NEW SS: Section 3 Flashcards
What 2 words does Anthropocene come from?
anthropos and kainos
The words anthropos and kainos are which language?
Greek
What does anthropos mean?
human
What does kainos mean?
new
What artificial element can be found in sediment core samples due to nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s?
Plutonium-239i
Where can Plutonium-239i now be found?
in sediment core samples
How did Plutonium-239i get into sediment?
because of nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s
Anthropocene is often used when talking about what?
climate change and global warming
Who were the first to use Anthropocene?
Paul J. Crutzen and Eugene F. Stoermer
When did Crutzen and Stoermer first use Anthropocene?
2000 CE
When Crutzen and Stoermer first coined Anthropocene, when did they think it started?
the late 1700s, aka the start of the Industrial Revolution
The late 1700s corresponded with what becoming popular?
the steam engine
When was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution?
the late 1700s
What does SQS stand for?
Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy
What does ICS stand for?
International Commission on Stratigraphy
The AWG acts under the guidance of which 2 organizations?
the SQS and ICS
What organization voted in favor of using 1950 as the mark date of the Anthropocene?
the AWG
The date 1950 corresponds with what?
the Great Acceleration
What is the Great Acceleration?
A time when developments began to be used more often, and CO2 emissions started rising heavily
What characterizes the Anthropocene?
Changes in climate caused by humans
What does IPCC stand for?
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
What does the IPCC define the Anthropocene as?
“a proposed new geological epoch resulting from significant human-driven changes to the structure and function of the Earth System.”
What is an interglacial period?
A warm time period in between 2 cold times or ice ages
Is the Holocene an interglacial period?
Yes
What climatic conditions were predicted for the epoch after the Holocene?
cold climate conditions
When did the Industrial Revolution really take off?
the 1800s
Who wrote “A Christmas Carol”?
Charles Dickens
Who wrote “Oliver Twist”?
Charles Dickens
Where is Charles Dickens from?
Britain
What image of the Industrial Revolution has Charles Dickens popularized in his writing?
An image of large, fiery factories fueled by coal, with lines of workers standing in front of machines
What books written by Charles Dickens help give an image of how we imagine the Industrial Revolution?
“Oliver Twist” and “A Christmas Carol”
The fact that the term Industrial Revolution was used in the 1800s shows what?
that the people living at the time recognized the dramatic societal changes that were occurring
Emissions of the industrial world have not been stable since when?
1800
Who named 1950 the Great Acceleration?
J. R. McNeill
What was the human population in 1780, around the start of the Industrial Revolution?
under 1 billion people
How did the human population change from 1780, around the start of the Industrial Revolution, to 1930?
it had more than doubled, from under 1 billion to 2 billion
What was the human population in 1930?
2 billion
How has the human population changed from 1930 to present day?
It has quadrupled, from 2 billion to 8 billion
What is the current human population?
8 billion
When there’s more carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, what happens to Earth’s climate?
it warms
What part of the atmosphere is increasing in temperature?
the troposphere
What layer of the atmosphere is where all our weather happens?
the troposphere
What part of the atmosphere is decreasing in temperature?
all the layers above the troposphere, the stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere
Who argued as early as the 1850s that CO2 and water vapor could raise Earth’s temperature?
Eunice Newton Foote
What did Eunice Newton Foote say as early as the mid-19th century about CO2 and water vapor?
they could interact with solar rays to raise Earth’s temperature
In 2022, who were the top 10 largest oil producers in the world? (highest to lowest)
US, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, China, Iraq, UAE, Brazil, Iran, Kuwait
How many barrels of oil did the world produce in 2022 per day? (million)
99.89 million barrels
How much oil per day did the top 10 producers produce in 2022? (million)
73.36 million barrels
What are the fossil fuels?
coal, oil, and natural gas
Why are fossil fuels called this?
because they come from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals, or fossils
Once GHGs get into the air, they act like a __________, making the Earth warmer.
blanket
How is geography an important factor in the extraction of fossil fuels and their burning?
Fossil fuels can only be extracted where they are found, and countries with wealth and political power burn them more
Who was the top producer of oil in the early 2020s?
the US
Who was the top consumer of oil in the early 2020s?
the US
In 2021, who were the top 10 largest oil producers in the world? (highest to lowest)
US, China, India, Russia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, South Korea, Canada, and Germany
How much oil per day did the top 10 producers produce in 2021? (million)
59.8 million barrels
How much oil per day did the world produce in 2021? (million)
96.66 million
When was oil discovered in the Middle East?
shortly before WW1
What city in Iraq was focused heavily on for oil extraction due to a discovery in 1927?
Kirkuk
What country is Kirkuk in?
Iraq
When was oil discovered in Kirkuk?
1927
What is black gold?
another term for oil
What does the term black gold emphasize?
the high value and richness of oil
What makes up the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions?
the burning of fossil fuels
Burning fossil fuels makeup how much of global greenhouse gas emissions?
75%
Burning fossil fuels make up how much of CO2 emissions?
90%
What 2 gases combined accounted for less than 20% of GHG emissions in the US?
methane and nitrous oxide
What percent of GHG emissions are from fossil fuel combustion in the US?
72.6%
What percent of GHG emissions are from CO2 that isn’t fossil fuel combustion in the US?
6.2%
What percent of GHG emissions are from methane in the US?
10.9%
What percent of GHG emissions are from nitrous oxide in the US?
7.1%
What percent of GHG emissions are from high-GWP gases in the US?
3.2%
What 2 countries have the highest GDP?
the US and China
Using GDP as a marker of wealth, where is global wealth concentrated?
Western countries
How have the US and EU changed their emissions?
they have cut their emissions
What 2 large countries increased their emissions?
India and China
Who is the world’s leading emitter?
China
What place is India for the highest emissions?
4th
India is behind which 2 countries for the highest emissions?
the US and EU
Why is forcing certain nations, like China and India, to decrease the use of fossil fuels and emissions considered unfair?
Because many Western countries got to use them to build their economy, and now other countries have this opportunity, they’re being stopped
How much does China emit per capita? (tonnes)
8.1 tonnes per person
How much does the US emit per capita? (tonnes)
15.5 tonnes per person
How much does the EU emit per capita? (tonnes)
6.5 tonnes per person
How much does India emit per capita? (tonnes)
1.9 tonnes per person
How much does Russia emit per capita? (tonnes)
12.5 tonnes per person
How many tonnes is 1 megatonne?
1,000,000 tonnes
Per person, China emits almost ______ as much CO2 as the US.
half
Per person, India emits almost ______ as much CO2 as the US.
1/7th
What are most of China’s emissions linked toward?
its exports, mainly to the US and EU
China has produced about ______ of the cumulative CO2 emissions of Western nations since 1750.
1/4th
Are the effects one-way, affecting mainly nature?
No, it is double-sided, with nature affecting us back
What is another term for climate change?
global warming
What are the 3 components of the triple planetary crisis?
climate change, air pollution, and biodiversity loss
In 2023, Iran reached a heat index of how much?
158º Fahrenheit
What country reached a heat index of 158º Fahrenheit in 2023?
Iran
When did Iran reach a heat index of 158º Fahrenheit?
summer of 2023
What did the heat index of 158º Fahrenheit in Iran do?
It tested the limits of human resilience
What are the 3 most notable areas that are most impactful for human societies?
fires, floods, and droughts
Where have abnormally large, severe fires ravaged in the past few years?
Greece, Australia, Canada, California, and Hawaii
How does global warming contribute to the worsening of fires?
Warmer temperatures amplify dry and windy conditions, which help fuel and spread fires
How does building housing communities deeper into forests affect these new developments?
It causes them to become more vulnerable to forest fires, making the devastation worse
How does global warming affect floods?
It makes the factors that cause floods worse, for example melting glaciers and rising sea levels
What does NOAA stand for?
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
What areas of the world are most threatened by floods?
coastal communities, especially the ones that are densely populated
How much more frequent is high tide flooding now compared to 50 years ago?
300% to 900% more frequent than 50 years ago
What are the main 2 options people in coastal areas face regarding what to do in response to high tide flooding?
they can either build up safeguards to protect their community or retreat to new locations away from the coast
When did Hurricane Ian strike Florida?
2022
How many fatalities did Hurricane Ian cause in Florida?
156 people
How much money in damages did Hurricane Ian cause in Florida?
$112 billion
How does global warming increase droughts?
When there is water in a region, higher temperatures cause the water to evaporate. If temperatures are too high, water may not condense and stay as water vapor, leading to less rainfall and droughts.
What part of the US is experiencing the worst droughts right now?
the western US
In 2022, a megadrought in the western US was the worst in how many years?
1,200 years
What part of Africa is 100x more likely to experience droughts?
the Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is how much more likely to have droughts?
100 times more likely
What part of Europe is more likely to experience heat as a result of climate change?
the Western Mediterranean
What are the 5 important insights related to health associated with climate change made by the UN in 2017??
- Certain groups are more susceptible to climate-sensitive health impacts
- Many infectious diseases are highly sensitive to climatic conditions
- Climate change increases seasons when diseases are worse and increases the geographical range of them
- Climate change will bring new and emerging health issues, for example heat deaths
- Malnutrition is influenced by floods and droughts
How has climate change in the US affected insurance?
Many companies have stopped insuring property in areas within the US that are susceptible to climate change
How does climate change impact finances?
Climate change results in increased strength and amount of natural disasters, resulting in the destruction of property and land, which costs money
How many people have to move each year due to extreme weather events?
30 million
What are the 3 main responses to climate change?
people either want to take action, maintain the status quo and resist change, or do nothing and ignore it altogether
