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Geography U1 Physical > The Impacts of Global Warming > Flashcards

The Impacts of Global Warming Flashcards

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1
Q

what evidence & statistics is there to suggest that global warming is having a direct impact on the arctic?

A
  • warming since 1950s at twice the rate as rest of world
  • greenland ice sheet already melting, at 16% faster rate, in Disco Bay
  • 50% arctic ice lost by 2100
  • 10% decline in snow cover since 70s
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2
Q

how is the melting ice affecting the climate of North West Europe?

A

melting ice = arctic ocean more saline & warm
weaken formation of Arctic Conveyor
no warm water brought up by north atlantic drift current

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3
Q

what are the 4 environmental impacts that global warming has on the arctic?

A
  1. vegetation shifts
  2. thawing of permafrost
  3. increasing fires & insects
  4. marine species
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4
Q

what is a positive & negative impact of global warming affecting vegetation shifting in the arctic?

A

Positive: benefits arctic agriculture, longer growing seasons
negative: destabilises existing food webs

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5
Q

how does global warming make vegetation shift in the arctic?

A

makes it move northwards into tundra

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6
Q

how much permafrost is expected to thaw in sibria due to global warming?

A

40% expected to thaw, warmed by 2degrees since 70s, shift 100km north

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7
Q

give one positive & negative impact on permafrost melting in the arctic due to global warming

A

Positive: create new wetlands = species
Neg: release methane

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8
Q

what are the two negative impacts global warming has on insects & fires in the arctic?

A
  • 80% increase in forest fires by 2100 = no carbon sinks from boreal forest in russia
  • spruce bark beetle = eat spruce trees
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9
Q

what 3 species are negatively impacted by global warming in the arctic?

A
  • polar bears & seals extinct

- geese different migration patterns

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10
Q

what are 2 negative soioeconomic impacts that global warming has on the arctic?

A
  1. inuit hunting culture lost & bad food security

2. arctic char freshwater fisheries decline

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11
Q

what are 4 positive socioeconomic impacts that global warming has on the arctic?

A
  1. arrival of cod & herring fish, more saline water
  2. more access of marine shipping, less glaciers
  3. enhanced agriculture & forests, less snow
  4. new land exposed used for oil & gas drilling = money
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12
Q

why is africa being affected by global warming unfair?

A

contribute least to global warming but suffer the most, predicted 5deg increase faster that rest of global increase

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13
Q

name the 6 main direct impacts that global warming has on africa

A
  1. water issues
  2. food insecurity
  3. natural resources
  4. health
  5. development of coastal zones
  6. desertification
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14
Q

how could global warming affect conflict over water in africa?

A
  • demand for water already outweighs supply for 25% of africans
  • river nile internationally shared, conflict & wars over water, people migrating away & famine
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15
Q

why is the impact from global warming on water resources predicted to be worse in the north & south of africa?

A

rainfall will increase due to inter tropical convergence zone in equatorial area, depriving north & south

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16
Q

how is food security going to be threatened as a result of global warming in africa?

A

water dries up = no crops/ eaten by locusts => 70% pop of subsistence famers starve

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17
Q

how will lack of natural resources due to global warming affect people in africa?

A
  1. no biodiversity
  2. poor who depend on wildlife starve
  3. kenya looses safari tourism income as ‘big five’ species die out
  4. 80% remedies rely on plants that will die
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18
Q

how is health in africa threatened by global warming?

A

more water bourne diseases, malaria & diarrhoea = more medical expenses
plant species that make 80% remedies extinct = more deaths

19
Q

how do developed coastal areas in africa make it more vulnerable to indirect impacts of global warming?

A
  • 60% africa live on coast
  • environmental refugees & shanty town cities Lagos & Freetown = unstable infrastructure
  • more vulnerable to sea level rise & flooding
20
Q

explain how global warming impacts desertification in africa

A
  • areas of no grassland, The Sahel
  • unfertile land, destroyed due to drought & marginal farming
  • drought caused by unreliable rainfall
21
Q

how much is sea level expected to rise by in 2100?

A

15 metres!

22
Q

which 4 things contribute to the predicted rise of sea level by 15m, by 2100?

A
  • largest to smallest*
    1. 7m rise: greenland ice sheet
    2. 5m: west antarctic ice sheet
    3. 2m: worlds glacier systems
    4. 1m: thermal expansion
23
Q

why is it difficult to predict eustatic sea-level rise in the future?

A
  • unknown how many GHG emitted
  • model might become sustainable from tipping point or follow present patterns
  • hard to predict impact of thermal expansion and glaciers melting
24
Q

even if we stabilised the amount of GHG emitted, why might this not reduce sea-level rise?

A
  • continued warming of deep oceans due to more sunlight let in through gaps in ozone
  • sea level may continue to rise in some places because of local land movements and isostatic change
25
Q

which 3 areas are most vulnerable to sea-level rise (with specific examples)?

A
  1. large river deltas (Nile/Mississippi)
  2. areas close to sea level & already defended (netherlands)
  3. low-lying islands (maldives/Philippines)
26
Q

geophysically, why is bangladesh vulnerable to sea-level rise?

A
  • coast is too long to defend
  • 70% of country only 6m above sea level = flooding
  • vulnerable to typhoons & storm surges
27
Q

what are humans doing in bangladesh to make them more vulnerable to sea-level rise?

A
  • destroying mangrove swamps
  • rapidly growing population
  • 65% of pop subsistence farmers
28
Q

how is sea level rise predicted to impact bangladesh in the future?

A
  • lose 20% of land = displace 40 million
  • lose agricultural land, food supplies and fresh water
  • 2025: local sea (isostatic) level rise by 1m
29
Q

how will sea level rise impact a HIC?

A

The Netherlands

  • 50% of land already reclaimed from sea
  • densely populated and developed
  • defended by dykes and coastal sand dunes
  • 1m rise in sea level would code $12,000 million to defend
30
Q

why are the pacific islands in general so vulnerable to sea level rise?

A
  • difficult to reach/flee, remote
  • hurricane prone
  • dense, rapid urbanisation on Fiji
  • limited resources, some of least developed countries in world
31
Q

how has/will sea-level rise impacted Tuvalu and the Maldives?

A
  • maldives only 2m above sea level and densely populated

- tuvalu 11,000 pop will have to leave by 2100, already many have evacuated to NZ

32
Q

give three pieces of evidence predicting how GHG emissions will worsen in the future

A
  1. before industrial revolution: 280ppm, in 2007: 440ppm
  2. proves ‘buisiness as usual’
  3. will reach 550ppm by 2035
  4. most emissions will come from developing countries, 75% contribution from China and India
33
Q

why is is difficult to predict future global warming?

A
  • don’t know economic development
  • don’t know how much international action will be taken
  • don’t know impact of positive feedback mechanisms
34
Q

what is the predicted impact of a new tipping point being reached on the world?

A
  • irreversible, abrupt changes that can’t be prepared for at regional scale
  • mass migration from Africa to Europe
  • large scale conflict over food and water
35
Q

give 3 examples of irreversible changes caused by a tipping point in climate change

A
  1. rising sea level
  2. stopped atlantic thermohaline circulation
  3. water shortages and agriculture yields
36
Q

give predicted statistics about impact of sea level rise

A
  • greenpeace, melting arctic ice caps = 10-25cm rise during 20th century
  • 21st century, coral bleaching and 1/3 of florida flooded
37
Q

what is the probability of the atlantic thermohaline circulation shutting down in the future after a new tipping point is reached?

A

50% chance it will stop in next 200yrs = 50% chance western Europe will be plunged into new ice age

38
Q

how many globally will suffer from water shortages after a new tipping point is reached?

A

2.8 billion :(

39
Q

what is some of the background information on the stern review?

A
  • 2006, first time economist joined environmental debate
  • argued probs of global warming could be stopped if GW stopped by 2025
  • would cost 1% of world GDP to do this
40
Q

What were some of the environmental impacts of global warming listed in the stern review?

A
  • 40% world species extinct
  • global flooding
  • climate belt shift in africa = bad crop yields
  • rising sea level = 200 million homeless
41
Q

what were the two main economic impacts of global warming highlighted in the stern review?

A
  • extreme weather = global GDP lowered by 1% (cost of damage)
  • 2-3deg increase = reduce economic output by 3% (crop yields bad)
42
Q

what were the 4 main options for change suggested by stern in the stern review?

A
  1. reduce consumer demand for heavily polluting goods
  2. global energy supply more efficient
  3. lower deforestation, balance carbon emissions/keep carbon sinks
  4. cleaner energy tech
43
Q

what 3 responses did the UK Government make to reduce the impacts suggested by the stern review?

A
  1. target: reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2020
  2. get laws to carbon reduction targets and monitoring of the targets
  3. create 100,000 new jobs in green tech

Geography U1 Physical (7 decks)

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