Social Science Flashcard Set #1

Climate Change

Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, often driven by human activity today.

Earth System Science (ESS)

Views Earth as an interconnected system of geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.

Forcings

External influences (like volcanic eruptions or greenhouse gases) that change climate.

Feedbacks

Reactions in nature that either reinforce (positive) or reduce (negative) climate change.

Archives of Nature & Society

Natural (e.g. ice cores) and human (e.g. writings) records used to study past climates.

Pleistocene Epoch

Ended around 11,700 years ago, preceding the Holocene.

Holocene Epoch

Began after the last ice age, around 9700 BCE.

Anthropocene

Proposed new epoch where human activity is the dominant influence on climate and environment, starting around 1950.

Little Ice Age (LIA)

Period of cooler global temperatures from ~1300 to 1850 CE.

536 CE Event

Possibly the worst year to be alive due to severe global cooling from volcanic activity.

The Great Acceleration

Mid-20th century surge in human activity and environmental impact.

Agrarian Societies

Emerged around 3500 BCE with large-scale farming and environmental modifications.

Roman Empire & Climate

Stable rainfall supported its peak (150 BCE–250 CE), but climate's role in its decline is debated.

Climate Activism

Includes raising awareness, advocating for justice, and influencing policy.

Climate Justice

Ensures that climate action doesn’t disproportionately harm vulnerable communities.

Justice40 Initiative

U.S. policy aiming to direct 40% of climate-related investments to underserved communities.

Geoengineering

Technological methods proposed to counteract climate change (e.g., ocean fertilization, cloud seeding).