Climate Change & Problems

What is the Greenhouse Effect? The Process by which atmosphere gases absorb heat energy from the sun and prevent heat it from leaving our atmosphere. In other words, greenhouse gases trap heat energy and keep it close to earth. 3 Main Greenhouse Gases: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Methane Water Vapor What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Greenhouse Effect

How it works?

Is it Good or Bad? Good Bad Necessary for life Keeps our climate toasty warm and prevents it from fluctuating too much. Bad When there are too many greenhouse gasses and the climate gets warmer Is it Good or Bad? Example: Venus

A change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards, attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels What is Climate Change?

Is Climate Change Actually Occurring?

What Causes an Increase in Greenhouse Gases? Carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) for transportation, factories and electricity Volcanoes, fires and respiration (breathing) also add CO2 to the atmosphere Methane is produced when garbage is buried in landfills, from animal waste and from other natural sources What Causes an Increase in Greenhouse Gases? A cow weighing (1,210lb) 550 kg is thought to produce 800 to 1,000 liters of emissions each day.

Problems that Arise from Climate Change Sea Level Rise Glacial Melting Arctic Sea Ice Melt Weather changes/ Storm intensity Species Migration Animal Extinction Water Scarcity Agricultural Impacts Drought Snow Loss Ocean Acidity Coral Reefs Loss Problems that Arise from Climate Change

Over the past century, Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) has risen by 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters). The annual rate of rise over the past 20 years has been 0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters) a year Roughly twice the average speed of the preceding 80 years Consequences Destructive erosion, wetland flooding, aquifer and agricultural soil contamination, and lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants Sea Level Rise

Global compilations indicate that the wastage of mountain glaciers during the last century has raised sea level by between 0.2 to 0.4 mm/yr, or roughly 20% of the observed change Examples Since 1850, the glaciers of the European Alps have lost about 30 to 40% of their surface area and about half of their volume Similarly, glaciers in the New Zealand Southern Alps have lost 25% of their area over the last 100 years Glacial Melting

2017 saw a new record low for the maximum sea ice extent Consequences Many animals — including the polar bear — depend on the ice to survive. They hunt seals on the frozen ice, and have few food sources on land. Less ice also encourages increased economic activity, which then leads to further environmental disruption. Arctic Sea Ice Melt

Outcomes of an increase in global temperatures include… Increased risk of drought and increased intensity of storms, Tropical cyclones with higher wind speeds, A wetter Asian monsoon, More intense mid-latitude storms Storm Intensity

A tally of more than 4,000 species from around the world shows that roughly half are on the move. The ones on land are moving an average of more than 10 miles per decade, while marine species are moving four times faster. Ex. Malaria now appears higher up mountain slopes in Colombia and Ethiopia, as rising thermostats make way for mosquitoes at higher elevations Species Migration

Compiled results suggest that extinction risks will accelerate with future global temperatures, threatening up to one in six species under current policies Example Golden toad of Central America, is among the very small number of species whose recent extinction has been attributed to climate change. Last seen in 1989, the golden frog lived in mountaintop cloud forests that have disappeared due to drought and other climatic changes. Animal Extinction

Despite global increases in rainfall, many dry regions will suffer badly from reduced rainfall and increased evaporation. Estimations predict that around one billion people in dry regions may face increasing water scarcity Water Scarcity

Some laboratory experiments suggest that elevated CO2 levels can increase plant growth. However, other factors, such as changing temperatures, ozone, and water and nutrient constraints, may counteract these potential increases in yield. Agriculture Impacts

Climate change increases the odds of worsening drought in many parts of the United States and the world in the decades ahead Threats Posed by Drought Agriculture Transportation Wildfires Energy Drought

Between 1966 and 2010, the amount of land and sea ice that is snow-covered each year. Climate warming can reduce snowfall, and cause earlier spring melts and shorter snow cover seasons. For instance, warmer air in Alaska has caused the snow to melt earlier each spring, lengthening the snow-free summer season. Warm periods of spring-like weather during winter may also cause rainfall instead of snowfall Ex. Bolivia's only ski resort, located on Chacaltaya Glacier, closed in 2009 after the glacier retreated for two decades, then disappeared altogether Snow Loss

When carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean, it dissolves to form carbonic acid. The result, not surprisingly, is that the ocean becomes more acidic, upsetting the delicate pH balance Since the Industrial Revolution, our seas have become about 30 percent more acidic, a rate not observed in 300 million years Ocean Acidity

Thermal stress contributes to coral bleaching and infectious disease Increases in sedimentation can lead to the smothering of coral Stronger and more frequent storms can cause the destruction of coral reefs Increased runoff of freshwater, sediment, and land-based pollutants contribute to algal blooms and cause murky water conditions that reduce light Coral Reef Loss