Lists

Question 1

ways of mitigating climate change

Answer 1

alternative energy production - renewable energy sources
+ sustainable
- expensive, land needed, some countries cannot afford it
carbon capture - compressed and stored underneath the earth as a liquid
+ co2 can be used as an energy source, used in industrial processes
- expensive, not tested
planting trees - carbon sinks, moisture = clouds
+ all natural, more oxygen
- expensive, land needed
international agreements - Paris agreement, kyoto protocol etc
+ binds world leaders to a goal
- people will not always follow it (shown by 1.5c rise breaching Paris agreement

Question 2

proof of climate change

Answer 2

temp records - surface air temp is increasing
rising sea levels - melting ice, thermal expansion
ice cores - higher concentration of co2
ice melt - thinning and melting glaciers, albedo effect
tree rings - wide rings = more growth = favourable conditions, narrow rings = less growth = bad conditions

Question 3

ways humans contribute to climate change

Answer 3

burning fossil fuels
agriculture
transportation
livestock rearing
landfills
deforestation
uneffective ways of using energy?

Question 4

consequences of rising sea levels/ice melt

Answer 4

habitat loss
submerges low-lying areas
lowered salinity - affects Atlantic conveyor belt
extreme weather onsets
change in precipitation - agriculture affects

ocean related:
warming oceans - bleached coral reefs, biodiversity loss
ocean acidification - biodiversity loss

Question 5

natural causes of climate change

Answer 5

sunspots - 11 year cycle, more sunspots = more heat
volcanic activity - ash blocks out sun, aerosols from sulphur dioxide reflect sunlight away (short term)
milankovitch cycle - wobbly tilty earth due to elliptical orbit, tilted earth, and direction of leaning (towards the sun)

Question 6

ways of adapting to climate change

Answer 6

1. ice stupa funnels water from a mountain stream to be frozen and then melted to be used in the spring
   + not expensive, does not require extensive equipment, using natural resources

Maldives:

construction of artificial islands up to 3m high so that the people most at risk can be relocated

+ safe relocation that could last long,
- could disrupt marine life, expensive

• restoration of coastal mangrove forests - their tangled roots trap sediment and offer protection from storm waves

+ natural coastal protection by absorbing wave energy and reducing erosion, enhances biodiversity and ecosystems eg fish habitats and water filtration
- significant time and resources needed for healthy ecosystems, development pressures and pollution may hinder restoration

• building houses that are raised over the ground on stilts

+ reduces risk of damage from storm surges and sea-level rise, allows communities to continue living in coastal areas
- significant upfront costs and engineering expertise needed, not suitable for all coastal communities

• construction of sea walls. A 3m high sea wall is being constructed around the capital Male, with sandbags being used elsewhere.

+ immediate and quick protection, reduces risk of flooding and property damage
- high maintenance costs, can disrupt natural coastal processes and habitats

• ultimately the whole population may have to be relocated to Sri Lanka or India as sea levels rise.

+ long term solution
- considerations related to migration, citizenship etc, not enough space

• building of artificial reefs. This is the natural way the islands create themselves although it takes many hundreds of years.

+enhances biodiversity and ecosystems, natural coastal protection
- artificial reefs must be properly designed to avoid negative impacts on existing marine ecosystems, may not provide immediate or sufficient protection compared to other methods such as sea walls

Agriculture:

drought resistant strains of crops
+ higher yield, more resistant, less water needed
- expensive, trade off of taste or nutritional quality for drought resistance
new irrigation systems - water efficiency
+ better efficiency & water management, conserves water
- expensive, maintenance, technical expertise
shade trees can be planted next to crops
+ reduces the chance of them losing water, increased soil moisture retention
- takes up space that could be used to grow crops, competition for nutrients

Question 7

consequences of climate change

Answer 7

• rising temperatures
• extreme weather events
  + wildfires
  + droughts
• air pollution
• health risks
• economic disaster
• heat stress upon livestock and crops

water:
- rising sea levels
+ habitat loss
+ increased flood risk
+ submerges low-lying areas
+ lowered ocean salinity
- ocean acidification
- warmer ocean leads to loss of ocean biodiversity
- coastal erosion leads to loss of land, infrastructure and habitats
- contaminated freshwater - saltwater intrusion
- decreased water availability
- increased risk of waterborne diseases due to inadequate sanitation and hygiene
- crop failures, increased crop prices due to lowered water availibility
- loss of biodiversity
- changing precipitation patterns