Untitled Flashcards Set

Which of these would be an example of mitigation rather than adaptation for global climate change?

	building more wind turbines to generate energy from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels
	building a sea wall in the Maldives to prevent flooding
	digging deep wells to get access to more water for agriculture if rainfall in an area should drop off
	building and maintaining preserves in endangered habitats to make sure they do not disappear

Even if all burning of fossil fuels was stopped today, why will temperatures continue to increase?

	Fossil fuel emissions are not responsible for the enhanced greenhouse effect.
	Greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for many years.
	Increased methane emissions will more than make up for the difference.
	Deforestation must also be stopped in order for temperatures to decline.

Oceans are important for absorbing large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, but when they absorb too much, we see negative effects.  Which of the following is a consequence of the oceans absorbing too much CO2?

	The pH of the ocean is rising and causing the coral in reefs to have thinner shells
	The temperature of the ocean is increasing which means less CO2 can be absorbed
	The biodiversity of the coral reefs is being reduced
	All of the above

Which of the following is an unhealthy mixture of pollutants that forms over cities?

	ozone depleting substances
	Hadley convective cells
	the thermosphere
	smog

Which group of air pollutants tends to cool the atmosphere because they reflect more sunlight back to space thus reducing incoming solar radiation?

	ozone enhancers.
	CFCs.
	atmospheric aerosols.
	nitrous oxides.

The graph below shows atmospheric concentration of CO₂ as recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory. From the graph we can see that there are seasonal fluctuations in CO₂ concentrations that correspond with:

	Temperatures fluctuating between day and night.
	Plants releasing more carbon dioxide in the growing season.
	Cattle producing more methane in the summer when they are grazing.
	Plants taking up more carbon dioxide in the growing season.

How has acid deposition affected the northeastern U.S. terrestrial and aquatic systems?

	by accelerating the rate of eutrophication
	Primary pollutants that end up as sulfuric and nitric acid secondary pollutants stay near point source once formed.
	by increasing the amount of nutrients such as calcium and potassium available to land plants
	by increasing the amount of acid rain

Why is the global warming potential of carbon dioxide so high when its relative heat-trapping ability is so low?

	because greenhouse gas emission from human activity results mostly in carbon dioxide
	because carbon dioxide is used as a point of reference by which other greenhouse gases are measured
	because CO2 is more abundant in the atmosphere and therefore contributes more to the greenhouse effect
	because greenhouse gases absorb some of the long-wave radiation and re-emit it into the lower atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect

Fill in the blanks: ozone is made of _________ and is broken down by ____________.

	oxygen; chlorine
	chlorine; fluorine
	sodium; molybdenum
	hydrogen; zinc

Most of the indoor air pollution in the homes of people in developing countries comes from ______.

	heating and cooling systems
	burning wood and dung for fuel
	volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
	cigarette smoke and radon

The greenhouse effect is defined as _______.

	an increase in the concentration of atmospheric gases
	an increase in Earth's average surface temperature
	a warming of Earth's surface by gases that reflect heat to back down to the planet rather than allowing it to escape into space
	a change in Earth's climate

The ozone hole is largely a consequence of the use of _______.

	fossil fuels
	chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants
	nitrogen oxides
	carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide

What is the difference between primary and secondary pollutants? Provide examples of both and explain how secondary pollutants are formed in the atmosphere. 

Primary pollutants are harmful substances that are directly released into the air from various sources, such as cars, factories, and wildfires. These pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO) from car exhaust, sulfur dioxide (SO₂) from burning coal, and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) from vehicle emissions.

On the other hand, secondary pollutants are not directly emitted into the air. Instead, they form when primary pollutants react with other elements in the atmosphere, such as sunlight, water, or other chemicals. For example, ozone (O₃) is a secondary pollutant that forms when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react in the presence of sunlight. Another example is sulfuric acid and nitric acid, which form when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides mix with water vapor in the air, leading to acid rain.

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What is the difference between weather and climate?

	Weather is local and occurs over a short period of time, hours and days, while climate occurs over large geographic areas and longer periods of time such as seasons and years.
	Weather and climate are used interchangeably.
	Weather occurs in the northern hemisphere while climate occurs in the southern hemisphere.
	Weather occurs over seasons and years while climate occurs over hours and days.

1. Define a positive feedback loop.  

2. Provide an example of a positive feedback loop and describe how positive feedback loops in the environment contribute to climate change.

3. Discuss the potential consequences of the feedback mechanism and provide a possible strategy to mitigate the effect.

A positive feedback loop is when something happens that causes a change, and that change makes the original situation even worse, making the change happen even more.

Example of a Positive Feedback Loop: One example is the melting of ice. When the Earth's temperature rises, ice melts, which exposes darker land or water beneath it. Dark surfaces absorb more heat than ice, so as more ice melts, more heat is absorbed, which makes the Earth warmer, causing even more ice to melt. This cycle keeps getting stronger and faster.

How Positive Feedback Loops Contribute to Climate Change: These loops can make climate change worse. For example, as ice melts, it causes more heat to be trapped, which makes the planet warm even faster. This makes climate change harder to stop.

Potential Consequences: The effects of positive feedback loops can be serious. For example, melting ice causes sea levels to rise, which can flood coastal areas and cause problems for people and animals. It can also lead to extreme weather, like stronger storms and heatwaves.

Possible Strategy to Mitigate the Effect: One way to slow down these feedback loops is to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases. We can do this by using clean energy sources, like solar and wind power, and being more careful with how we use resources. This could help slow down warming and reduce the effects of these feedback loops.

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The IPCC is an organization that is comprised of over 2,500 scientists from 190 countries who are tasked with writing periodic reports documenting which of the following:

	The past changes in the climate and make predictions about what they mean for the future
	The effects of acid rain
	The scope of water pollution on the planet
	The condition of the ozone layer

What did/will the Montreal Protocol achieve?

	It has not resulted in any measurable change in the amount of ozone-depleting chemicals in the atmosphere.
	It achieved very little, because it was signed by only 50 countries.
	It is expected that ozone-thinning will gradually decline over time with recovery occurring after 2050.
	It banned all use of CFCs by 1998 in highly developed countries, with indefinite use allowed in developing countries.

Describe the difference between mitigation and adaptation as strategies that can be used to deal with global climate change. Discuss the strengths of each strategy and give an example of each strategy can be implemented. 

Mitigation and adaptation are two different strategies to deal with global climate change. Mitigation aims to reduce or prevent the causes of climate change, like using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. Adaptation focuses on adjusting to the changes caused by climate change, like building flood defenses or planting drought-resistant crops.

1. Mitigation means trying to reduce or prevent the causes of climate change, especially by lowering greenhouse gas emissions (like carbon dioxide) that contribute to global warming.

2. Strengths of Mitigation: It helps slow down or stop further climate change from happening. By reducing emissions, we can prevent extreme temperature rise and reduce other harmful effects.

3.  Example of Mitigation: Using renewable energy sources like solar or wind power instead of burning coal or oil, which release greenhouse gases.

4. Adaptation means adjusting to the changes that are already happening due to climate change, like rising temperatures or more extreme weather. It involves making changes to our lifestyles or infrastructure to better cope with these effects.

5. Strengths of Adaptation: It helps communities and countries deal with the climate change effects that are already here or that are unavoidable in the short term.

6. Example of Adaptation: Building stronger flood defenses or creating drought-resistant crops to deal with extreme weather events like floods or droughts.