Green house gases and Climate Change Flashcards
How many people are there in the world?
What is happening to the population?
Over six billion
It’s rising exponentially
What are some reasons for the population rising? (2)
What does this mean for the planet?
Modern medicine and farming methods have reduced the number of people dying from disease and hunger
We have have a bigger effect on the environment
What is the difference between the demands on the environment when there were few people, to now?
Small:
Large:
Small: impacts were small and local
Large: Impacts are global, widespread
Why does our increasing population put pressure on the environment? (3)
Because we take all the resources we need from it.
People around the world demand a higher standard of living - more raw materials and energy is used for this manufacturing process, more and more quickly
We are using the materials faster than they are being replaced, so we will run out.
As we produce more we are producing more what?
Unless this is properly handled what will be caused?
Affecting what?
Waste
More harmful pollution
Water land and the air
How is water polluted by waste?
What pollutes… what does this affect… and what else can be washed into rivers?
Sewage and toxic chemicals from industry can pollute lakes, rivers and oceans affecting the plants and animals that rely on them for survival (including humans). And the chemicals used on land (fertilisers) can be washed into water.
How is the land polluted by waste? (3)
Toxic chemicals used for farming (pesticides and herbicides)
Burying of nuclear waste underground
Dumping of household waste in landfill sites
How is air polluted by humans?
Smoke and gases are released into the atmosphere e.g sulphur dioxide causing acid rain
What causes acid rain?
Sulphur dioxide
More people means less….
Land for plants and other animals
What do humans reduce?
Using what four ways?
The amount of land and resources available to other animals and plants Building Farming Dumping waste Quarrying for metal ores
What is carbon present as in the atmosphere?
How does it get into the atmosphere? (simple)
What does too much CO2 in the atmosphere cause?
CO2
Many processes lead to it being released, burning fossil fuels
Causes global warming
How is CO2 locked up by the natural environment?
Give examples:
1.
2. .. they … from the… during
3.
Storing CO2 in these ways is …. because it means …. is removed from the ….
Sequestered in natural stores
1. In oceans, lakes and ponds
2. Green plants, stored as carbon compounds. They remove CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis
3.Peat bogs
…really important… CO2…. atmosphere
Why do we need the green house effect?
It makes earth a suitable temperature for living on
What gases trap heat from the sun?
CO2 and Methane
What is the temperature of the earth a balance between?
Heat it gets from the sun and heat it radiates back out to space
What do gases in the atmosphere naturally act as? Why?
An insulating layer, as they absorb most of the heat that would normally be radiated into space and re-radiate it in all directions (back towards the earth)
If the GHG effect didn’t happen then what would happen? But what is our problem?
There would be nothing to keep any heat in and the planet would quickly get very cold
The GHG are increasing so the planet is gettign too hot
Which gases in the atmosphere keep the heat in, what are there names and what are they called all together?
Why do we need to worry about these?
CO2 and methane, greenhouse gases, these are the main ones whose levels we need to worry about because their levels are rising quite sharply
Why is the earth heating up? What is this called?
What is it?
The increasing levels of GHG - this is global warming
A type of climate change that causes other types of climate change, changing rainfall patterns
What locks up CO2 that are at risk of being destroyed and releasing it?
Trees and peat bogs
What does deforestation mean?
cutting down of forests
Why does deforestation cause? - such as what?
Big problems on a large scale, cutting down rainforests
Why does deforestation happen? (3)
To provide timber to use as building materials
To clear more land for farming to - provide more food from rice fields or cattle - or to grow crops from which ethanol for biofuel can be produced
To produce paper from wood
What is a problem caused by deforestation? (methane?)
3
More methane gets into the atmosphere
Rice is grown in warm, waterlogged conditions ideal for decomposers. These organisms produce methane so more is released into the atmosphere
Cattle produce methane by digestion so rearing cattle means more is released
What is a problem caused by deforestation? (+ CO2?)
3
More CO2 in the atmosphere
CO2 is released when trees are burnt to clear land (Carbon in wood doesn’t contribute to atmospheric pollution until it is burnt)
Microorganisms feeding on bits of dead wood release CO2 as a waste product of respiration
What is a problem caused by deforestation? (- CO2?)
3
Less CO2 is taken in
Cutting down trees means that less CO2 is removed from the atmosphere during PS
More …. in the … leads to …. causing …
CO2, atmosphere, global warming, climate change
What is a problem caused by deforestation? (bio?)
3
Less biodiversity
Habitats like tropical rain forests can contain a huge number of species, so when they are destroyed there is a danger of many species becoming extinct, bio-d is reduced.
Causing a number of lost opportunities - organisms that produce useful products will never be found as they will become extinct. - Newly discovered animals and plants are a great source of new foods, and clothing
What is biodiversity?
The variety of different species in a habitat, the more the greater bio-d.
What does destroying Peat bogs do?
Releases more CO into the atmosphere
What are peat bogs?
What happens here?
What does this form?
So what is stored here?
Areas of land that are acidic and waterlogged.
Plants that live here don’t fully decay when they die because there’s not enough oxygen.
The partially rotten plants build up to form peat.
Carbon in the plants is instead of being released into the atmosphere.
What sometimes happens to the peat bogs? (3)
Drained to be used as farmland
Peat is cut up and dried to use as fuel
Peat is sold to gardeners as compost
What happens to the peat when the bogs are drained?
It starts to decompose so CO2 is released.
What will happen if we continue to destroy peat bogs?
More CO2 will be released adding to the greenhouse effect
How can people help and protect the peat bogs?
Buy peat-free compost to reduce the demand for peat, use manure, leaf mould or bark chippings instead
What is one serious consequence of Global Warming to do with the sea?
It will…
Causing …
As the sea gets warmer it expands, causing sea levels to rise
Sea level has risen a little over the past 100 years but if it keeps rising, people living in low lying areas like the Netherlands, East Anglia and the Maldives, will be flooded
What is one serious consequence of Global Warming to do with higher temperatures?
They will…
Causing …
Make ice melt
Water currently trapped on land as ice will melt into the sea causing it to rise even more
What is one serious consequence of Global Warming to do with the weather? It has... It is thought that... Hurricanes ... However...
..Changed weather patterns in many parts of the world
..Many regions will suffer extreme weather because of this, e.g hotter and longer droughts
…. form over water hotter than 27c so with warmer water there will be more hurricanes
…the climate is a very complicated system meaning it’s hard to predict what will happen, lots of people are researching it and it’s not looking good
What is one serious consequence of Global Warming to do with organisms?
It will…
Some species will…
But other species will…
Cause the distribution of many wild plants and animals to change.
Some species may become more widely distributed, e.g species needing warmer temperatures may spread further as the conditions they thrive in exist over a wider area
Others may become less widely distributed, e.g the cooler temps they need will only exist in a smaller area
What is one serious consequence of Global Warming to do with biodiversity?
It will…
Causing …
Reduce it if some species are unable to survive a change in climate, so become extinct
What is one serious consequence of Global Warming to do with migration patterns?
It will…
Causing …
There could be changes
Birds to fly further north as those areas are getting warmer
What are the 6 consequences of global warming?
Sea temperatures rise, flooding
High temps cause the ice to melt, sea levels rise
Change in weather patterns, more extreme weather
Change in organism distribution
Reduction of biodiversity
Changes in migration patterns
What do scientists do to show how the climate is changing?
Collect data and evidence
How do scientists collect data and evidence to show how the climate is changing? (4)
Satellites are used to monitor snow and ice cover
Satellites sued to measure the temperature of the sea surface
The temperature and speed of ocean currents are monitored for any changes
Automatic weather stations are constantly recording atmospheric temepratures
How should scientific evidence be weighed before making judgments? Consider the area. What happens if it's small Why is this not useful? You should do what? Now consider time... (similar to above) Do this... To gain these...
Generally, observations of a small area aren’t useful as they don’t accurately represent all similar locations, e.g one glacier melts doesn’t mean all are.
It is also not a valid way to show that global temp is changing
You should look at all the glaciers across Canada and Alaska for example, a large area.
Make sure the observations are taken over a long period of time, year after year, to gain valid results.
Why are governments taking climate change seriously?
Lots of scientists are getting the same results with different results showing it is happening.
