Climate change Flashcards
Explain the physical cause of climate change.
Sun Spot activity: Global mean temperatures can be raised by peaks of sunspot activity which follow an 11-year pattern.
Volcanic eruptions: After a violent eruption, large amounts of dust and droplets of sulfur may reflect the sun’s rays lowering the temperature.
Melting Ice Caps: Release additional freshwater leading to changes in oceanic circulation and may cause possible flooding eg: in Bangladesh
Albedo effect: This also reduces the albedo effect as reflection has decreased as more land is exposed.
Methane: It is being released from melting permafrost from decomposing organic matter.
Explain the human causes of climate change.
Burning fossil fuels: Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas release Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere, which traps heat. Coal is been used to power factories, Generate electricity in power stations, and heat homes.
Increased car ownership has resulted in more petrol and diesel being used to fuel cars.
Deforestation in areas such as the Amazon Rainforest has resulted in more Carbon Dioxide being absorbed and the burning releases more CO2.
PEAT BOG RECLAMATION: The construction of wind farms has resulted in additional Carbon Dioxide being released into the atmosphere.
Methane: The increase in Padi Fields to feed rapidly growing populations in Asian Countries has increased the amount of methane in the atmosphere.
Methane: The increasing demand for beef has resulted in more methane being created by belching cattle and from animal dung.
Nitrous Oxide: Due to rising food demand the increased production of fertilizers also adds to the amount of Nitrous Oxide in the atmosphere.
Chlorofluorocarbons {CFCs} : Refrigerators which are not disposed of correctly release CFCs when the foam insulation inside the is shredded.
Air conditioning- the coolants used in air conditioning systems create CFCs which must be disposed of correctly.
Explain the impact that climate change can have on both developed nations.
The North-West passage will be open up to ships due to melting sea ice caps meaning more efficient trading routes to the Pacific from the Atlantic.
A longer dry season can lead to forest fires for example California.
Sea level rises are caused by the thermal expansion of the oceans and also by the melting of glaciers and land-based ice caps.
Areas like Bangladesh will suffer from flooding due to the area being low-lying, this leads to large-scale displacement of people and loos of farmland, and destruction of property.
Harsh weather conditions such as flooding, droughts, and hurricanes in the Atlantic are due to increased sea temperatures such as Hurricane Harvey 2017 in Houston Texas.
Increased tropical diseases such as Malaria due to high temperatures in Northerly Latitudes such as Northern Africa.
A more frequent El Nino leads to changes in the monsoons in South America and Western Australia which leads to droughts occurring in Chile.
The longer growing season in Northern Europe like France increases food production and the range of crops that grow due to longer harvest and more temperature climates.
Explain the impact that climate change has on a developing nation.
Discuss the solutions to climate change that you have studied and comment on their effectiveness.
Local:
To reduce the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the burning of fossil fuels, households could reduce energy consumption. Households are being encouraged to install smart meters to support this. {COMMENT} The amount of household energy consumed has not changed in the past previous years in Scotland.
Buy low-power energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs{CFL} Instead of incandescent{COMMENT] This helps save the CO2 emissions and CFLs last longer.
Use toilet paper made from recycled fiber, it’s made from recycled paper and{COMMENT} is more environmentally friendly.
People should Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle products so that less refuse is sent to landfill sites.{COOMMENT} This will reduce the amount of methane entering the atmosphere.
People should be encouraged to use public transport, walk-on Cycle instead of using their cars {COMMENT} This will cut down fossil fuel consumption.
National:
Scotland reducing greenhouse emissions by increasing energy production from renewables{COMMENT} We are meeting 50% of the demand by the end of 2015.
Increasing the use of low carbon technologies such as wind farms The UK Government is committed to creating 15% of energy from renewable sources. Warning systems need to be further developed to advise householders of the potential risk of flooding.
The UK has implemented hose-pipes bans on water usage in drought periods{COMMENT} But these are unpopular and difficult to enforce.
International:
The European Union has committed to reducing carbon emissions by 20% by 2020.
The Paris agreement outlined agreements between leaders of developed and developing countries to limit climate change below a 2o rise.
Rules forcing electric utilities have been enforced in order to reduce their fossil fuel consumption and rely on renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
Causes of Malaria?
Firstly you need to identify the presence of the female anopheles mosquito.
You need to have humid and hot conditions with temperatures above 16 degrees for mosquito larvae to grow.
Areas with stagnant water have mosquitos because they lay their larvae there to hatch and areas of shade allow mosquitoes to digest their blood meal.
A large population in the same areas gives mosquitos a large enough blood reservoir to feed on.
Several human factors will affect the spread of malaria including settlements built on the banks of stagnant water.
There may be areas where man-made stagnant water has created where mosquitoes can breed these include Dams
In developing countries where people often work in Paddy fields where water is held in the country for the rice to grow. It is a perfect place for workers to provide lots of blood feast.
Impacts of Malaria?
Children under 5 are often accepted more than adults due to having less built-up resistance than adults.
Children also replace their parents working the land or in factories to earn enough for their family to survive
Their income may be so low that they can’t afford enough food and malnutrition and hunger can also be a problem.
As people become sick they add a huge strain onto an already poorly funded and overstretched health care system where there aren’t enough beds or medication for everyone.
A large number of children might end up orphaned which creates strain on the government to provide for them in the present and future.
The whole economy of malaria affects the country due to low productivity as much of the workforce is frequently sick.
There will be few tourists wanting to visit the country because of the threat of malaria further hindering the county economically as there will be few jobs in the sector and limited foraging money coming into the nation.
Solutions to Malaria?
The Government should provide mosquito nets, and mosquito replants. and sprays to the people to ensure safety.
Educational programs should be set up for the people to understand the dangers of malaria and ways how they can stop it.
Covering standing water and water storage cans For example Oxfam Bucket reduces the chances of mosquitoes breeding.
Planting Eucalyptus trees can help soak excess moisture and reduce the amount of stagnant water.
Putting larvae-eating fish into stagnant ponds or Padi fields such as muddy loach. Larvae eating fish add extra protein to peoples diets,
Environmental friendly pesticides should be introduced to farmers with Padi fields
Mosquito traps have been effective on small scale, they lure the mosquitoes with small carbon dioxide fumes then there trapped and killed
BTI bacteria in coconuts are thrown into stagnant ponds the larvae eat the bacteria and its stomach lining is destroyed
