Climate Change Flashcards
what evidence is there that climate change is natural
it happened before humans
what has happened since 70’s
a dramatic increase in temperature
what is the cause of the increase in temperature since 70’s
thick layer of green house gases (carbon and methane) caused by human activity. Less sun energy escapes the atmosphere so temperatures increase
What evidence is there for climate change
met office data from weather stations, satellites, weather balloons, radar and ocean buoys
what has the evidence collected found out
1 % increase in temperature in the last 10 years, warmest oceans since 1850, 19cm rise in sea level since 1900
what natural evidence is there for climate change
proxy data - tree rings, fossil pollen, ice cores - act like time capsules holdling information about climate and ocean sediment - the deeper the sediment the older it is and acts like a timeline
how do we know that solar output is not the cause of climate change
sun output is measured by observing sunspots. satelites use radio meters to measure solar energy. they have shown that solar output has actually decreased in the last 50 years and so can not be responsible for the cause of climate change
why do scientists suggest climate change is a natural phenomenon
geological evidence shows it has been happening before humans were on the planet and so must have natural causes
3 posissible natural causes of climate change
solar output
orbital change
volcanic activity
Can orbital change cause of climate change
There are 3 orbital changes
the amount of suns energy hitting earth changes because of the earths orbit.
The earths distance to the sun changes as it orbits (the sun is not directly in the centre)
When the earths tilt changes can effect the climate
earth is not a perfect sphere and can wobble on its axis
Scientists agree orbital change will not cause an ice age for at least 30,000 years
How do volcanoes effect climate change
effect climate change temporarily as they cause volcanic aerosols which reflect sunlight and reduce suns heat entering the atmosphere. Temperatures drop.
what is the greenhouse effect
it is what keeps earth warm enough for life
Suns infared rays enter atmosphere and heat is reflected from earths surface some heat is trapped to keep earth warm and some is reflected out of the atmosphere
what is enhanced greenhouse effect
human activity has increased the level of greenhouse gases that naturally exist
what human activities generate green house gases
burning fossil fuels in industry, agriculture, transport, heating and deforestation
how does burning fossil fuels cause climate change
account for over 50% of greenhouse gas.
Burning them releases carbon diocide into the atmosphere
fossil fuels are used in transport, heating homes, and manufacturing.
as population increases level of fossil fuels increase
how does agriculture cause climate change
acounts fo 20% of green house gass
It produces large amounts of methane from cattle and flooded rice fields
as population increases more food is needed and climate change will grow
how does deforestation cause climate change
deforestation is the clearing of forests. Forests are cut down to clear land for agriculture and graze cattle
logging for wood products
building roads to access areas
make room for expansion of urban areas
during photosynthesis trees absorb carbon dioxide and reduce the amount in the atmosphere.
if there are fewer trees because of deforestation less carbon will be absorbed and more green house gasses will increase climate change
When trees are burnt to clear areas carbon is released into the atmosphere
what are the effects of climate change around the world
social
increase skin cancer heat stroke
but death related to cold weather decrease
economic
fishing industy in asia declines more acidic seas
less ice in arctic allows more shipping and extraction of gass and oi
ski ing industry declinesl
environmental
increase drought - pressure on food supplies
increase flood risk
sea levels rise
more extreme weathers
affect marine life which will disrupt the food web
in asia dectrease in wheat increase in rice
crop yield increase but need more irrigation
wildlife decline and disappear with loss of habitat - polar bears
biodiversity lost at coral reefs with more acidic seas
2 ways climate change impacts can be reduced
mitigation and adaptation
what is mitigation
it attempts to reduce or prevent the greenhouse gases causing climate change
5 ways climate change can be reduced
alternate energy production solar energy carbon capture plating trees international agreements
how will alternative energy sources help to reduce climate change
renewable energy ( wind, solar, geothermal, wave and tidal) do not produce carbon dioxide and will not run out
How does solar energy work
light shines on a solar panel and creates an electrical field. The stronger the sunshine the more electricity produced - there are no CO2 emmissions so not contributing to climate change
What is carbon capture
store carbon in the ground. It captures CO2 from emissions and stores it safely .
what are the disadvantages of carbon capture
we dont know how long it can be stored for and it does not promote renewable energy - which is the cause of the problem and it is expensive
what are international agreements
UN negotiate international climate change agreements COP 26 and the Paris agreement
what is adaption
responding to the impacts of climate change
3 ways climate change can be managed through adaption
change agricultural systems
managing water supplies
reduce risk from rising sea levels
In what ways can agriculture adapt to climate change
1 move production to another location due to change in temperature and extreme weather
2 increase irrigation because of changes in precipitation
3 change crop grown and time of year they are planted
In what ways can managing water supply adapt to climate change
reducing demand - installing water effecient devices
increase supply
in what ways can reduce risk from rising sea levels help adapt to climate change
Installing a tidal barrier to stop tidal surges
