Climate Change

Question 1

What evidence is there that climate is changing?

Answer 1

Increase in co2 and temperature

Question 2

What historical data can be used to determine climate change?

Answer 2

1. Tree rings - width provides seasonal evidence (wet/dry)
2. Ice core - levels of co2 in ice and oxygen in the watee
3. Historical photos, records

Question 3

What are the glacial and interglacial periods?

Answer 3

Glacial periods are ice ages / large ice sheets
Interglacial period - warmer period between the ice ages (glaciers retreat and sea levels rise)

Question 4

When did UK have a mini ice age?

Answer 4

1550 -1850

Question 5

What is the impact of global warming?

Answer 5

Severe weather - drought, fire, flood
Melting ice - glaciers retreat, sea levels rise, the Arctic ice is melting, warming up
Ecosystems at threat - death of species,

Question 6

What are greenhouse gases?

Answer 6

Carbon dioxide, water vapour, ozone, methans, nitrous oxide

Question 7

What would happen if there were no greenhouse gases?

Answer 7

The temperature would drop to -18 oC and end of life form

Question 8

How do we contribute to the green house effect?

Answer 8

Sun passes through the atmosphere, heating up the land
Some heat is reflected to space, some heat is absorbed by co2 and greenhouse gases
Humans burn fuel, cut down trees - this increases co2
Increased co2 equates to increase temperature and thus the atmosphere gets warmer

Question 9

What evidence is there for climate change?

Answer 9

Data over the last million years ago show that interglacial periods are getting more frequent and more prolonged
Last 1000 years ago, the average temperature was between -0.5-0 degrees. Since 1900s the average temperature has increased to 0.5 degrees.
3 sources: Tree rings, Ice cores, historical sources
Todays evidence : extreme weather, vanishing islands, arctic ice is melting, glacial retreat/change

Question 10

Who is to blame for climate change?

Answer 10

1. Natural greenhouse effect - sun’s radiation
2. Human greenhouse effect - fossil fuels, deforestation, food waste
3. Human carbon cycle
4. Top4 counties (china, us, india, russia) 50% and top 10 countries 60%
5. Top industries cteam (construction, transportation, electricty, agriculture, manufacturing)

Question 11

What is the impact of climate change in the UK?

Answer 11

Social- Heat stroke, uncomfortable homes/hospitals and flooding will prevent people from seeing eachother

Economic - maintenance, flood defences, peaches and oranges in south england,

Environmental - plants and wildlife may reduce eg norfolk broads, different fish from southern seas, 27-59 m people may have reduced water supply by 2050, wild fires eg in 2018

Question 12

What is the impact of climate change in maldives?

Answer 12

Social: lack of fresh water; traditional fishing and re-locate
Economic: 12000 jobs from fishing, 73,000 jobs from tourism, 60m japan 3m wall, relocate to australia/india; desalination plants are costly
Environmental: floods, erosion, top soil, re-location, sand disappears,coral bleaching