Global Climate Change

1. Global Climate Change “The pressures caused by climate change will influence resource competition while placing additional burdens on economies, societies, and governance institutions around the world. These effects are threat multipliers that will aggravate stressors abroad such as poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions – conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence.” Pentagon Quadrennial Review

2. Initial Reflection Write down one question you have about global climate change/ global warming on a scrap paper without your name on it and hand it in.

3. IPCC’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) Select a topic of interest with the appropriate number of questions for your working group (each person in your group will read ONE of the FAQ’s for that topic and summarize it in your notebook and to your small working group): • Group 1: Overview (3) • 1.1: What factors determine Earth’s climate? • 1.2: What is the relationship between weather and climate? • 1.3: What is the greenhouse effect? • Group 2: Impacts (4) • 3.1: How are temperatures on Earth changing? • 3.2: How is precipitation changing? • 4.1: Is the amount of snow and ice on Earth decreasing? • 5.1: Is sea level rising? • Group 3: Extreme Events (3) • 3.3: Heat waves, droughts, floods & hurricanes • 9.1: Can individual events be explained by the greenhouse warming? • 10.1: How can extreme events be expected to change? • Group 4: Human vs. Natural (4) • 2.1: Human activities vs. natural influences? • 6.1: What caused the Ice Ages and other important climate changes before the industrial era? • 6.2: Is the current climate change unusual compared to earlier changes in Earth’s history? • 7.1: Are the increases in CO2 and other greenhouse gases caused by human activities? • 9.2: Can the warming of the 20th century be explained by natural variability?

4. Greenhouse Effect • Sunlight (visible) enters & is absorbed by ground/ plants • Re-emitted as IR (heat) • Wavelength change prevents “escape” of heat • Applying the model of the greenhouse, why do cars get so warm in the summer?

5. Greenhouse Effect • Greenhouse acts as a model for Earth • The higher the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, the greater the greenhouse effect (warmer).

6. Carbon Cycle • What is happening with current levels relative to historic levels? • CO2 emissions over time

7. What are the current trends? More Efficient

8. What are the current trends? • Sea Ice & Surface Ice mostly declining • Why might it decrease in Southern Hemisphere?

9. How does this all compound together? • Increased output of CO2 & other human derived gases • Sea Level Rise • Increase in Surface Temperature • Warming Oceans • Glacial Retreat • Ocean Acidification • Shifting species • Source:http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

10. How good are the models? Better when we attribute warming to more than just natural processes (e.g., volcanoes)

11. Can we change the path? • Yes

12. What can you do? Reduce energy & materials consumption

13. What can you do? Reduce energy & materials consumption http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/enviroprojects/lifestyle.html: try changing your habits and see how it impacts you… Be a knowledgeable consumer: http://goodguide.com In our last campus survey, 85% of our carbon emissions on campus was due to driving.

14. Final Reflection Think about your rating from the reading reflection assignment Do you think your ranking would change? Why or why not?