Climate Change Flashcards
When do we enter a new unit of geological time?
When an event occurs that changes the characteristics of the Earth
What name do geologists give to an event that has a clear change in our geological unit of time?
Golden spike
What is the Anthropocene?
An unofficial new unit of Earth’s history as a result of humans changing the characteristics of the planet
What conditions must be met for a Golden spike to occur?
Evidence of long-term changes to the Earth as a global system simultaneously
A ‘marker’ of the event that can be identified and dated from digging down into rocks, the ocean floor or glacial ice
What are the main causes of natural climate change?
Small changes to the shape of the Earth’s orbit and angle of it’s tilt
How do the main causes of climate change affect natural climate change?
It affects how much solar energy the Earth receives
What is the Greenhouse effect?
A natural process that traps shortwave radiation emitted from the sun to the Earth. This heats the Earth’s surface before emitting longwave radiation that is either released back into space or absorbed by the Greenhouse gases and stays in Earth’s atmosphere
What is the Enhanced Greenhouse effect?
An unnatural process as a result of human activity. Less longwave radiation is released back into space and is absorbed by the Greenhouse gases, trapped in Earth’s atmosphere and heats the planet
What are the four main Greenhouse gases and the strengths of them?
Carbon Dioxide - 1
Fluoro Gases - 10,000
Methane - 30
Nitrous Oxide - 600
What is the percentage of emissions that come from Carbon Dioxide and where does it come from?
75% - Burning fossil fuels for electricity & transport, Deforestation
What is the percentage of emissions that come from Fluoro-Gases and where does it come from?
2% - Manmade gases used in aerosol cans and refrigerators
What is the percentage of emissions that come from Methane and where does it come from?
17% - Agriculture, Melting permafrost
What is the percentage of emissions that come from Nitrous Oxide and where does it come from?
6% - Agriculture, Burning fossil fuels
What sources of human activity produce Greenhouse gases?
Industry & Transport
Agriculture & Food production
Electricity
Deforestation
High population
Developing Countries
Which country produces the most emissions and what is the percentage?
China (32%)
What is Carbon Footprint?
The best estimate we can get out of the full climate change impact of something
Which country has emitted the most Carbon Dioxide in total, how many tonnes and what historical percentage of global emissions?
US - 400 billion tonnes (25% of Historical global emissions)
Why do Carbon emissions per capita tend to be higher in wealthier countries?
Countries of higher wealth tend to be more developed and can invest in projects, buildings and machines that produce high carbon emissions
What is a positive feedback loop?
When something happens, it causes itself to happen again more intensely (snowball effect)
How have CO2 levels changed over time?
Due to human activity such as pollution and deforestation, there has been a rapid increase in CO2 levels in the atmosphere
Describe five pieces of evidence that demonstrate that the Earth’s climate and natural systems are changing
Sea ice is shrinking and thinning
Sea level has risen due to melting ice caps
Intense tropical cyclone seasons in recent years
Record breaking temperatures are becoming more frequent
Drought is becoming more frequent and more intense
How can governments make policies to mitigate against climate change?
Buy more electric cars (No petrol and diesel cars)
Buy and eat less red meat
Reduce industry emissions
All electricity to come from clean sources
