6.1 Climate Change Mrs. Page

Assessment Statements Describe the role of greenhouse gases in maintaining mean global temperature Describe how human activities add to greenhouse gases Discuss qualitatively the potential effects of increased mean global temperature Discuss the feedback mechanisms that would be associated with an increase in mean global temperature Describe and evaluate pollution management strategies to address the issue of global warming Outline the arguments surrounding global warming Evaluate contrasting human perceptions of the issue of global warming.

What are your views? Answer the following: –What is global warming/climate change? –What causes climate change? –What evidence is there to support that idea of climate change? –What are the effects of climate change? –Are there solutions? Is so what are they? –There is a lot of debate about climate change, do you think it is a serious threat? Defend your answer.

What views do others have? Discuss your answers to the previous questions with your table partners: –Do you have the same viewpoints? –What do you agree on? –What do you disagree on?

Looking at Data Use the Graphs Placed Around the Room to answer the questions on the worksheet provided

Earth’s Atmosphere Troposphere Contains 80% of atmosphere & 99% of its water vapor and aerosols Where weather occurs Tropospheric (bad) ozone forms here Stratosphere Ozone Layer is here in lower region (protects from UV rays) Mesosphere Meteors burn up here

Natural vs. Human Induced

expressed in watts per square meter(W/m 2 ).wattssquare meter

What are Greenhouse Gases & How Do Human Contribute? H 2 O, water vapor – amount varies by location CO 2, carbon dioxide – about 50% of all greenhouse gases CH 4, methane – about 16% N 2 O, nitrous oxide – about 6% CFC’s – about 20% All trap heat near Earth’s surface

Greenhouse Gases Sorting Activity Read the list of human activities Decide which of the greenhouse gases each activity contributes to. Cut and paste them into the appropriate box

Water Vapor - H 2 O (g) Most Abundant greenhouse gas Positive Feedback Loop Higher temps Increased evaporation More heat trapped More H 2 0 Vapor in atmosphere

Carbon Dioxide CO 2 Burning Fossil Fuels (coal, natural gas, petroleum) is the single largest greenhouse gas emission Deforestation is the second largest source – burned and decomposing trees release CO 2 to atmosphere Producing lime to make cement

Methane CH 4 Domesticated Animals Human Sewage Domesticated Animals Rice Cultivation (paddy farming) – in flooded fields the bacteria and decomposition releases CH 4 Solid domestic waste – anaerobic

Nitrous Oxide N 2 O Natural process in the nitrogen cycle Enhanced by using nitrogen containing Fertilizers Can last up to 100 years in the atmosphere Also produced in industrial processes where fossil fuels are burned at very high temperatures

CFC’s and Halocarbons Problems –Deplete the stratospheric ozone –Remain in atmosphere for long periods of time and act as greenhouse gas –Absorb 10,000 x more heat than CO2 –Banned in 1987 Montreal Protocol Sources –Aerosol Sprays –Plastic foams –Coolants (AC & Fridge) –Fire Extinguishers –Cleaning Solvents

Effects of Climate Change - Biodiversity Nest temperature determines sex of green turtles. An increase in droughts causes an increase in peat fires (this year). This increasingly fragments the natural range of orangutans. Frogs rely on water to breed. Adults can die if they dry out.

Effects of Climate Change - Biodiversity The amur leopard’s habitat has increased by 1.5 o C in the last century. Their prey are likely to relocate if this continues. Thawing snow increases areas available to grow crops, but reduces the range of snow leopards. Northern right whales feed on plankton. Less plankton is found in warmer waters.

Effects of Climate Change - Biodiversity

Effects of Climate Change & Human Health With an increase in global temperatures pathogens and their vectors are more likely to survive –Diseases such as lyme disease (carried by ticks), malaria, yellow fever, and dengue may become more prevalent in new regions

Effects of Climate Change – Sea Level Rising As polar ice caps melt sea levels around the world are rising Coastal regions are in danger of flooding As Earth warms sea levels also rise due to expansion of water

Effects of Climate Change – Sea Level Rising

Effects of Climate Change – Loss of Habitat Pastoruri Glacier in the Andes McCarty Glacier in Alaska

earth/aboutcc/problems/impacts/ species/polar_bears/

Impacts of Climate Change nment/global-warming/gw-impacts-interactive/

Solutions Reduce Greenhouse Gases by: –Reduce use of fossil fuels – renewable energy sources (wind, solar, geothermal) –Reforestation –Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – less SDW –Legislation Carbon tax Carpool lanes Mass Transit Emissions standards

Kyoto Protocol nations signed – commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions And Now Dec rope/obama-climate-conference-cop21.htmlhttp:// rope/obama-climate-conference-cop21.html

What is the Greenhouse Effect? Watch this animation use-effect use-effect Effects of Ocean Acidification NASA – All about Climate Change