Climate Change 2009

Climate Change vs. Global Warming Global Warming Long-term rise in Earth’s temperature (a few degrees) Increase in greenhouse effect Anthropogenic= caused by people & their activities Climate Change Overall change due to GW Melting ice caps, glaciers Tundra thawing Sea level rise Biomes changing

Sea changes /low-lying-maldives-face-uncertain- future /low-lying-maldives-face-uncertain- future

Greenhouse Gases H 2 0 Water vapor CO 2 Carbon dioxide CH 4 Methane N 2 O Nitrous oxide O 3 Ozone CFC’s Chlorofluorocarbons (man-made) Without them, Earth’s temperature would be an average of 59 degrees F colder

Anthropogenic Increases CO 2 Burning fossil fuels Deforestation CFC’s Refrigerants Propellants CH4 Livestock and manure Landfill emissions Paddy rice farming N2O Fertilizer use

GHG Emissions by Country

Regulations of GHG Kyoto Protocol International environmental treaty Dec 11, 1997 in Kyoto, Japan Goal: Achieving “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”

Kyoto Protocol signed=green, undecided=gray, not signed=red

UN Climate Change Conference Occurring 12/7-12/18, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark Essentials for an international agreement: 1. How much are industrialized countries willing to reduce GHG emissions? 2. How much are major developing countries like China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their GHG emissions? 3. How is the help for developing countries going to be financed? 4. How will that money be managed?

/historic-climate-conference-opens- to-dire-warnings /historic-climate-conference-opens- to-dire-warnings

Article- EPA and GHG’s 1. What announcement did the EPA make? 2. What pollutants will this now allow the EPA to regulate under the Clean Air Act? 3. How is the Clean Air Act different from Cap- and-Trade bill before Congress? 4. How will this affect the auto industry? 5. Why did the EPA need to make this announcement to regulate GHG’s?