Climate change

Question 1

What is the IPCC?

Answer 1

Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change with 195 member states and a physical science bias;
leading scientific authority on Climate Change

purpose: continued assessment of state of knowledge on various aspects of climate change

It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have ocurred.

Question 2

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 2

greenhouse effect is necessary to enable life on earth -> without i average temperature would be -18°C, due to it and atmosphere it is 15°C.

Question 3

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Question 4

What is radiative forcing?

Answer 4

difference between the absorbed radiation and energy radiated back to space

positive forcing -> incoming energy > outgoing energy = temperature increases

negative forcing -> incoming energy < outgoing energy = temperature decreases

Question 5

Is our climate warming?

Answer 5

industrialisation as kickstart, we can see it not only in the temperature difference but also in how fast it goes up, it’s not evenly distributed, 91% of heat is in ocean, which has a huge impact on land

1. Ocean -> temperature increases because most increase of radiation has been stored in the ocean -> less dense than before and less water sinks in the arctic
2. Atmosphere -> last three decades earth’s surface has been warmer than before
3. Sea levels have been rising
4. Biosphere -> higher extinction rates and species move poleward or to higher elevation
5. Carbon and nitrogen concentration in biosphere exceed limits and are higher than ever before

Question 6

Are humans causing global warming?

Answer 6

Atmospheric CO2 has increased by over 40%. POllution humans have caused in one century takes earth itself thousands of years.

Increased greenhouse effects-> decreased amount of infrared radiation energy leaving the atmosphere -> earth has to increase temperatures to keep balance

deforestation and conversion of land -> fewer forests therefore smaller ability to take up CO2

warmer oceans can take up less CO2