Climate Change Flashcards
what is the troposphere + how does height affect temperature here
where most weather processes occur. As height increases, temperature decreases
what is the mesosphere + how does height affect temperature here
The layer of the atmosphere that has a low density, so there is less absorb of energy = low temp. As height increases, temperature decreases
what is the stratosphere + how does height affect temperature here
The layer of the atmosphere that contains the ozone layer
As height increases, temperature increases. It is the second layer of the earths atmosphere
what is the thermosphere + how does height affect temperature here
It has increased absorption energy = increased energised short-wave radiation. As height increases, temperature increases. It is the 4th layer of the atmosphere
define albedo
the reflectivity of a material
why is albedo important
reduces the amount of solar radiation reaching the earths surface, so does not allow for extensive heating, helping to cool the planet
what would happen if the surface of the earth changed to more or less reflective
more -> the earth gets cooler
less -> hotter
how are the oceans and other water on earth important to the Global Energy Budget
They absorb, store and redistribute heat to help regulate the earth’s temperature. Water’s high heat capacity allows it to absorb large amounts of C02 without significant temperature changes
name 4 greenhouse gases
- water vapour
- CO2
- Methane
- Chlorofluorocarbon’s
give 2 facts about water vapour
- makes up 95% of all greenhouse gases
- accounts for 50% of the greenhouse effect
give 2 facts about C02
- levels have risen 85ppm over 62 years, and is expected 200ppm more by 2050
- C02 levels have increased due to human activities (deforestation)
give 2 facts about methane
- 2nd largest contributor of the greenhouse gas effect
- methane comes from cattle, paddy fields and natural wetlands
give 2 facts about chlorofluorocarbons
- synthetic chemicals that destroy ozone and absorb long-wave radiation
- 10,000 times more efficient at trapping heat than C02
how do volcanoes affect climate change (Phillipines Jun1991)
not a proper case study but could be used as one if need be in the exam
- mount pinatubo erupted on the 15th June 1991 sending 20 million tonnes of ash 28 miles high into the atmosphere creating a thick ash cloud
- ash cloud reflected solar radiation
- absorbed infrared radiation emitted by the Earth, and stopped it being reflected back to earth
- reduced temp of earth slightly
issue with methane
- its in gaseous state under normal conditions - hard to capture and store
where is methane stored and how can it be released
- organic material trapped in permafrost -> when it melts it releases methane
- methane is trapped underwater at high pressure. When temps rise, the methane is released
what is a negative feed back loop
decreases the amount of change and reduces the inputs, to return stability to a system
what is a positive feed back loop
increases the amount of change leading to instability in a system
what is the atmospheric system
an open system receiving radiation from both the sun and the earth.
where does short wave radiation come from and it what form
from hot bodies i.e. the sun. In ultraviolet/ visible form
where does long wave radiation come from and it what form
from cold bodies i.e.the earth. infrared
what is convection
transfer of heat by movement of a gas or liquid
what is conduction
transfer of heat by contact
define greenhouse effect
the process where GHGs allows some short wave energy from the sun to pass through the atmosphere and absorbs and reflects most to heat the earth
what is the amount of insolation affected by
- the suns angle
- cloud type
what is permafrost
frozen ground layer under the topsoil. Anywhere cold enough to have frozen ground for 2 years counts as permafrost
what are the issues with melting permafrost
- the ground underneath becomes unstable
- releases methane
- loss of plants due to the top soil being destroyed
Case study - Greenland
what has been happening to the ice sheets in greenland and what are the impacts of it
- Since 2002, large areas of the Greenland ice shelf has been melting and pouring billions of gallons of fresh water into salty seas
- the maximum melt area has increased by 16% from 1979 to 2002
- rise in sea levels
- the rising threat of the return of cold winters
- could shut down the Gulf Stream, reducing warmer currents reaching the UK
- depressions could dump snow on England -> leading to a much colder continental climate
- Canada would experience deep freezes where the sea could freeze and snow could lie for weeks and months
which country emits the most C02 in total
-> usa (290 billion tonnes) 25% of total C02
What would happen if all the ice melted (5)
– Coastal flooding
– lower albedo levels
– severe water shortages (wars over freshwater))
– relocation and property damage due to flooding
– increase in natural climatic events for example storms and tsunamis
Briefly describe what is happening with the retreating Swiss glaciers
This is where the glaciers are losing more mass than they can gain which ends up in a reduction of their size. This is due to warmer temperatures in Switzerland and lower snowfall
Facts of the retreat of the Swiss glaciers
– Switzerland is losing 10% of its glacier ice in two years
– one-third of its glacier volume has melted since 2000
– there will shrink to 5% of their current size by the end of the century
What are the impacts of the Swiss glaciers retreating
– There will be an increase in natural disasters for example floods and landslides
– the lakes form inside the glaciers risk suddenly spilling downhill wiping up villages and infrastructure
what is vulnerability
the degree to which people are susceptible to, or unable to cope with adverse impacts of climate change
what are the three factors of vulnerability
- exposure to climate change
- sensitivity -> the degree they would be harmed at
- the adaptive capacity -> the degree that they can mitigate potential harm by taking action to reduce exposure or sensitivity
who is vulnerable
name at least 5
Any 5 from:
-> elder people (due to carers and harder for them to escape)
-> youth/babies
-> people who are not educated on the effects of climate change
-> people who do not have access to emergency services
-> Indigenous people
-> refugees
-> Carers - generally women
-> disabled people
which type of places are most vulnerable to climate change
-> island nations
-> LICs -> Lack of technological advancements
(CASE STUDY) Indigenous people (Inuits in Canada)
Describe their environment and society
-> Live in extreme environments -> the Mackenzie Basin in Canada -> have experienced 3.5C rise since the 1980s
-> Socio-economic problems: low incomes, poor health, limited access to water and resources
-> Most have adapted their lifestyles to their environment - therefore they are vulnerable to changes in said environment
what may be a positive impact of climate change for the Inuits, but why might this also be bad
Increased ice melt, means more shipping can go through the Arctic, therefore there is increased economic activity. However this can also result in an increase of oil and chemical spills
what are the food security impacts of climate change on the indigenous people (Inuits - case study)
-> Change from natural country food to store-bought expensive food (unhealthy) can have negative effects on Inuit health and cultural identity
-> outdoor meat caches, which used to keep meat fresh, now spoil,
-> shifting climate change can bring currents with dangerous contaminants into arctic oceans: mercury
what are the traditional impacts of climate change on the indigenous people (Inuits - case study)
-> The Inuit will most likely have to abandon their home and traditional lifestyle to live in urban areas, leading to a loss or decline of cultural heritage and core values
-> loss of traditions: loss in hunting, fishing and gathering, Inuit elders used to predict the weather, however with changes in weather, they are unable to pass this knowledge down to younger generations
-> Loss of traditional trade routes/ campsites
-> Loss of permafrost will ruin cultural remains and archaeological artefacts/ destroy Inuit infrastructure that is suited to the ice
what are the env/ wildlife impacts of climate change on the indigenous people (Inuits - case study)
-> An increase in temp (3.5C rise) = melting permafrost. This leads to reduced water availability as more freshwater flows into salty seawater
-> Loss of wildlife: major sources of food, clothing and income
-> In the Peace Athabasca Delta, the muskrat population declines due to lack of water + trapping (hunted)
what are the obstacles to reach a low-carbon world?
- lack of technology in LICs
- economic -> entire countries are built on the fossil fuel industry (USA)
- political -> power held by major fossil fuel countries (Middle East, Canada, USA)
Name the 4 government-led strategies to reduce climate change + brief description
-> The UN Framework Convention on Climate change (1992, Rio): the main objective is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system
-> The Kyoto Protocol (1997, COP): Countries were allocated amounts of C02, and they were allowed to emit
-> The Paris Agreement (2015): 195 countries signed an agreement to keep global temperature levels below 2C compared with pre-industrial levels
-> The “three amigos” summit (2016): the leaders of USA, Mexico and Canada met and agreed on a set of initiatives to achieve 50% clean energy by 2050
what are the strengths of the UN Framework strategy
-> Higher-income countries were expected to reduce their carbon emissions by 20% by 2012
-> lower income countries did not have to meet such targets
what are the weaknesses of the UN Framework strategy
-> it failed to slow down greenhouse gas emissions
-> USA (a major contributor to climate change), did not sign the treaty, as they said it would give China a competitive edge in world trade
->Although Canada and Australia did sign, they did not implement it
-> Emissions in China and other industrialising nations soared
what are the strengths of the Kyoto Protocol (1997)
-> 192 countries signed up to the protocol to stabilise greenhouse gases to a level that it suitable to human life
-> created the carbon trading market (where permitted levels were divided into units, and countries that have units to spare can sell them to countries who have run out of units, creating a new trading system)
-> encourages the use of energy sources that do not emit greenhouse gases (France have implemented nuclear power as a source of clean energy)
what are the weaknesses of the Kyoto Protocol (1997)
-> some clean energy sources are not all environmentally friendly, i.e. France has adopted nuclear power, however it is very hard to dispose of properly. This has given rise to criticisms of the use, relating it to previous nuclear disasters (Fukushima disaster)
what are the strengths of the Paris Agreement (2015)
-> aims to achieve a 1.5 - 2C maximum global temperature goal
-> was signed by USA and China
what are the weaknesses of the Paris Agreement (2015)
-> There are no country-specific goals and no timetables deadlines - countries are told to get carbon emissions down “ASAP”
-> There is no mechanism to force a country to set a specific target, nor is there any sanctions against countries to meet targets
What are the strengths of the “three amigos” summit
-> pledged to reach 50% clean energy by 2050
-> The summit also considered methane (not just C02), as a contributor to global emissions (North America produced 10% of global methane emissions)
-> they agreed to reduce methane levels by 40-45% by 2050
-> all 3 countried have agreed to reduce and regulate the use of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC)
-> have agreed to tackle vehicle emissions to align fuel efficiency by 2025/27
what are the weaknesses of the “three amigos” summit
-> cross-border cooperation will be a major requirement
what do we mean by a civil and corporate strategy?
strategies that target the civil (people) or corporate (businesses) society
what is the case study for corporate strategy?
WWF
how is WWF attempting to tackle climate change
- pressuring major economies and emerging economies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- encourage people to use new technologies and have greener lifestyles
- calling on governments to sign up to international agreements to:
-> reduce fossil fuels and conserve forests
-> work towards a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050
-> reduce emissions from aviation
what is example of one of WWF’s missions? + example of company that has used it
One in Five Challenge:
helps companies cut their costs as well as reduce their environmental impact of business travel by challenging them to cut one flight.
-> One example is Vodafone. They routinely use a mix of video-conferencing, voicemail and instant messaging software to communicate
-> In 2010, they invested £600,000 in video-conferencing facilities
-> spent 3,600 hrs on video- conferencing and travelled 320,000km less in the first year
-> saved 1/3 costs on air travel
What was a failed attempt by the French president to mitigate against fuel consumption
– France is bound by the Paris 2015 international agreement line – therefore, Macron increased the tax on fuel by 23%. He did this to encourage people to switch to hybrid vehicles and use more public transport
– this heavily affected the rural population, as they have a lack of alternative public transport and there are high costs involved with switching to electric cars
– therefore they revolted with the “yellow vest” movement, using the yellow vest that citizens are obliged to have in their cars for when they break down
– therefore this caused Macron to rethink this approach
how has France responded to climate change?
they created a people agreement council of 150 people, that represent all sectors of the french economy (famers, unemployed, architects). This allowed for a more representative take on the environmental issues in France. However, one limitation is that they were all not as well versed in the expertise of environmental change
What are the mitigation strategies to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions
– Carbon capture and Sequestration
– carbon taxes
– ocean fertilisation
– Geoengineering
– carbon offset schemes
– carbon trading
What is meant by carbon capture and sequestration
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide
What are carbon taxes
the government sets a price that emitters must pay for each ton of greenhouse gas emissions they emit.
what is ocean fertilisation?
Ocean fertilisation is a form of geo engineering that involves adding nutrients to the upper layers of the ocean to stimulate phytoplankton activity (photosynthesis) in an attempt to draw down atmospheric CO2 levels.
what is geo engineering?
large-scale human actions to deliberately manipulate environmental systems in an attempt to counteract the effects of global warming.
what are carbon offset schemes
a process that involves a reduction in, or removal of, carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere.
what is carbon trading
the use of a marketplace to buy and sell credits that allow companies or other parties to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide.
Give 2 examples of positive feedback
- Arctic ice melts reducing albedo [1] less incoming solar radiation is reflected [1] and this increases further melting of Arctic ice [1].
- Increased temperatures result in greater evaporation [1] more water vapour in the atmosphere acting as a greenhouse gas [1] leads to increased temperature [1].
Give 2 examples of negative feedback
- CO2 levels rise, meaning the temperature of the earth rises. As the earth warms, the rate of photosynthesis increases, therefore more CO2 is removed from the atmosphere, reducing global temperatures
- As the Earth warms, there are higher rates of evaporation. This produces more clouds. Clouds increase albedo, reflecting more light away from the earth. The temperature falls and evaporation rates fall
