Global Warming and Climate Change Flashcards
What is Climate Change?
Climate change describes a change in the average conditions such as temperature and rainfall in a region over a long period of time.
What is Global Warming?
Global warming refers to the rise in global temperatures due mainly to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
The greenhouse effect is the effect of atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide absorbing energy from the Sun and Earth and “trapping” it near the Earth’s surface
What are the main types of Greenhouse Gases?
Water vapor
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
What are some Greenhouse gases and their sources?
Carbon Dioxide’s sources are burning fossil fuels and deforestation
Chloroflourocarbons’s sources are refrigerants, aerosols, foams, propellants and solvents
Methane’s sources are animal waste, biomass burning, fossil fuels, landfills, livestock, rice paddies, sewage and wetlands
Nitrous Oxide’s sources are biomass burning, deforestation, burning of fossil fuels and microbial activity on fertilizers in the soil
Water vapor’s sources are evaporation and plant respiration
What are some causes of climate change?
-burning fossil fuels
-deforestation
-farming livestock
-Carbon monoxide from vehicles
-burning of garbage
-emission of smoke from factories
What are some effects of Climate Change?
-Stronger storms & hurricanes
-Respiratory problems from increased allergens
-Diseases from poor water quality
-Water & food supply insecurities
What are some other effects of Climate Change?
Ocean Acidification
Shrinking Ice Sheets
Sea Levels Rising
Water & Food Resources
Negative Impact in Ecosystems
What are some global solutions to global warming?
Kyoto Protocol
Carbon Trading
Montreal Protocol
REDD Agreement
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the presence of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. The protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan in 1997.
What is Carbon Trading?
Carbon trade is the buying and selling of credits that permit a company to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.
What is the Montreal Protocol?
The Montreal Protocol is a global agreement to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it. It was adapted in 1987
What is the REDD Agreement?
Reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation is a framework that aims to curb climate change by stopping the destruction of forests.
