Climate Disruption and Ozone Depletion- Chapter 19

What are Greenhouse gases?

Gases in the earth’s atmosphere (Carbon Dioxide, Chlorofluorocarbons, ozone, methane, and nitrous oxide) that causes the greenhouse effect

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

the trapping and buildup of heat in the atmosphere

What is Chlorofluorocarbons?

CFC’S or Freons, it is from air conditioners, refrigerants, plastic foams, aerosol spray can propellants

How does the greenhouse effect work? 

Earth’s surface warms up from the sunlight and some of the heat flows back towards space but it is absorbed by the greenhouse gases and reradiated back toward the earth’s surface 

How has the natural greenhouse effect been beneficial?

it made earth warm enough for life to exist

But due to man adding carbon dioxide and other gases it allowed for more heat to be trapped

Since when has man added large quantities of carbon dioxide + other greenhouse gases? 

the industrial revolution (275 years ago) 

Where does the major source of carbon dioxide come from?

From burning fossil fuels (75%) and the rest from burning wood

Does deforestation increase or decrease carbon dioxide levels? 

Increases due to the fact that plants take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis 

How much has global levels of carbon dioxide increased from 1860 and 1958?

25% with a sharp rise since 1958

Who were the largest CO2 emitters in 2009

China

United States

European Union

Indonesia

Russia

Japan

India

Where does methane come from?

termites, livestock, and leaks from human gas pipes 

Where does nitrous oxide come from?

fertilizers and livestock wastes

How have global temperatures risen averagely since 1860?

0.9°F

What would happen if greenhouse gases continue to raise at the current rate?

Earth’s average temperature will rise 1.8 to 6.3°F over the next 100 years

What are the benefits of a warmer world?

Lower heating costs

Less severe winters

More precipitation in some dry areas

Less precipitation in some wet areas

Longer growing seasons and therefore increased food production in some areas

Expanded population and range for some plant and animal species adapted to

higher temperatures

What are the negative effects of a warmer world?

Higher air conditioning costs, more insects breeding, excess use of water (by plants and people) 

Increases in temperature would push growing zone farther north, yet 
the soils may not grow the same crops (soil not as fertile)

Therefore food production would drop, because since the world's climate has been so stable, we have been able to produce so much

Severe droughts and water shortages will occur, and fires will increase

The rate of decomposition will increase

Insect, fungus, & mold diseases will spread

Because of warmer oceans, there would be more severe hurricanes, storms, etc.

Tree species will not be able to migrate north fast enough

Biodiversity will naturally be reduced

 

 

How would sea levels be affected from higher temperatures?

Raise ocean temperatures, melt glaciers and ice sheets, and raise ocean levels

Warmer water temperature will kill most coral reefs

Average increase in atmospheric temperature of 5°F would raise the average global sea level by .2 to 1.5 meters 

A one foot rise in sea levels pushes shoreline back 100 feet, flooding major cities, coastal wetlands, barrier islands, and other low lying areas and islands would be threatened 

What are weather extremes?

another effect of global warming meaning hotter summers, winters with more snow, more hurricanes, more droughts, etc.

When did the melting of Alaska’s Muir Glacier occur?

Between 1948 and 2004

What would the melting of the tundra release?

Methane and carbon dioxide

What does warmer winters mean for pine beetles

An increase of pine beetles

What are the two choices we have to deal with global warming? 

Slow it down 

Adjust to its effects

Which of the two choices we have to deal with global warming is best?

Slow it down because we cannot evolve fast enough to adjust to it effects

What is the prevention approach to global warming mean?

Banning emissions of chlorofluorocarbons and halons (containing in fire extinguishers)

Cutting fossil fuels use

Improving energy efficiency, for example, raising average gas mileage in new cars, requiring homes to have the most efficient heating and cooling systems available

Developing energy alternatives (perpetual or renewable) to replace fossil fuels (ex: solar energy, wind power, and geothermal energy)

Sharing energy efficiency and renewable energy technology with LDCs

More use of nuclear energy, provided that it can be made safer and storage of wastes is solved

Taxes on excessive emissions

Reducing the use of coal

Switching from coal to methane

Capturing methane from landfills

Produce less livestock

Greatly slowing down or halting the clearing and degradation of tropical forests and forest everywhere

Switching agricultural methods to those that conserve water, use organic fertilizers, biological control of pests, minimal use of fossil fuel, and conserve soil

Slowing population growth

Maintaining a level of economy that meets the basic needs of people

More help to LDC’s

Governments can enter into international climate negotiations

What was the Kyoto Protocol?

A 1997 treaty to slow down climate change

Reduce emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O by 2012 to 5.2% of 1990 levels

Not signed by the U.S.

What is the cleanup approach to global warming?

Improving the efficiency of scrubbers used to remove carbon dioxide from smokestack emissions

Planting trees worldwide

Recycling carbon dioxide

Removal of carbon dioxide by use of ponds and tanks of algae

How do we prepare for global warming?

Develop plants that need less water or can use salt water

Build dikes to protect against flooding

Moving storage tanks of hazardous material away from coastal areas

Banning new construction on low-lying areas

Storing large supplies of food, as insurance against decrease in food production

Expanding existing wilderness areas

Develop management plans for existing parks that would take into consideration climate change

Development of corridors

Wasting less water

What can we do to reduce global warming? 

Vote for legislators who want to promote energy efficiency and those who want to halt cutting of ancient forests 

What does the layer of ozone in the stratosphere do?

Blocks out 95% of the harmful, incoming ultraviolet radiation

What are Halons?

Used in fire extinguishers

What chlorine containing chemicals greatly affect the ozone in the stratosphere? 

Chlorofluorocarbons (three fourths of our CFC emissions crome from car air conditioners) 

Halons

Carbon tetrachloride (used by dry cleaners) 

How much can a single chlorine atom breakdown of ozone?

Chlorine containing chemical have a long life (65-110 years) and a single atom can breakdown 100,000 molecules of ozone but Halons are hundred times worse

What are the sizes of the holes in the ozone layer in Antarctica and why?

10 times larger than in the U.S. because the presence of ice clouds over the antarctic make the CFCs more active 

What do the chunks of the ozone-depleted air break up into?

They move over Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa

The holes increase the amount of UV rays coming in

Why should we be worried about ozone depletion?

Ultraviolet radiation damages DNA, causes genetic defects, eye cataracts, skin cancer, etc.

A 1% loss of ozone results in 2% more UV radiation, therefore a 5-7% increase in skin cancer

What are the 9 major effects of Ozone Depletion? 

300,00 cases of non fatal skin cancer per year

9,000 annual cases of fatal skin cancer

1.5 million cases of eye cataracts in people (and animals)

Increase in sunburn in people and animals 

Suppression of the human immune system 

More eye-burning photochemical smog and acid rain

Decreased crop yield

Damage to aquatic plants and food chains 

Financial loss due to degradation of paints, plastics, etc. 

What can we do to protect the ozone layer?

There needs to be a worldwide ban on CFCs in spray cans

Car service shops need to recycle CFCs

Phase out the use of halons, carbon tetrachloride, etc.

What countries banned the use of CFCs in spray cans since 1978?

U.S.

Canada

Japan

Scandinavia

What treaty was passed in 1987 that reduced the production of CFCs? 

Montreal Protocol, signed by 36 countries 

When did the last ice age occur? 

10,000 years ago 

How many ice ages have we had?

eight great ice ages and warmer interglacial periods