Global Environmental Problems Flashcards
What is global warming?
This refers to the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near Earth’s surface.
What causes global warming?
Increased concentration of green house gases in the atmosphere.
What is the effect of global warming?
Causes climate patterns to change leading to climate change.
What does climate change include?
Includes major changes in precipitation,wind patterns and temperature
What contributes to the Earth’s warming?
The sun and the greenhouse gases
List the natural sources of Carbon dioxide that lead to climate change.
Respiration in plants and animals resulting in carbon dioxide being released.
List the natural sources of methane leading to climate change
•wetlands
•termites when they are digesting
List the natural sources of nitrous oxide leading to climate change
Nitrification and denitrification
List the anthropogenic sources of Carbon dioxide that lead to climate change
•deforestation
•industries that produce cement
•transportation
•burning of fossil fuels
List the anthropogenic sources of methane leading to climate change
•Agriculture (rice agriculture, livestock farming especially keeping cattle,sheep and goats)
List the anthropogenic sources of nitrous oxide leading to climate change
Use of nitrogenous fertilizers
Industries producing fertilizers
Which source highly contributes to climate change and why?
Anthropogenic sources because the concentration of Greenhouse gases released is high,leading to more heat being absorbed.
More heat being absorbed leads to global warming which in turn leads to change in weather patterns also known as climate change.
List the greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Ozone
CFCs
Water vapor
List the Health impacts of climate change
-temperature related impacts
-flood related impacts
-storm related impacts
-drought related impacts
Describe temperature related impacts
-heat strokes
-hypathermia
-heat stress exhaustion
-respiratory diseases
-skin burns/skin rashes/bleeding
Describe how respiratory diseases is a temperature related health impact.
Increase in temperature leads to compromised air quality. Hence if the quality of air is reduced it may result in diseases like asthma.
Describe flood related impacts as a health impact of climate change
-vector borne diseases
-water borne diseases
-food borne diseases
-deficiency diseases
-
How do food borne diseases arise under flood related impacts.
Chemicals and minerals get washed into water leading to the fish getting contaminated. The people then eat the contaminated fish.
List the storm related Impacts.
-injuries which lead to severe bleeding which ends up leading to death.
-mental health issues due to loss of life and property.
-deficiency diseases as there is no access to food sources.
List the drought related impacts
-Deficiency diseases due to no water for crops to grow and no drinking water for animals.
-Respiratory Diseases (land becomes dry so dust particles start entering the atmosphere)
-Gastro intestinal illnesses or diarrheal diseases because of low water levels meaning that the concentration of pollutants increases.
What are the solutions to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to deforestation?
-Agroforestry
-vertical spacing
-license for thermal production for those producing charcoal.
-afforestation and reforestation.
Define afforestation
planting trees where there were no trees before
Define reforestation
planting trees where there were trees before.
