Climate Change

Question 1

What are sunspots as a physical cause of Climate Change?

Answer 1

• Extra activity by sun is due to sunspots that appear on its surface as darker patches.
• The frequency + intensity of sunspot activity varies on an 11 year cycle and also linked to the sun’s 100 year cycle of brightness and strength.
• Periods of high sunspot activity increases brightness + more energy being released and received by the earth

Question 2

What is Eccentricity as a physical cause of Climate Change?

Answer 2

• The earth’s orbit around the sun moves between being almost circular to elliptical.
• A circular orbit means that throughout the years the earth’s distance from the sun is maintained.
• However, as the orbit becomes more elliptical seasonal variations become more extreme as do temperatures.
• This happens on a 97000-year cycle.

Question 3

What is melting permafrost as a physical cause of Climate Change?

Answer 3

• When permafrost melts, methane is trapped which is the release into the environment.
• This adds to the greenhouse gas layer.

Question 4

What is Axial Obliquity as a physical cause of Climate Change? (1)

Answer 4

• The angle of the tilt is not static meaning 22.3 to 24.5
• An alteration in the angle would impact upon Earth’s seasons.
• For example, if tilt of the axis brings more of the Northern Hemisphere towards the sun, the most intense areas of incoming solar radiation would move northward.

Question 5

What is Axial Obliquity as a physical cause of Climate Change? (2)

Answer 5

• Ice caps in the Arctic would experience increased periods of heat, causing accelerated melting.
• The Southern Hemisphere would experience colder conditions.

Question 6

What is Axial Pressecion as a physical cause of Climate Change?

Answer 6

• The earth’s orbit is not stable but like a spinning top that wobbles.
• While the North Pole points almost towards the Polaris (The North Star), the wobble will slowly move the direction in which the North Pole points.
• For Climate Change the axial pre controls the timing of the seasons.
• This will result in more remarkable seasonal contrasts between the Northern + Southern Hemisphere

Question 7

What is Volcanic Activity as a physical cause of Climate Change? (1)

Answer 7

• Explosive volcanic eruptions eject large quantities of material into the atmosphere again blocking, reflecting or scattering insulation.
• The second most common gas from a volcanic eruption is Carbon Dioxide again contributing to the Greenhouse Gas Effect.

Question 8

What is Volcanic Activity as a physical cause of Climate Change? (2)

Answer 8

• The emission of Sulphur Dioxide combines with oxygen to form sulphuric acid.
• This forms a dense layer of haze which can remain in the stratosphere for a number of years,
• intercepting solar radiation, which then creates a global cooling period.

Question 9

What are Industry Impacts as a Human Cause of Climate Change?

Answer 9

• Industry is the largest source of greenhouse gases emitted by humans.
• Burning fossil fuels e.g coal + oil + natural gas release Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere.
• Coal has been used increasingly to power factories/ generate power stations to heat homes.

Question 10

What are Deforestation Impacts as a Human Cause of Climate Change?

Answer 10

• Due to an increase in population, the need for space, food supplies + power generation has led to a reduction in forest areas.
• The large-scale clearance has reduced the effectiveness of one of the natural carbon sinks that the earth has.
• Through the process of photosynthesis, Carbon Dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and oxygen is increased.
• At present only 30% of the land is covered by trees + 130,000km is destroyed every year.

Question 11

What are Farming Impacts as Human Causes of Climate Change?

Answer 11

• Globally, livestock rearing counts for 14.17% of atherogenic emissions.
• Worldwide, over 100 tonnes of Methane are produced as flatulence or excretion by a cow every year.
• Another 100 tonnes are produced by paddy-rice farming in developing nations. Methane is produced by microbes underwater as rice plants decay.
• Fertilisers also contribute to nitrous oxide emissions.

Question 12

What are Increased Car Ownership Impacts as Human Causes of Climate Change?

Answer 12

• Increased car ownership has resulted in more petrol and diesel being used to fuel cars.
• Increased car exhaustion emissions have resulted in more Nitrous Oxide.

Question 13

What are CFC’s Impacts as Human Causes of Climate Change?

Answer 13

• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)are greenhouse gases and contribute to the depletion of the ozone.
• Refrigerators which are not disposed of correctly, release CFCs when the foam insulation inside them is shredded.

Question 14

What are Cement Manufacturing Impacts as Human Causes of Climate Change? (1)

Answer 14

• Cement manufacturing is responsible for 5% of all atherogenic emissions.
• It is the world’s primary building material and is believed to be the second most in-demand substance after water.

Question 15

What are Cement Manufacturing Impacts as Human Causes of Climate Change? (2)

Answer 15

• The production of cement releases Carbon Dixoide in two ways:
• First through calcination heating limestone is a store of carbon, which then breaks down to form Calcium Oxide and Carbon Dioxide.
• Indirect emissions come from the fossil fuels burned to heat the process, + transportation of the material once it is manufactured.

Question 16

What are the impacts of Climate Change? (1)

Answer 16

• There will be more frequent and stronger Tropical storms, due to an increase in sea temperature.
• Wildlife may be lost from the Great Barrier Reef.
• Increased Desertification as deserts are spreading.
• Ocean circulation may be disrupted causing marine migration to change.
• Melting of ice caps leads to an increase in sea levels.

Question 17

What are the impacts of Climate Change? (2)

Answer 17

• Central Europe may experience less rainfall creating heatwaves, and food and water shortages.
• Rivers such as the Ganges are at risk of flooding which could lead to more waterborne diseases.
• Wildfires may become more frequent as areas become drier, such as California or Australia.
• Rising Sea Levels can flood coastal areas.

Question 18

What are examples of the impacts of Climate Change?

Answer 18

• Glaciers are shrinking, the average thickness of 30 well-studied glaciers has decreased by more than 60 feet since 1980.
• The average concentration measured at the Maunatra Observatory in Hawaii has risen from 316ppm in 1959 to more than 411ppm in 2019.
• Average sea level in Kiribati has risen by 3.2mm per year since 1993 + is the first country submerged due to Climate Change.
• 119,000 people had to be evacuated due to this and now live in Fiji.

Question 19

What is Carbon Trading as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change? (1)

Answer 19

• Carbon Trading is a scheme where countries buy + sell carbon permits as a part of a programme to reduce carbon emissions.
• Countries are given limits on the number of emissions that they are allowed + if they find they have gone above the limit, the UN will fine them.

Question 20

What is Carbon Trading as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change? (2)

Answer 20

• Although, they can purchase carbon credits from other countries that have not gone against the limit.
• The idea of Carbon Trading is to place a monetary value on Greenhouse Gases- therefore people cannot discard them as waste.

Question 21

What is Foresty as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change?

Answer 21

• To replace trees being cleared in order to restore + enhance the ability of forests to act as carbon sinks.

Question 22

What is Renewable Energy as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change?

Answer 22

• To provide non-carbon sources of power to reduce emissions through the banning of Fossil Fuels.
• Some examples are Wind, Solar, Wave, HEP and Nuclear Energy.

Question 23

What is Improving Energy Efficiency as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change?

Answer 23

• To reduce the amount of energy needed to be generated to deal with energy demands.
• Some examples are Increased Home Insulation and Low Light Energy Bulbs.

Question 24

What is The Great Green Wall as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change?

Answer 24

• The Great Green Wall is an African-led movement to grow an 8,000 km natural wonder of the world across the entirety of Africa, halting desertification.
• By 2030, the Wall aims to restore 100m hectares of currently degraded land and remove 250m tonnes of carbon.
• Growing a green wall across the Sharah restores degraded land + builds local resilience to Climate Change in a region where temperatures are rising faster than anywhere on Earth.

Question 25

What is Carbon Taxes as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change?

Answer 25

• Carbon Taxation has a dual target of making those responsible for emissions pay + encouraging them to find other methods that will reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions.
• All involved are incentivised to make changes at a production + a customer level.

Question 26

What is Carbon Dixoide Removal as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change? (1)

Answer 26

• Capturing carbon from industrial processes then storing it within deep geological formations as a long-term sink.
• Other proposed methods include the use of artificial trees which have the enhanced ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Question 27

What is Carbon Dixoide Removal as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change? (2)

Answer 27

• Scrubbing Towers are structures proposed to funnel wind driven by turbines into a tower which is then sprayed with chemical compounds extracting carbon then piping and strong it into geological carbon sinks

Question 28

What is Solar Radiation Management as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change? (1)

Answer 28

• Solar radiation management strategies attempt to reflect or divert solar radiation back into space; in reality, creating an enhanced albedo effect for the planet.
• Aerosols have been suggested as a way of emitting reflective particles into the atmosphere.
• The release of reflective balloons has also been suggested.

Question 29

What is Solar Radiation Management as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change? (2)

Answer 29

• Clouds could have their reflectivity increased by spraying sea/salt water into the air which thickens cloud layers making them more effective.
• Changing of town + city building materials to be highly effective has also been suggested.
• Covering vast areas of land such as deserts, + parsley populated with reflective sheeting.

Question 30

What is COP 26 Glasgow + COP 27 Egypt as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change? (1)

Answer 30

• The central goal of COP 26 according to the conference’s organisers was to put the world on a pathway to limit warming to 1.6C.
• The US + more than 20 countries agreed to stop financing most new oil and gas projects.

Question 31

What is COP 26 Glasgow + COP 27 Egypt as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change? (2)

Answer 31

• Later, Costa Rica + Denmark launched an alliance known as the “Beyond Oil + Gas Alliance”, pushing for a transition away from the energy source.
• Developed rich nations will pay poorer countries for the damage + economic losses caused by Climate Change.

Question 32

What is the Paris Agreement 2016 as a strategy used to combat the impacts of Climate Change?

Answer 32

• The Paris Agreement was ratified in 2016. Countries set individual targets to reduce Greenhouse Gases.
• The UK’s target was to reduce GG by 57% by the year 2030, and by 80% by 2050.
• The Paris COP played a vital part in India’s scrapping plans for 400 new coal-based power stations + instead allowed them to gain credit for all energy to come from solar panels.