climate change

climate change

Why is the greenhouse effect important - what would be true if there was no greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is important because it keeps Earth warm enough for living things. Without it, the planet would be too cold for life.

What do greenhouse gases do?

Greenhouse gases absorb and trap heat energy in our atmosphere, warming the Earth.

Which greenhouse gas is responsible for most of the enhanced (human caused) greenhouse effect?

Carbon dioxide, as it is by far the most common greenhouse gas, and it also lasts in the atmosphere for a long time compared to other greenhouse gases.

Why do some greenhouse gases have higher Global Warming Potentials?

They are better at trapping heat than other greenhouse gases, and have more potential to warm the Earth.

What absorbs more energy from the Sun - light or dark colors? What reflects more energy from the Sun - light or dark colors?

Dark colors absorb more energy from the sun, while light colors reflect more energy.

If the amount of ice on Earth were to increase, what would happen to the amount of reflected energy from the Sun? What would this cause to happen to the temperature of Earth?

More sunlight would be reflected away (higher albedo), so the Earth would cool down because less energy is absorbed and turned into heat.

What does the Keeling Curve show over the last 65 years or so?

A steady increase in carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere.

What is the primary cause of the recent increase in atmospheric CO₂ (carbon dioxide) levels on Earth?

The burning of fossil fuels by humans.

How do human activities mainly contribute to climate change?

Human activities mainly contribute to climate change by increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

What does the carbon cycle show?

The carbon cycle shows how carbon moves between parts of the Earth, like from the air to plants or from the ocean to the air.

Carbon sinks absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Essentially, they are places where carbon dioxide is taken up and stored instead of being released back into the atmosphere. What are two major carbon sinks that we discussed in class?

Oceans take in carbon dioxide from the air, and plants absorb it during photosynthesis. These are important ways carbon is removed from the atmosphere, called carbon sinks.

What is a carbon footprint?

A measure of the total greenhouse gas emissions by a person or household.

What are the two major contributing factors to sea level rise as a result of global warming?

Sea levels rise because warm water expands and ice from land melts into the ocean. Melting sea ice doesn’t raise sea levels because it already floats and takes up the same space.

What is the primary concern with rising sea levels?

Increasing flooding risks of coastal communities.

What are some of the indicators of climate change that we have looked at in class?

Rising global temperatures; Increased sea levels; Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric CO₂.

Below is an image showing steps of the greenhouse effect. Identify what is happening at each step.

1. Some sunlight bounces off clouds, ice, and shiny surfaces back into space.

2. Some sunlight passes through the atmosphere.

3. The Earth’s surface (like plants and soil) absorbs the sunlight.

4. The surface gives off the energy as heat, and some of it escapes into space.

5. Greenhouse gases trap some of the heat in the atmosphere, warming the Earth.

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What has changed in the last one hundred plus years in the image of the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is stronger because people are putting more gases into the air by burning coal and gas. This keeps more heat around the Earth and less heat goes into space.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) does not have the highest Global Warming Potential of the greenhouse gases, but what makes it the greenhouse gas that we tend to worry about the most?

There is more carbon dioxide in the air than other greenhouse gases, and it stays in the atmosphere longer than the others.

When looking for strategies to reduce climate change, what are we primarily looking for?

We are primarily looking for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to reduce climate change.