Global issues - Climate Change

Question 1

What are the physical causes of climate change?

Answer 1

• Sunspot theory - sunspots are black spots on the surface of the sun. An increase in sunspots numbers causes an increase in temperatures
• Milankovitch theory - Earth’s orbit subtly changes, and the axis wobbles, changing the amount of sun the Earth recieves
• Volcanic eruptions - they release methane, increasing the greenhouse effect. They also release gas clouds, stopping sunlight from reaching the surface
• Ocean currents - Oceans help transfer heat around the world, meaning if it is warm in the tropics, heat will be transferred to colder regions, increasing their climate
• Melting permafrost - if permafrost melts, it releases methane (enhancing the greenhouse effect)

Question 2

What are the human causes of climate change?

Answer 2

• Burning fossil fuels - increases pollution and the greenouse effect (factories and vehicles)
• Agriculture - some crops release methane when grown (rice and cows), the production of fertilisers produce nitrous oxide
• Deforestation - trees help to capture carbon dioxide, when they are chopped down they stop. They are often burned, releasing all that carbon back into the atmosphere
• Landfill - as waste decomposes it releases methane

Question 3

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 3

Half of the solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface and heats it, the other half is re-emitted into the atmosphere and some of it remains trapped due to the greenhouse effect (which is enhanced by greenhouse gases)

Question 4

What are CFCs?

Answer 4

They used to be put in aerosols
Used for fridge cooling systems (improper fridge disposal can result in the release of CFCs)
AC releases them

Question 5

CO2

Answer 5

Released by burning fossil fuels
Peat bog reclamation
Deforestation

Question 6

Methane

Answer 6

Rice and cows
Landfill sites
Melting permafrost

Question 7

Nitrous oxide

Answer 7

Production of fertilisers
Cars burning petrol and diesel

Question 8

Local solutions for mitigating climate change

Answer 8

• Not having heating on too hot or when not necessary
• Be conservative with hot water
• Recycle
• Don’t drive everywhere
• Fly less (get trains)
• Install solar panels and heat pumps

Question 9

National solutions for mitigating climate change

Answer 9

• Plastic bag charge
• Grants for solar and wind farms
• More renewable energy
• Provide heat pump grants and insulation grants
• Increase car charging points and decrease petrol and diesel car production
• Increase sustainable transport

Question 10

International solutions for mitigating climate change

Answer 10

• Kyoto protocol (an agreement between countries to reduce CO2 emissions)
• COP conferences

Question 11

Effects of climate change

Answer 11

• Increasing heatwaves leading to health risks
• Loss of tourism as areas become too hot
• Increase in tropical storms
• Increasing problems with dieases moving north as temperatures increase
• Rising sea levels
• Increasing sea temperatures and pH levels
• Glacial melting
• Desertification and drought
• Reduction in biodiversity