Climate Change and Environmental Awareness

Question 1

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil and gas), which produces heat-trapping gases. – the United Nations

Answer 1

Climate Change

Question 2

refers to atmospheric conditions that occur locally over short periods of time—from minutes to hours or days (rain, snow, clouds, winds, floods, or thunderstorms)

Answer 2

Weather

Question 3

refers to the long-term regional or even global average of temperature, humidity, and rainfall patterns over seasons, years, or decades.

Answer 3

Climate

Question 4

is the long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities (burning of fossil fuels)

Answer 4

Global Warming

Question 5

is the long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional, and global climates.

Answer 5

climate change

Question 6

refers to the long-term increase in Earth’s average surface temperature, primarily caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Answer 6

Global warming

Question 7

refer to severe and unusual weather occurrences that deviate significantly from historical weather patterns.

Answer 7

Extreme weather events

Question 8

refers to the ongoing decrease in the pH of Earth’s oceans, primarily caused by the absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Answer 8

Ocean acidification

Question 9

The consequences of climate change have profound effects on various ecosystems, disrupting biodiversity and ecological balance.

Answer 9

Impact on Ecosystem

Question 10

Climate-related challenges like food and water scarcity, displacement of communities, and economic disruptions.

Answer 10

Social and Economic Impact

Question 11

Injected ash falls rapidly from the stratosphere and has little impact on climate change. But volcanic gases like sulfur dioxide can cause global cooling, while volcanic carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, has the potential to promote global warming.

Answer 11

VOLCANIC
ERUPTIONS

Question 12

Warming of the planet due to an increase in solar irradiance probably results in the release of methane and carbon dioxide from stores in the oceans and icecaps, and these greenhouse gases can then produce additional warming.

Answer 12

FLUCTUATIONS IN
SOLAR RADIATION

Question 13

The movement of the plates also causes volcanoes and mountains to form and these can also contribute to a change in climate

Answer 13

ECTONIC SHIFTS

Question 14

Changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun and changes in the tilt and wobble of the Earth’s axis can lead to cooling or warming of the Earth’s climate because they change the amount of energy our planet receives from the sun.

Answer 14

CHANGES IN OUR
ORBIT

Question 15

Generating electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels causes a large chunk of global emissions. Most electricity is still generated by burning coal, oil, or gas, which produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide – powerful greenhouse gases that blanket the Earth and trap the sun’s heat.

Answer 15

GENERATING POWER

Question 16

The cars, trucks, ships, and planes that we use to transport ourselves and our goods are a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. Burning petroleum-based fuel in combustion engines releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Answer 16

TRANSPORTATION

Question 17

Industrial facilities, particularly those producing carbon-intensive products like chemicals, iron, steel, cement, aluminum, glass, and paper, are major sources of greenhouse gases, requiring massive energy consumption and often leaking into the air.

Answer 17

INDUSTRY AND MANUFACTURING

Question 18

produces nitrous oxide and methane, trapping heat. Chemical fertilizers and high-yield crop management contribute to nitrous oxide emissions. Livestock production also contributes to methane emissions from cattle digestion processes.

Answer 18

AGRICULTURE

Question 19

is a major source of methane, which invariably leaks from oil and gas operations: drilling, fracking, transporting, and refining. And while methane isn’t as prevalent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide, it’s many times more potent at trapping heat during the first 20 years of its release into the atmosphere. Even abandoned and inoperative wells— sometimes known as “orphaned” wells— leak methane

Answer 19

FOSSIL FUELS

Question 20

both residential and commercial—emit a lot of greenhouse gases through heating, cooling, cooking, running appliances, and maintaining other building-wide systems.

Answer 20

BUILDINGS

Question 21

Vegetation and soil store carbon by keeping it at ground level or underground. So through logging and other forms of development, we’re cutting down or digging up vegetative biomass and releasing all of its stored carbon into the air. Also, by cutting trees we are disrupting the oxygen cycle to be maintained leaving a large amount of carbon dioxide untouched

Answer 21

DEFORESTATION

Question 22

is a system or substance that can provide usable power in the form of heat, electricity, or mechanical work. These sources are essential for powering our homes, industries, and transportation, enabling various aspects of modern life.

Answer 22

Energy source

Question 23

in its purest form is pure methane but before it is refined, it also contains varying amount Of ethane, propane, butane and carbon dioxide. When refined, it is colorless and odorless but can be burned to release large amounts of energy.

Answer 23

Natural gas

Question 24

releases large amounts of energy when it is burned because of the density of hydrocarbons in the material. Coal is formed by dead plants being put under significant pressure and temperature for millions of years. There are four grades of coal: lignite, subbituminous, bituminous coal and anthracite. Bituminous coal is the best for releasing energy and is the most commonly mined type of coal.

Answer 24

Coal

Question 25

is formed from the compression of animal and plant remains over millions of years. Petroleum has to be drilled for because it is usually located deep below the earth’s surface and is then refined to produce a number of different products including gasoline, heavy fuel oil and diesel fuel.

Answer 25

Petroleum

Question 26

refers to a situation where the supply of energy resources is insufficient to meet the demand.

Answer 26

energy crisis