Climate Change

Question 1

What is long term climate change?

What causes it?

Answer 1

Refers to the change over tens and hundreds of thousands of years. Includes glacial and interglacial periods. The last ice age ended 11,500 years ago. 
Changes in the sun's orbit 
Volcanic activity
Sun spots
The movement of tectonic plates

Question 2

How do we know about long term climate change?

Answer 2

Ice cores
Ocean sediments
Pollen analysis

Question 3

What is medium term climate change?

What causes it?

Answer 3

Refers to change over the past couple of thousand of years.
(e.g. Medieval warming period)
Sun spots
Volcanic activity

Question 4

How do we know about medium climate change?

Answer 4

Historical records
Written accounts and paintings
Tree rings

Question 5

What is short term climate change?

What causes it?

Answer 5

Refers to the past hundred years or few decades. In this period changes are happening quickly and result have been dramatic.
The temperature of the earth has risen 0.85°C in the last 100 years.
Human activity- burning fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture, waste, lifestyles

Question 6

How do we know about short term climate change?

Answer 6

Weather stations
Sea level rise
Photographs

Question 7

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 7

Is a natural process which includes UV radiation passing through the greenhouse gases reaching the earth where some is absorbed and some reflected to space. The energy absorbed by the earth is turned into heat and emitted as infrared radiation where some is lost or trapped by greenhouse gases which warms the earth

Question 8

How much colder would the earth be without the natural greenhouse effect?

Answer 8

33°C

Question 9

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 9

Is the unnatural and intensified greenhouse effect where vast amounts of greenhouse gases are released by human activity. This extra greenhouse gases trap more heat leading to unnatural and unsustainable warming effect.

Question 10

How does burning fossil fuels affect the environment?

Answer 10

In order to maintain the lifestyles we lead we burn fossil fuels. For example using the car which uses petrol.

Question 11

Deforestation

Answer 11

To clear land for agriculture or buildings etc we cut trees which release CO2 stored. It also stops the process of breathing co2 and releasing oxygen.

Question 12

Cattle ranching

Answer 12

These animals produce methane as part as their digestive process. Because we raise the amount of cows for food, this releases vast amounts of methane

Question 13

Disposal in landfill

Answer 13

Methane is generated when waste decomposes. As we tent to dispose waste in here, much extra methane is released.

Question 14

Which country has the biggest carbon footprint per individual?

Answer 14

United Arab Emirates

Question 15

Which country has the biggest carbon footprint as a country?

Answer 15

China

Question 16

Which countries are most vulnerable?

Answer 16

Malawi and Bangladesh

Question 17

What causes the sea level to rise?

Answer 17

Warmer atmospheres which melt glaciers and warmer seas expand

Question 18

What is adaptation?

Answer 18

Refers to actions which help people better manage the effects of climate change upon their lives. This mainly occurs in poorer countries.

Question 19

What is mitigation?

Answer 19

Refers to the attempts to slow down the process of climate change by reducing carbon emissions.

Question 20

Renewable energy

Answer 20

Wind power
Solar power
Hydropower 
Geothermal power 
Nuclear power 
Tidal power