Climate Change Flashcards
What are the countries responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions?
China, USA, India, Russia, Japan
What are the 4 greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide, fluoro gases, methane, nitrous oxide
What are the percentages of the greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide - 75%
Fluoro-gases - 2%
Methane - 17%
Nitrous oxide - 6%
What pieces of evidence can be used to show the start of the Anthropocene?
Evidence of long term changes to earth as a global system
There must be a ‘marker’ of this event that can be identified and dated from digging down into rocks, ocean floor sediments or glacial ice.
What is a carbon footprint?
The best estimate we can get of the full climate change impact of something
How can we reduce our carbon footprint?
Food: start eating food in season which prevents the need for intense farming
Travel: start to take more public transport
Home: start lowering the temperature used in the washing machine
Stuff: start buying second hand clothing/object
What is a positive feedback loop?
A knock on effect that increases change and pruduces instability.
How can a positive feedback loop make climate change worse?
Increases the temperature of the earth causing droughts and melting permafrost
What are 5 pieces of evidence to show the earths climate and natural systems are changing?
Extreme heat - record breaking temperatures
Ice - polar ice caps and sea ice is shrinking and thinning
Oceans - sea levels are rising
Storms - an increase in the frequency and intensity of storm events
Wildlife and ecosystems - warmer oceans are killing coral. Polar bears are declining in number
How can governments make policies to mitigate against climate change?
Net Zero + planting trees
How have atmospheric carbon dioxide levels changed?
They have increased
What are the strengths of the greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide - 1
Fluoro-gases - approx. 10000
Methane - 30
Nitrous oxide - 600
What are the human activities that result in these emitions?
Carbon dioxide - burning fossil fuels for energy, for power transport, deforestation
Fluoro-gases - man makes gases used in aerosol cans and in refrigerators
Methane - agriculture, melting permafrost
Nitrous oxide - agriculture, burning fossil fuels
