Human Impact

Climate Change vs Global Warming Sometimes referred to as “Global warming” What is the difference? Global warming: to the overall gradual temperature change of the planet caused by a variety of issues. CO2 CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) Solar activity Ice coverage Land Vegetation Volcanic action Other pollutants Climate Change: a change in climate patterns Shift in the frequency and intensity of weather patterns

How do we know?

“Controversy” Only really exists among politicians….world- wide the scientific community agrees that the global average temperatures are rising, and most likely due to Human Impact. Some people claim: Global climate has changed before (been warmer before) It is a conspiracy/Hoax It’s Solar flares, not human impact raising temp Planet is cooling! Look at all the crazy snow storms!

Geological History of temp “Earth has had a hotter temp before!” True! It has! Multiple times! The concern here is the continual exponential increase at a faster rate than we’ve seen 600-800mya (Neoproterozoic era) no humans, so how did the temp rise? volcanos and weathering released CO2 raised the temp (perhaps around 90F) 55-56 –no ice caps! Artic Circle had palm trees! (global avg around 73F) combination of factors like thawing permafrost, methane from sediments, wildfires, volcanoes, drying oceans

So what’s the big deal then?? Two things to keep in mind 1) it’s the continual rapid rate that is so concerning…remember learning about mass extinctions?...this is how you get mass extinctions… 2) Each species has it’s own “range of tolerance” that has evolved with the ECOSYSTEM…things like temp, acidity, nutrients…Change the environment too rapidly means that species can’t adapt and go extinct. Knock too many species out (or a keystone species) and the whole system will collapse When rapid spikes of CO2 occurred in the past they were followed by mass extinctions….that’s not good if we want to survive…Earth isn’t going anywhere…

Also… The solar radiation data for the last 2 decades has decreased, while the temperature continues to increase Volcanic:

CO2… Is only 1 of many greenhouse gasses….so why do you only hear about CO2? Sticks in the atmosphere for a long time…. Water vapor  10 days Methane converts into CO2 within about 10 years Nitrogen 100 years CO2 40% remains for 100 years, 20% for 1000 years, and 10 will take around 10,000 years! …so yeah it will have a lasting impact There is more of it today than in the past 800,000 years Rose 40% between 1750 and 2011 Also….Isotopes of CO2 are different for fossil fuels & have increased since Industrial Revolution

CO2 Sources Permafrost (CH4) Volcanoes Ocean Fossil fuels Deforestations Agriculture practices

CO2 Sinks Places that absorb CO2 Oceans  Plants  Oceans Plants Soil saturating Plants  Deforestation/ch anging acidity in oceans

“It’s the sun, not humans!” Sun goes through 11 year cycle… Of COURSE increased radiation will increase the temp!!! The radiation, while correlating with the temp data, does not explain the continual increase in averages (lows are higher than the previous lows, last 2 decades….)

Plus much, much more…. I can’t possibly hope to address every concern people bring up over Climate change….just remember that the data is not ONE gov’t, or ONE type…but MANY individuals and types!

Oceans! Helps counteract uneven distribution of solar radiation (transport warm water and precipitation to the poles and back again) Drive weather patterns! Temp as sun reaches the ocean, some is reflected, some absorbed. Remember that H2O has a high Specific heat unequal heating leads to ocean currents. transports precipitation and Salinity also helps set up differing densities which add to the flow of currents in the ocean. Also affects the wilflife found within….like phytoplankton (roughly ½ the Oxygen produced is by these little guys) pH  affects the wildlife in the ocean (like phytoplankton)….

Soooo…. Changing ocean’s temp/salinity will effect WEATHER patterns. (as the wind from the ocean changes with the current…the distribution and mixing of the unequal heating on the Earth & transfer of moisture will result in… Frequency & Intensity of storms Heat waves Drought Torrential downpours/floods Winter storm frequency & intensity

It’s a conspiracy! ….for multiple nations? Different governments? Who benefits? It is evidence-based, logic thinking, based off of trends that we see and can quantify… Please take a look at the FACTS, from MULTIPLE reliable sources and make your decision…

Food for thought Even if you are a ”denier” Clean energy leads to job production here in the US Fossil fuel WILL eventually run out…better be prepared before (takes millions of years to create, and we are consuming it at an ever-increasing rate) Less pollution =less respiratory irritants (not to mention toxins) = less respiratory issues like asthma Reduce our conflict/”interest” w/Middle East countries