared in North America.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

modelling climate change

A
  • The uncertainty associated with global climate is encouraging scientists to explore many different ways of assessing past and future climates
  • One approach is climate modelling
  • Climate models are computer codes, which are used to test the validity of a proposed hypotheses and to predict future climate change
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

climate models

A
  • All climate models consider some or all of five components in order to predict future climates:
    1. Radiation
    2. Energy Dynamics
    3. Surface processes
    4. Chemistry
    5. Time step and resolution
20
Q

four types of climate models

A
  1. Energy balance models (0-D model), which gives one temperature for Earth
  2. One-Dimensional Radiative-Convective Model (RCM) (Latitude or height)
  3. Two-dimensional Statistical-Dynamics (SD) Climate Models (latitude and height)
  4. General Circulation Models (GCMs)
    –Ocean GCMs
    –Vegetation GCMs
21
Q

limitations of general circulation models (GCM)

A
  • While GCMs provide overall indications of future climates, their limitations for policy and planning need to be appreciated
  • Many scientists have recognized that the coarse spatial resolution, poor predictive capacity for precipitation, fairly weak simulation of oceans, lack of baseline data, and many other limitations cause GCM outputs to be highly variable
22
Q

intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)

A
  • Climate change is the most important environmental issue of our time
  • IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environmental Program
  • IPCC assessments are based on peer-reviewed and published scientific literature
  • In 2014, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its fifth report).
  • Reports are published every 6 to 7 years
  • AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Sixth assessment report.
23
Q

scientific explanations

A
  • In its 2007 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that worldwide trends in the 20th century consistently and strongly reveal an increase in global surface temperature
  • There is strong scientific consensus that the increase in greenhouse gases has been caused by human activities
  • Natural and human variables both contribute to climate change, but it is hard to figure out their relative contribution, as they both typically operate at the same time
24
Q

latest IPCC on global warming (march 31, 2014)

A
  • Second of three reports by UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released March 31, 2014 in Japan
  • The world is warming up, especially the Arctic. Arctic sea ice is declining faster than models projected. Could be clear of sea ice in summer within the next few decades
25
Q

implications of climate change: terrestrial systems

A
  • It is possible that within your lifetime, many terrestrial systems, along with the associated fauna and flora, will change significantly
  • National and provincial parks, which were created to protect representative ecosystems, may disappear or greatly change as the distinctive ecosystems currently protected by such parks evolve into something completely different
26
Q

terrestrial systems

A

-Canadian Prairies, boreal forests may shift to the north, to be replaced by grasslands
-The southern permafrost border could move 500 m northward
-Boreal forests would be affected by increases in insect infestation, disease and fires
Canadian Prairies, boreal forests may shift to the north, to be replaced by grasslands
-The southern permafrost border could move 500 m northward
-Boreal forests would be affected by increases in insect infestation, disease and fires

27
Q

agriculture

A

-One of the major limitations on agricultural activity in most areas of Canada is the cold climate
-Canada could actually benefit from global warming, since it would extend the growing season and reduce damage from severe cold
-Challenges may also arise
–Plants are vulnerable to heat and drought
–Water may become limited
-Significantly affect (negatively) on food production in other regions of the world

28
Q

agriculture contributes to

A

for eutrophication and increase in methane levels

29
Q

freshwater systems

A
  • As a result of the changes discussed so far, every part of Canada except the southern Prairies has become wetter
  • These changes may affect tourism in BC, agriculture operations, and shipping patterns on the Great Lakes
30
Q

fisheries

A
  • Fish are vulnerable to changes in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and chemical conditions
  • If water levels drop or there are more periods of lower water levels, the mortality of spawning salmon in BC rivers is likely to increase
  • May affect flounder in Atlantic ocean and cod may be subjected to overfishing
  • Higher than normal range of pink and sockeye salmon are already found in Arctic waters
31
Q

cryosphere

A
  • Warmer temperatures in higher latitudes are expected to cause melting of ice, such as the Greenland ice sheet
  • As ice in the Arctic melts, there will be consequences, such as a rise in sea levels
  • In the Rockies, glaciers less than 100 m thick could disappear by 2030.
  • These glaciers provide water to the rivers across the Prairie provinces
  • Degradation of permafrost could change the hydrology in northern regions
32
Q

ocean and coastal systems

A
  • It appears that both sea temperatures and sea levels will increase
  • This will affect coastal communities, such as those in Prince Edward Island
  • Wave actions on shorelines will contribute to erosion and to changes in wetland complexes
33
Q

infectious diseases

A

-Canadians can expect to experience a greater incidence of disease
-This includes infectious diseases such as Lyme disease, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and malaria
–Insects that spread them are able to move to places where they could not live before.

34
Q

challenges for communicating global change

A
  1. Global change is a complex issue
  2. Uncertainties exist regarding almost every aspect of the global change issue
  3. The impacts of global change will be heavier on people in less developed countries and on future generations
  4. The basic causes of global change are embedded in current values and lifestyles
35
Q

kyoto protocol

A
  • The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement reached in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997 that targets 38 developed nations as well as the European Community to ensure that their emissions of six greenhouse gases (GHGs) do not exceed their assigned amounts
  • The protocol came into effect in 2004 when 55 countries accounting for 55% of 1990 global carbon dioxide emissions ratified it
36
Q

3 special features of the kyoto protocol

A
  1. Legal Basis
    - Commitments are legally binding on nations under international law
  2. Assigned Amounts
    - For 2008–12, overall average emissions are to be 94.8% relative to 1990 levels
  3. Greenhouse Gases
    - The protocol identifies six greenhouse gases
37
Q

six greenhouse gases

A
  1. Carbon dioxide
  2. Nitrous oxide
  3. Methane
    - main GHG produced by human activities
  4. Hydroflorocarbons (CFC)
  5. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
  6. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
    - produce in small quantities
38
Q

specific features of the kyoto protocol

A
  1. Exclusion of Most Forest and Soil Sinks
    - The assigned emissions do not include carbon fluxes from forests, soil, and other carbon reservoirs
  2. Clean Development Mechanism
    - Allows emission credits in countries not given targets through the protocol to be used by countries included in the protocol targets
  3. Emissions Trading
    - A country can meet its emission commitments by acquiring from other countries ‘emission reduction units’ related to initiatives that cause a reduction in emissions
39
Q

Canada’s Initial Approach to Implementing the Kyoto Protocol

A
  • Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 without a clear plan on how it would be implemented in Canada
  • By 2004, it became clear that Canada would not meet its commitments under Kyoto
40
Q

UN-sponsored climate change conference

A
  • The purpose of the Bali Conference was to start a process for creating a new framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012
  • Participating nations agreed to continue meeting about climate change but there was no agreement on binding targets to reduce GHG emissions
41
Q

post bali

A
  1. International
    –In the first half of June 2008, delegates met in Bonn as the first step to develop an agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol
    –The goal was to have a new agreement ready by December 2009, to be signed in Copenhagen
    –The agreement signed in Copenhagen was considered by many to be a failure, a weak global agreement with low targets
  2. Domestic
    –In Canada, the cap-and-trade system and carbon tax were proposed to address GHG emissions
42
Q

policy and action options

A
  • Regarding climate change, there is strong agreement on several matters related to policy and action:
  • International collaborative action will be required, since climate change is a shared problem
  • A mix of strategies will be required, including both mitigation and adaptation
43
Q

policy and action options: mitigation

A
  • Mitigation involves reducing emissions of GHGs, which in turn will limit future temperature changes
  • A mix of options exist:
    1. Carbon tax
  • A tax would be levied on countries based on their generation of GHGs
    2. Technologies
  • Finding alternatives to fossil-fuel, ranging from hydro-generated electricity to ethanol fuels to wind-based energy
    3. Carbon sequestration
  • Carbon can be sequestered in biological sinks
44
Q

policy and action options: adaptation

A
  • Adjustment to different or changing circumstances, such as when insurance companies modifying their claims forecasting and setting of premiums with regard to future climate change conditions
  • The largest challenge for adaptation strategies will occur in the future when the most significant consequences from climate change will appear
45
Q

what else

A
  • There is considerable uncertainty regarding the exact effects of anticipated climate change
  • Concerted and co-ordinated initiatives will be necessary to reduce the projected negative impacts
  • The challenge will be to decide whether we are prepared to change our behaviour, so future generations can reap the benefits