psci 263 exam 1

Albedo

Ability of a surface to reflect light

Amplifying effects climate change

Ex: Increased water vapor in the atmosphere amplifies the warming caused by other greenhouse gases.

Arctic

the area around the North Pole

Biodiversity

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Chlorofluorocarbons

Man made chemicals. Potent greenhouse gases that also lead to depletion of the ozone layer.

Carbon dioxide

A colorless, odorless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration.

Collective action problems (non-excludable, non-rivalrous)

Problems that affect everyone and need everyone's collective help to solve.

Free riders

people who benefit from the group but give little in return

Greenhouse effect

Natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases

Holocene/Anthropocene

75% of modern extinctions have been since 1600 caused by human activity (habitat destruction, invasive species, etc.)

Ice Core Data

Data gathered by climate scientists to compare the composition of the atmosphere today to its composition in the past.

James Hansen

First to testify before Congress in 1988 using scientific data showing human impact on climate change

Keeling Curve

a graph made over the span of 50 years that shows the increase of carbon dioxide

Negative externality

the harm, cost, or inconvenience suffered by a third party because of actions by others

Nuclear winter

the expected freeze that would occur in the Earth's climate from the fallout of smoke and dust in the event nuclear weapons were used, blocking out sunlight and destroying the plant and animal life that survived the original blast

Ocean acidification

decreasing pH of ocean waters due to absorption of excess atmospheric CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels

Ozone layer/hole

A severe depletion of ozone in a region of the ozone layer, particularly over Antarctica and over the Arctic. The depletion is caused by the destruction of ozone by CFCs.

Permafrost and methane release

Ground which is normally totally frozen year-round. This frozen biomass stores large amounts of methane gas, which is released as the soil warms. The gas then rises into the atmosphere and contributes heavily to the greenhouse effect.

Realism

a school of thought that explains international relations in terms of power

Liberalism (International Relations)

Characterized by the receding significance of states and the growing relevance and desire for interstate cooperation, but also the growing visibility, legitimacy, and influence of non-state actors on the course of international relations.

Constructivism

IR theory that examines how changing international norms and actors' identities help shape the content of state interests.

Scientific consensus on climate change

An overwhelming majority of scientists agree climate change exists and is human-caused.

Sea ice

Younger = more gray/black (less reflective), Older = shinier + white (more reflective).

is frozen ocean water that forms, grows, and melts directly in the sea, unlike icebergs or glaciers (which form on land and then float into the ocean)

Greenwashing

exploiting a consumer by disingenuously marketing products or services as environmentally friendly, with the goal of gaining public approval and sales

Wallace-Wells Reading

"The Uninhabitable Earth" larger parts of the Earth will not be livable or profitable. You can still walk there but there will be nothing there.

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Fossil Fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.

Threat Multiplier

climate change intersects with other factors to contribute to security problems (floods, droughts, war, famine, crime, poverty, etc.)

Climate change & Conflict

Climate change exacerbates conflicts between states and power dynamics. (i.e looting, stealing, crime, war, etc.)

Paris Climate Agreement (2015)

A pledge by over 150 countries to significantly decrease their carbon emissions by 2030.

Montreal Protocol (1987)

An agreement on protection of the ozone layer in which states pledged to reduce and then eliminate use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol (2016)

Over 80% reduction of HFCs by 2047 (2016) This will avoid up to 0.5 increase in global temp

Environmental Protection Agency

an independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment

Feedback Loop

NA

Geoengineering

Manipulation of earths climate system to counteract the effects of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

Cracking and Packing

__ involves spreading out voters of a particular type among many districts in order to deny them a large voting bloc in any particular district.

__ is to concentrate as many voters of one type into a single electoral district to reduce their influence in other districts.

Callendar effect

the theory that global climate change can be brought about by enhancement of Earth's natural greenhouse effect by increased levels of atmospheric CO2 from anthropogenic sources, principally the burning of fossil fuels

Charles David Keeling

Scientist who recorded atmospheric carbon dioxide levels

normal distribution

A function that represents the distribution of variables as a symmetrical bell-shaped graph.

Public good

a shared good or service for which it would be impractical to make consumers pay individually and to exclude nonpayers

signal to noise ratio

it becomes harder to detect a signal as background noise increases

Target CO2 & 350 ppm

refers to the scientifically recommended safe concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.

Donald Trump

The 45th president of the United States, elected in 2016

Vicious cycles/circles

Self-reinforcing loop where an initial problem causes effects that make the original problem worse, creating a downward spiral.

Beef/cattle

Major methane emitters + cause of deforestation, high land/water use- climate-intensive compared to plant-based food