Chapter 7.5 - Climate Change and Ozone

Question 1

Where does all energy originally come from?

Answer 1

The sun ☀️😎

Question 2

How is sunlight converted into chemical energy? Is chemical energy a type of kinetic or potential energy?

Answer 2

Through photosynthesis.
A form of potential energy that can be used later to do work.

Question 3

What is the biogeochemical cycle?
What are abiotic reservoirs? Example?

Answer 3

The movement of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms, the atmosphere, and the Earth’s crust.
Where chemicals accumulate outside of living organisms (the atmosphere).

Question 4

What chemicals make up most of the atmosphere? What % does carbon dioxide make up?

Answer 4

Nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%).
Only about 0.038% CO2 but still has a big effect on the atmosphere.

Question 5

What is a major element in all organic molecules? How is this element released into (3) and consumed from (1) the atmosphere?

Answer 5

CARBON!!!!
Released via cellular respiration by plants and animals, decomposition of organic matter and burning of wood or fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas).
Photosynthesis consumes CO2.

Question 6

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are very clearly rising. What is the primary reason for this?

Answer 6

Human activities (like burning fossil fuels) are responsible for rising concentrations of greenhouse gases.

Question 7

Since the Industrial Revolution, the global average temperature has already increased by about ____ oC.

Answer 7

0.8 degrees Celsius.

Question 8

What is the greenhouse effect?
What are greenhouse gases?

Answer 8

A process where gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat.
These gases are greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, water vapour etc.)

Question 9

Without the natural greenhouse effect our planet would have an average temperature of about ____ oC compared to the much warmer ~ _____ oC.

Answer 9

-18C instead of our current +15C
So, the greenhouse effect is a very good thing!

Question 10

Over the past 800,000 years, ice core data indicate that global CO2 levels never exceeded _____ ppm, but they are now over ____ ppm.

Answer 10

280 ppm. We are now over 420 ppm.

Question 11

Methane is ____ times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Why do we focus on CO2 instead?

Answer 11

25 times more potent.
CO2, has by far the highest atmospheric concentration relative to all other greenhouse gases.

Question 12

What are some sources of “extra” greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? What are some CO2 sinks?

Answer 12

Burning things (like fossil fuels), refrigerant chemicals, methane from cows, nitrogen containing fertilizers, cellular respiration.
Oceans and photosynthesis.

Question 13

We have known about climate change for quite a long time and Dr. James Hanson warned the senate (and humanity) about its effects in ______.

Answer 13

1988

Question 14

How does increased temperature impact weather?

Answer 14

Increased temp supplies the energy for more intense storm systems and greater fluctuations in weather patterns (more floods, droughts, and wildfires).

Question 15

What areas of the globe will be most affected by warming and in what season?

Answer 15

Temperatures will warm more at higher latitudes (the north) than near the equator and will warm more in the winter than the summer.

Question 16

What is a tipping point?
What is a positive feedback loop? Whats an example of this?

Answer 16

A point where small changes in a system begin to cause more rapid/drastic change.
A loop where the output of a system amplifies the system.
i.e. more Arctic ice melt = less white reflective surface (less albedo) = more heat absorbed = more melting.

Question 17

What is one of the primary reasons we have not been quicker to act on the issue of climate change?
What type of campaigns have contributed to this?

Answer 17

While there are many reasons, it is known that oil companies have funded very large disinformation campaigns to cast doubt on the science (“climate change isn’t real” or “we’re not causing it!”).

Question 18

Does climate change results in an increase or decrease in the earth’s energy budget? What are some ways this has changed the planet?

Answer 18

It increases the earth’s energy budget by trapping more energy in our atmosphere.
Extra energy can increase temperatures, melt glaciers, increase storm intensity, etc.

Question 19

List 10 effects of climate change:

Answer 19

• Warming, more in northern latitudes;
• Shrinking glaciers;
• Shorter snow/ice seasons, especially in the north;
• Accelerated sea level rise;
• Longer, more intense heat waves;
• Changing precipitation patterns;
• Increased energy leading to more intense storms;
• More floods;
• More droughts and increased desertification in already arid regions;
• More wildfires;
• Increased susceptibility of organisms to environmental stressors;
• Changing migration patterns.

Question 20

List 3 sources of energy that do not release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Answer 20

Geothermal, solar, wind, hydropower, ocean energy (tides and waves), etc.

Question 21

List 5 things the average person can do to help reduce their carbon footprint.

Answer 21

• More efficient transportation – electric, bike lanes, car-pooling…
• Centralized cities – reducing urban sprawl and distances traveled
• Green buildings (we can build carbon neutral); use of geothermal, solar, wind
• Growing/purchasing of local food
• Reducing, reusing, recycling
• Composting
• Support green companies
• Eat less red meat
• Plant trees!
• Learn more and share what you learn with others.

Question 22

What method did Dr. David Keith propose to cool the planet? How does it work?

Answer 22

Solar Geoengineering: injecting a fine sulfur dioxide aerosol into the upper atmosphere to reflect away some of the sun’s light before it can reach the earth, thus helping to cool the planet.

Question 23

What is ozone? Where is it found?

Answer 23

ozone = O3 in the stratosphere (high in the atmosphere).

Question 24

Why was there no ozone layer 4 billion years ago?

Answer 24

There was no oxygen in the atmosphere because no living things existed to produce oxygen.

Question 25

How is ozone formed and destroyed by UV?

Answer 25

UV breaks O2s into singlet oxygens which bond with O2s to make O3s (which are broken apart by UV). Normally O3s are made faster than they’re destroyed.

Question 26

Why is stratospheric ozone important? When is it dangerous?

Answer 26

It filters out the UV radiation, preventing most of it from reaching the ground. Prevents cataracts mutations, sun burns, and skin cancer.
Ozone that’s too low (troposphere or at ground level) is toxic.

Question 27

What is a hole in the ozone layer? Where and when do they tend to form? When is the hole biggest?

Answer 27

An area with a reduced ozone gas
concentration. They form over the poles, especially the Antarctic. It forms during the winter and is biggest in spring.

Question 28

What are CFCs? What happened when we introduced CFCs into the atmosphere?

Answer 28

Chlorofluorocarbons (used in aerosols and refrigeration, were very safe).
CFCs damaged the ozone layer making a hole over Antarctica.

Question 29

How do CFCs damage ozone?

Answer 29

UV breaks chlorine (Cl) off the CFCs. Cl breaks O3s into O2 and ClO. An O replaces Cl forming O2. Cl is free again and the cycle repeats.

Question 30

If CFCs were inert in all testing and experiments why were they no longer inert when they made their way into the upper atmosphere?

Answer 30

In the atmosphere CFCs are exposed to much more UV which breaks off the chlorine molecules (?).

Question 31

What document was signed to protect the ozone? Who signed it? When? What was the result?

Answer 31

The Montreal Protocol was signed by 197 countries in 1987. They agreed to stop producing and using CFCs. Resulted in “relatively” swift action that reduced damage to the ozone layer. MAJOR GLOBAL SUCCESS.

Question 32

If no action were taken to reduce CFCs, what do they think might be the current state of our ozone layer?

Answer 32

We’d be fucked. There would be a massive hole in Antarctica’s ozone.
They estimate that without the Montreal Protocol we’d have virtually no ozone layer left by 2050.

Question 33

How has the Montreal Protocol changed since 1987?

Answer 33

It has been amended to dramatically improved the phase out of CFCs and the recovery of the ozone layer. It also now includes reducing HFCs (which replaced CFCs).