Geography: Challenges for the Planet Flashcards
How has the climate changed since the last ice age?
- Earth was historically warmer
- Antartica and Greenland were not icecaps before, they were rainforests
- Global tempertature change over the last 10,000 years
- More specifically, the most change has happened in the last 1,00 years
- Temperature naturally flucctuates (gets warmer and colder)
- Not until the 19th century did humans have a bigger impact
- Industrialisation contributed to greenhouse gases
- Climate change factors in orbit, output of sun, catastrophic events in past
- Since year 2000 + temp has risen 4 degrees (Unnatural increase in temp)
Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - External factors.
- Orbital Geometry
- Solar Output
- Milankovitch mechanism
Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - External factors. Orbital geometry.
- The shape of the orbit can affect climate
- Circular => Colder
- Elliptical => Warmer
- This occurs every 95000 years
Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - External factors. Solar Output
- If there is decreased energy from the sun (around -0.1%), there will be a general temperature rise or fall from 0.5 degrees to 1.0 degree.
Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - External factors. Milankovitch mechanism.
- wobbles on axis
- angle of titlt varies
- orbits on slightly variable orbits
- these variations known as Milankovitch mechanism
- main reasons for ice age
- this affects amount of energy received by as much as + or - one percent
Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - Internal factors.
- Volcanic Activity
2. Surface reflection
Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - Internal factors. Volcanic Activity
- The volcano acts as a clock: it reduces solar energy when needed.
- The eruption releases sulfur dioxide and ash into the atmosphere.
Why has the climate changed since the last ice age? Natural - Internal factors. Surface Reflection.
- White reflects heat.
- Bigger area of snow (ice caps) mean more heat is reflected.
Human causes of Climate Change?
- Over farming.
- Fossil Fuels
- Over breeding of Live stock
Issue with Bolivia?
Industrialized countries buy credits off Bolivia to log in Noel Kempff national Park.
Issues Ecuador?
Oil extraction, Amazon rain forest. Oil companies taken to court by locals.
Issues Madagascar?
Rain forest used by Swiss fragrance company, Givadan for aromas.
Issues Costa Rica?
Eco-tourism and another fragrance Company, Merck USA
Issues Malaysia?
Coal fired power station plans rejected at Silam, Borneo. Government decided not to develop coal and gold reserves.
How the forest is managed?: Bolivia?
£25 million worth of credits have been sold for this area. Money straight to communities decreases need for logging.
How the forest is managed?: Ecuador?
Maxus Energy built underground pipeline and provided schools for local kids. $60mn gone to environmental protection. Texaco paid $40mn for clean-up
How the forest is managed?: Madagascar?
Profits shared with local communities via conservation and development initiatives.
How the forest is managed?: Costa Rica?
Nature trails and zip wires are popular with tourists and both rely on the environment to be preserved, to retain appeal.
How the forest is managed?: Malaysia?
World-class diving and the biologically diverse tropical rain forest is promoted (home of the orang-utan through ecotourism.
Samsung - Transport?
- By 2010 Samsung were able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport operations by 45 percent from 2001 levels. Materials sourced from closer to factory’s.
- Lithium is sourced from mines in China rather then in La Paz in Bolivia. Going to have a smaller carbon footprint.
Samsung - e-waste?
- leading company for recycling of e-waste.
- 37,000 tonnes of e-waste are recycled approximately 83 percent of it into valued re-sources including scrap iron, plastic and non ferrous metals.
Samsung - recycling programs?
- Most extensive mobile phone recycling programs.
- 32 countries
- USA 406 million pounds of e-waste through ‘samsung Recycle Direct’
- The metals and parts are recycled
- People get money of a new Samsung phone.
Samsung - packaging?
- 99% is now from recycled sources. Less trees need to be chopped down and less hydrocarbons burnt.
- Now making DDR3 RAM cards that are computer components that use 50% less power.
- Low energy fridge freezers that don’t use harsh chemicals.
Effects of resource extraction Ecuador?
- Endangerment of animals and plants, ecuador, periwinkle plant use to cure leukemia is now endangered.
Effects of resource extraction Brazil?
Pollution of water courses by chemicals associated with extraction. e.g. mercury poising of 90% fish along River Tapajos Brazil.
Effects of resource extraction Ecuador oil pollution?
Stomach cancer and boils common in humans who drink polluted water. e.g. oil pollution in Ecuador due to oil leaks.
Effects of resource extraction Cameroon?
Deforestation and disruption to ecosystem/habitats, e.g. illegal hunting of elephants, gorillas and chimps.
Effects of resource extraction General?
- Impacts on planets climate and global warming as less CO2 absorbed by plants and animals.
- Positive effects on the economy through selling resources.
Samsung - Offices?
- Decrease the amount of greenhouse gasses produced at there offices.
- using energy saving light bulbs
- Decrease the amount of paper used
- People use electronic tablets instead
Two advantages of using GIS compared to looking at the maps separately?
Advantage 1: Maps lay on top of each other
Advantage 2: It is easier to pick out correlations and relationships between the data.
Data for increase in CO2 emissions?
China now manufactures 75% of electric through Fossil fuels. Worlds largest ratio.
Delhi in India have had car number increases from half a million in 1970 to 5 million in 2008.
How can the internet can be used to investigate flood risk?
Internet:
• Past records in written archive, newspapers
• Other local records
• BBC news, YouTube may also be useful archive
How can GIS be used to investigate the risks of flooding?
GIS
• Environment Agency flood risk maps from website
• Other layers of information such as deprivation maps
(which may be linked to impacts – poorer communities
more vulnerable as lower insurance cover).
• Use software: Google Earth, ArcGIS, AEGIS etc to get
answers – use of layers
how can people change there homes to be more efficient?
could save 350 pounds a year
35% insulation lost through walls
25% loss through roof
10% lost through windows.
Negative effects of global warming on south america?
600 million effected by rising sea levels
Bolivia lose 60% of water by 2027
Capital of Argentina, heaviest rainfall in 100 years. 2007 first snowfall in 90 years.
