Climate Change Flashcards
6 human causes climate change
(To save repetition) Human causes are largely linked to the greenhouse gas effect which is when more and more greenhouse gases are released into the air and trap heat.
1) Landfill sites - as waste decomposes it produces methane which goes into atmosphere.
2) Burning fossil fuels - many industries are responsible for burning fossil fuels such as coal which leads to greenhouse gases being released.
3) car exhaust - too many people using cars especially in big cities which is bad as cars release nitrous oxide into the air when the fuels burned.
4) fertilisers - many farmers use to make crops grow quicker but when put in soil releases gases like nitrous oxide.
5) deforestation - less tress means more land for cattle and they release methane so therefore more methane released into air.
6) fridges and air conditioning - when fridges and air conditioners aren’t disposed of correctly the coolants in them can release CFCs into the air.
6 physical causes of climate change
1) Sunspots - peak every 11 years which means an increase in spots therefore an increase in heat as the more sunspots there are the more heat there is.
2) Earth tilt - over thousands of years the earth tilts slightly and if it tilts towards the sun it will get hotter and increase the temperatures on earth.
3) Ocean currents - the ocean helps transfer heat energy around the world and certain currents flow towards certain areas but sometimes the currents can change direction and the warmer currents can affect the climate of places they flow past.
4) Natural greenhouse gases - this is due to melting permafrost which gives off methane which contributes to the greenhouse gas effect when it’s released into the air.
5) Continental drift - continents move and when they get close to the equator the temperature will rise making the earth hotter.
6) Volcanic eruptions - can cool the climate as the ash and gases released from the volcano block the sunlight and cool the climate.
Effects of climate change
1) forest fires - start of 2020 fires broke out across Australia due to rising temperatures and heatwaves, this affected many wildlife habitats and homes of people.
2) bleaching coral - due to rising ocean temperatures and polluted water due to human activity which affects wildlife habitats
3) hotter summers - good for uk as increases tourism and means farmers can produce more crops.
4) rising sea levels - affects many coastal areas as parts can get flooded or eroded.
5) migration and overpopulation - due to flooding and fires many people have had to migrate which means more people in one area and more pollution.
6) melting ice - in countries like Greenland warmer temperatures will cause ice caps to melt which could cause loss of habitat and possible future extinction.
Explain 6 ways climate change be managed
1) Recycling - if products are recycled and not land filled there will be less methane being released from the landfill and the products can be reused by industrial companies instead of using raw materials.
2) Less deforestation - this would prevent as much co2 being released and it would mean less cows so therefore less methane being released.
3) led lights - 80% more efficient and only 5% is wasted as heat energy so therefore less gases and heat being released and less energy being used.
4) renewable energy - releases no greenhouse gases and means less gases in air.
5) Smart meters - they tell you how much electricity you’re using so it’s easy to reduce the amount of electricity used and therefore easier to reduce the gases being released.
6) using more public transport and not driving as much - cheap way of getting around and holds more people so overall less vehicles and and less pollution as less co2 being released from exhaust fumes.
