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NO they mean the same thing. The two terms refer to the same issue.

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Presentation on theme: "NO they mean the same thing. The two terms refer to the same issue."— Presentation transcript:

1 Is there a difference between GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE and GLOBAL WARMING?
NO they mean the same thing. The two terms refer to the same issue. The average global temperature is on the rise!

2 Weather Vs. Climate Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get – Mark Twain Today ……WEATHER is the temperature, wind, pressure, precipitation at a given time in a given place. Over many years. . . CLIMATE refers to the average weather conditions in a certain place

3 Weather Climate Climate in Rhode Island has a moist continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Its weather is tempered by sea winds, particularly in the Seaboard Lowland, which has a more moderate climate than the rest of New England. The average annual temperature is about 50o F (10o C) in various parts of the state.

4 Why is the Earth the temperature it is?
The greenhouse effect: greenhouse gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane trap heat in the atmosphere keeping the Earth warm. video 1:55

5 Infrared radiation (heat)
The Greenhouse Effect Heat escaping to space Solar Radiation Carbon Dioxide Infrared radiation (heat) Heat bouncing off greenhouse gas The Earth’s atmosphere is all around us. It is the air that we breathe. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere behave much like the glass panes in a greenhouse. Sunlight enters the Earth's atmosphere, passing through the blanket of greenhouse gases. As it reaches the Earth's surface, land, water, and biosphere absorb the sunlight’s energy. Once absorbed, this energy is sent back into the atmosphere. Some of the energy passes back into space, but much of it remains trapped in the atmosphere by the greenhouse gases, causing our world to heat up. On the diagram add the following labels: Solar rays Infrared rays Carbon dioxide Heat escaping to space Heat bouncing off greenhouse gas to keep Earth warm. 5

6 2 ways human activity is adding CO2 to the atmosphere
Deforestation (killing trees faster then they can re-grow) Cutting down trees prevents them from taking CO2 out of the air Burning trees releases CO2 stored in the tree into the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) This removes stored carbon underground and releases it as gas Deforestation map: Burning forest pic:

7 DEFORESTATION: The importance of plants
Plants remove CO2 from the air in photosynthesis and store it as they grow When plants and animals die some of the carbon will become fossil fuels under the surface of the earth

8 What will an increase in global temperature averages do
What will an increase in global temperature averages do? MORE EXTREME WATER CYCLE Areas away from the coast will have decreased precipitation soils dry out, Drought Less water in lakes and rivers Coastal areas will have increased precipitation (rain, snow) More runoff Increase in flooding, Flooding pic: Drought pic:

9 Drier conditions in the Central US
Who cares if it gets drier in the central US?

10 Farming Where is there more farming?
A. Exeter, Rhode Island (home of Schartner Farms) B. Colby Kansas See the Satellite Images of each:

11 A More Extreme Water Cycle will effect
Plants Animals Humans

12 What will the increase in temperature cause?
Increased drought in some places This could affect food supply Increased flooding in some places The highest human populations are along the coast. Populations of plants and animals may not be able to survive a change in their habitat they may become extinct. This may affect other organisms in the food web. Entire ecosystems could change.

13 Effecting the Oceans Ocean water is becoming more acidic.
Changing Climate Means Changing Oceans Science Friday Jan 2011 Ocean water is becoming more acidic. you tube ocean acidification NBC 3:21 A change of pH causes shelled organisms to be less able to produce shell, this will change food webs. chemistry of ocean acidication 3 minutes ocean circulation patterns changing fisheries, corals, plankton, shellfish changing. Sea level is rising because 1) polar ice and glaciers are melting, and 2) the water itself is expanding as it warms up.

14 What can you do to reduce greenhouse gases?
Use less coal, oil, and natural gas for energy. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Turn off your computer and other electronic devices when you're not using them. Drive less. Instead, walk, ride your bike, or use public transportation if you can. Use less water. Create less waste. Recycle used paper, cans, bottles, and other materials.

15 The temperature on Earth has changed many times throughout it’s history what’s the big deal?
The temperature is changing fast Human activity is causing the change. Scientists can compare the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today with the amount of carbon dioxide trapped in ancient ice cores, which show that the atmosphere had less carbon dioxide in the past. Source: EPA's Climate Change Indicators (2010).

16 One way is analyzing ICE CORES!
How do scientists know what the level of Carbon dioxide was in the distant past? One way is analyzing ICE CORES! Video about ice cores. 2:31 ice core scientists shows how to drill ice 2:21

17 Ancient ice contains climate information
Figure 6.7. A Greenland ice core Bubbles in ice recovered by drilling from deep within the Greenland Ice Sheet These bubbles are samples of past atmospheres. Ancient ice contains climate information Bubbles trap the atmosphere when that layer of ice was formed Thickness of the layers can be seen indicating each year of ice formation. E.A. Mathez, 2009, Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy Future, Columbia University Press. Source: NOAA

18 Figure 8.3. The shrinking extent of old, thick sea ice in the Arctic, September 1988-September 2005 The area of old, thick ice has been rapidly shrinking as the result of prolonged melting and flow of ice out of the Arctic through the Fram Strait. OW = open water. The pale green line encloses the region of 90% ice concentration. Ice free Arctic in summer soon?

19 Scientists had been observing the Larsen B for several years, assuming
that it would eventually retreat. But they were stunned to see the ice shelf disintegrate in a mere 35 days. Between January 31 and March 7, 2002, the ice shelf lost 3,250 square kilometers (about 1,255 square miles) 􀂲 an area somewhat larger than Rhode Island 􀂲 sending a plume of icebergs into the Weddell Sea.

20 Figure 10.1. The fuels used to produce all energy worldwide, 2005
Total global consumption of fuels in 2005 amounted to 488 exajoules (1018 joules), 87% of which was generated by fossil fuels. E.A. Mathez, 2009, Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy Future, Columbia University Press. Data from Energy Information Agency, DOE 105 Chapter 10. Trains loaded with coal departing from the Rawhide coal mine near Gillete, Wyoming Climate is linked to energy production because how the climate change will depend primarily on how the rate of CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels changes. The main challenge for the 21st century is 􀁋􀁒􀁚􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃􀁐􀁈􀁈􀁗􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁚􀁒􀁕􀁏􀁇􀂶􀁖􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁖􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁄􀁅􀁏􀁈􀀃 appetite for electricity without bringing on catastrophic climate change. Keys to the generation of clean electricity are efficient burning of coal and natural gas in combination with CO2 capture and sequestration, nuclear power, and solar and wind power. The Rawhide and other coal mines in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming provide about 20% of

21 Figure 10.8. Renewable sources of power as proportions of total U.S.
electric net summer capacity, 2006 The number in () are gigawatts of electrical capacity with corresponding percentages of total capacity. Biomass includes wood and derived fuels, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, and agricultural by-products.

22 Figure Wind farm The Maple Ridge Wind Farm, on the Tug Hill Plateau in NY. E.A. Mathez, 2009, Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy Future, Columbia University Press. Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, DOE

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