ESS Flashcards

Greenhouse effect

The process through which heat is trapped near Earth’s surface by substances known as “greenhouse gases.”

Climate

The average weather patterns over a long period of time for a particular location on Earth.

This can show long-term trends.



Factors that impact projected population

  • Using different trends

  • War

  • Disease



Human contribution to climate change

  • Deforestation

  • Burning of fossil fuels

  • Agriculture (cows) increase methane levels

  • The use of fertilizers leads to higher nitrous oxides (cars, agriculture, energy)



Enhanced greenhouse effect

Human activities which are adding more GHGs to the atmosphere. This enhances the greenhouse effect, trapping more heat and causing global temperatures to rise.



Weather and climate are affected by…

  • Ocean and atmospheric circulatory systems

  • Clouds trap heat & albedo effect

  • Forest fires

  • Volcanic eruption

  • Human activities - release of GHGs



Climate change

Long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns

  • Has always happened in history

  • Influenced by:

    1. Fluctuations in solar insolation

    2. Changing proportions of gasses 

  • GHGs reduce heat loss from the atmosphere



Increasing levels of GHGs leads to…

  • An increase in the mean global temperature

  • Increased frequency of extreme weather events

  • The potential long-term changes in climate and weather patterns

  • Rise in sea levels



Advantages of IGOs in climate change

  • Global cooperation

  • Shared resources

  • Research and data

  • Standard setting

  • Raising awareness



Climate resilience

The ability to adapt and recover from the impacts of climate change while minimizing the damage and maintaining essential functions. 



Mitigation

Action to reduce emissions that cause climate change:

  • Tacking the cause

  • Minimizing the possible impacts of climate change



Similarities of Climate and Weather

  • Depends on the atmosphere

  • Are predictable 

  • Involves abiotic factors



Adaptation strategies

  • Flood defense 

  • Economic diversification

  • Vaccination programs

  • Desalination plants 

  • Using GMOs to plant crops in previously unsuitable climate



Disadvantages of IGOs in climate change

  • Political disagreements

  • Limited power

  • Funding issues

  • Equity concerns

  • Compromise over impact



Mitigation strategies

  • Increased the amount of photosynthesis

  • Public transportation 

  • Carbon captures and storages (CCS)

  • Use of renewable energy

  • Increased use of biomass 

  • Sustainable agriculture

  • Geo-engineering 

  • Reducing deforestation

  • Agroforestry 



Weather

The daily result of changes in temperature, pressure, and precipitation in the atmosphere (varies from place to place).



Impact of climate change

  • Biomass shifting 

  • Change in location of crop growing areas

  • Inundation 

  • Human health (spread of tropical diseases)

  • Extinction of species



Negative feedback cycle



Positive feedback cycle



Adaptation

Actions to manage the impact of climate change 

  • How to reduce negative effects

  • How to take advantage of any new opportunities that arise



Malthusian prediction

Natural population growth would inevitably outpace agricultural output, ultimately resulting in famine and other catastrophes until the population was reduced below a suitable level.



Influences on population dynamics

Increase:

  • High infant mortality rate

  • Security in old age

  • Children are becoming economic assets

  • Status of women

  • Unavailability of contraceptives

Decrease:

  • Provides education

  • Enhance income

  • Improve health 

  • Access to contraceptives

  • Improve resource management 



Disadvantages of transition model

  • Based on patterns in Western Europe and North America

  • Doesn’t always capture patterns in lower-income or non-white populations 

  • Economic development and population aren’t strictly sequential



Complexity of climate models

There is always a degree of uncertainty regarding the accuracy of their predictions because human behavior is unpredictable and nonlinear interactions like oceans, atmosphere, land and biosphere.



Carrying capacity

The maximum population that a given area can sustain.



Population density

The number of people per unit area of land

  • Number of people / land area


Demographic transition

Stage 1 

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

  • Very high CBR

  • Very high CDR

  • Very low NIR

  • High CBR

  • Rapidly declining CDR

  • Very high NIR

  • Yemen

  • Rapidly declining CBR

  • Moderately declining CDR 

  • Moderate NIR

  • Very low CBR

  • Low or slightly decreasing CDR

  • 0 or negative NIR

  • Low CBR

  • Low CDR but increasing slightly due to the aging population

  • Higher dependency rate


Doubling time

The number of years needed to double a population, assuming a constant rate of natural increase

= 70 / natural increase rate


Climate models

Calculates the physical interactions between four components: atmosphere, land, ocean, and sea ice


Total fertility rate

An estimate of the average number of children born to each female in her childbearing years.


Advantages of Demographic Transition Model

Created to model how population size might respond to changes in the economy


Natural increase rate

The % by which a population grows in a year, excluding migration


= (crude birth rates / crude death rate) / 10


Zero population growth

Where the number of people in a specified population neither grows nor declines.