Chapter 19: Climate Change and Ozone Depletion

What is the process where GHGs trap heat in the troposphere, preventing heat radiation?

greenhouse effect

What is the ability of the Earth’s surface to reflect light?

albedo

Name the FIVE major GHGs:

water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, CFCs

What is the predicted increase in temperature due to the greenhouse effect?

global warming

Examples of effects of global warming:

strong storms, droughts, flooding, sea level rise

What is the main source for GHGs?

burning of fossil fuels; then deforestation

Which gas is MOST responsible for the greenhouse effect, stimulated by a positive feedback loop?

water vapor

Name FOUR ways to decrease GHGs:

less air pollution, less dependence on foreign energy, less environmental effects, switch to renewable energy sources

Which committee made in 1988 reports unbiased information on climate change?

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

What was the 1st major international agreement on reducing GHG emissions in 1997?

Kyoto Treaty

Which event in 2009 led to an agreement to reduce emissions and deal with climate change for lower temperatures?

UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

Which event in 2015 led to an agreement to limit global warming and carbon emissions to zero by 2030-50?

UN Climate Change Conference in Paris

Which substance is a colorless form of oxygen with a strong odor?

Ozone (O3)

What destroys ozone in the stratosphere?

CFCs

What increases ozone in the troposphere?

burning of fossil fuels

What is a type of halocarbon used in the 1930s as a refrigerant and spray can propellant?

chloroflurocarbons (CFCs)

What was the international agreement in 1987 which phased out CFCs due to contributing to ozone depletion?

Montreal Protocol