Humans and the climate Flashcards
What are anthropogenic greenhouse emissions?
Greenhouse gases emitted by humans
How have humans enhanced the greenhouse effect?
They have emitted greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane through farming and burning of fossil fuels. This creates a thicker layer of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere meaning more GHG will be trapped.
How is nitrous oxide released and why is it so bad?
Mainly through farming and microorganisms releasing it from the atmosphere. It is 200 to 300 times more effective at trapping heat than CO2.
What are chlorofluorocarbons?
A group of manufactured chemicals which were banned in 1996. They were used in aerosols, refrigerators, air conditioners, foam and food packaging.
Why were chlorofluorocarbons banned?
They were damaging the atmosphere, they can hold 11,000 times the amount of heat as CO2.
How much have CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere increased by in the last 60 years?
Have gone up from 316ppm to 401ppm.
How will southern Europe be affected by climate change?
More high temperatures and drought. reduced water availability. Increased health risks due to heat and wildfires.
How will Central and Eastern Europe be affected by climate change?
Summer rain projected to decrease, higher water stress. Health risks due to heat waves. Reduced forest productivity.
How will Northern Europe be affected by climate change?
Will bring mixed effects, less demand for heating, higher crop yields and forest growth. Continued climate change would cause negative impacts to outweigh benefits.
How will North America be affected by climate change?
Flooding and reduced summer flows of water. Increased yields of rain fed agriculture, major challenges for crops near warm end of suitable range. Increased heatwaves, greater intensity and duration elderly at risk. Increased forest fires, Coastal populations increasingly stressed by impacts intervening with development and pollution. Damage to infrastructure and more vulnerable land.
How will South and Central America be affected by climate change?
Disappearance of glaciers, changes in rainfall patterns, desertification of agricultural land, decrease in food security. replacement of tropical forest by savannah, biodiversity loss. Increased risk of flooding, destruction of coral reefs leading to loss of fish stocks.
How will Africa be affected by climate change?
90 to 220 million people exposed to extreme water stress by 2020. Rain fed agricultural yields drop by half by 2020. Suitable land for growing seasons expected to shrink. 5-7% potential increase in malaria distribution, highlands could experience malaria. Coastal populations put in danger leading to concentration of poor populations.
How will Asia be effected by climate change?
One billion to be adversely affected by lack of fresh water.
Crop yields could increase up to 20% in East and South East but could decrease by 30% in Central and South Asia by 2050.
Diarrhea expected to rise due to floods and droughts. Increase of cholera.
Himalayan glaciers will melt leading to flooding. River flows will decrease as glaciers recede
Great risk to global populations especially ones that lie on mega deltas.
How will Australia/New Zealand be affected by climate change?
Less food production. Western and Southern New Zealand may benefit due to longer growing season.
Great barrier reef will lose biodiversity and natural systems will have little adaptive capability.
711,000 people in Australia live within 3km of coast and less than 6m above sea level so are likely to suffer from sea level rise.
More tropical cyclones.
How will polar regions be affected by climate change?
Reduction in thickness and extent of ice sheet and glaciers. Reduction of sea ice, permafrost, increased coastal erosion.
Detrimental impacts on infrastructure and indigenous way of life. Reduced heating costs and more navigable sea routes.
Specific ecosystems and habitats suspected to suffer, climatic barriers to species invasions are lowered.
How will small island states be affected by climate change?
Will reduce water resources, insufficient to meet demands.
Deterioration in conditions through erosion of beaches and coral bleaching. Affect local resources and reduces value of tourism.
Sea level rise will threaten vital infrastructure.
Invasion by non-native species expected to occur, particularly on mid and high latitude islands.
Why have greenhouse gas emissions grown rapidly in the last two centuries?
Huge surge in demands for energy due to industrialisation.
Massive global population increase from 1 billion to 7.4 billion.
Land use change- deforestation and draining of wetlands and food production development.
What are the major sources of anthropogenic GHG emissions?
Energy supply (26%) Industry (19%) Forestry (17%) Agriculture (14%) transport (13%)
How have emissions of GHG shifted geographically.
Gone from North America and Europe being the main emitters to Asia being the main emitter.
