Greenhouse Gases Flashcards
what are the three greenhouse gases?
CO2 - carbon dioxide
CH4 - methane
Nitrous oxides
Where does carbon dioxide come from?
car exhausts
burning fossil fuels (eg. coal, oil and gas)
deforestation and burning wood
Where does methane come from?
farm livestock
rice farming
burning biomass for energy
decaying of organic matter
Where don’t nitrous oxides come from?
car exhausts
sewage treatment
power stations
agricultural fertilisers
what is the most polluting fossil fuel?
coal
what is global warming?
A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect
What is the quaternary period?
the current geological period dating back from 2.6 million years ago
what is mitigation
when people reduce the causes of hazard to their lives
what is adaptation?
when people respond to change to limit its impacts or take advantage of changed
examples of mitigation
alternative energy (eg. hydro-electriciy, nuclear power…)
carbon capture and storage (CO2 captured so it’s doesn’t enter atmosphere
planting trees (remove CO2 by photosynthesis)
international agreements (eg. 2005- 1st mitigation law and 2015- 195 countries adapted climate deal)
examples of adaptation
shade trees to protect strong sunshine
build houses raised off ground (eg. Maldives) - reduce risk of rising sea levels
manage water supply (eg. himalayas)
