Environmental Science Chapter 7 Notes #2

Green House Effect The atmosphere acts like the glass in a greenhouse Sun streams in and heats the Earth The heat radiates back up, some escaping, the rest being trapped by gases in the troposphere, warming the air “Greenhouse” gases-those that trap energy –Water, carbon dioxide, CFC’s, methane, nitrous oxide)

Green House Effect

Amount of carbon dioxide in the air has been increasing –Doesn’t fall as low in the summer Growing plants use more CO 2 –Has been higher in the winters (plants die, releasing Carbon)

Green House Effect Increase is caused by the burning of plants –Rain forests –Most plants don’t naturally ever release all of their carbon except in fire They die, get buried, become fossil fuels

Global Warming Earth’s temperature will gradually increase because of the gases that we have added to the atmosphere –Weather patterns will change –Farming areas will shift northward, sea levels will rise covering coastal areas –To slow the change – less fossil fuels, more trees, etc.

Ozone Oxygen we breathe = O 2 Ozone = O 3 The ozone absorbs UV radiation, acts like natural sunscreen for the Earth Ozone Eaters –CFC’s (Chlorofluorocarbons) –At Earth’s surface = chemically stable –They break apart in the stratosphere –Chlorine destroys the ozone

Ozone

The Ozone Hole It has thinned by up to 98% at places near the South Pole More UV light gets to Earth To prevent it from getting worse – ban substances that destroy it

Ozone