Effect of Human Activities on Climate Change

1. Effect of Human Activities on Climate Change Group Members: -Bryan Vasquez -Diana Matamoros -Karen Reyes -Maria Nunez

2. Rising Atmospheric Co2 • Concentration of Co2 increases daybyday because of: -Thecombustion of fossilfuels -Burningof woodduetodeforestation -Powergeneration -Industrial processes: cement

3. Today theconcentration of C02 in theatmosphereexceeds 370ppm anincrease of 14% since 1850( 274 ppm). • In 2010, 9.14 gigatonnes of carbon were released from fossil fuels and cement production worldwide, compared to 6.15 gigatonnes in 1990. The Keeling Curve of atmospheric CO2 concentrations measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory.

4. United States power generators produce 40% of all CO2 emissions Globally power generators contribute 25 per cent of emissions. • If it continues to increase at the present rate, by 2075 the concentration will be double what it was at the start of the industrial revolution.

5. The Greenhouse Effect • It's the phenomenon by which greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap heat that would otherwise escape to space. • Co2 and water vapor intersect to absorb most of the reflected infrared radiation, re-reflecting some back toward earth. • If there was no greenhouse effect, the planet would be un inhabitable cold -18c and most life could not exist. • The greenhouse effect is important to keep the Earth warm and to sustain life, however, if it gets too warm, it could endanger all life on the planet.  • The most important greenhouse gas for climate is water vapor, but the gas most responsible for  current climate change is carbon dioxide, CO2.

7. Global Warming • Global warming is a result of various human activities over the last century which have resulted in polluting the environment and increasing the amount of greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, methane present in the atmosphere. This has resulted in an increase in the average temperatures on Earth due to the greenhouse effect, which in turn affects the climate of the planet.  • The main theory about the current global warming is that an increase in the greenhouse effect due to the emission of greenhouse gases caused by human activity is leading to higher temperatures.

9. Causes • Natural causes: Natural causes of global warming include the release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands, climate change, volcanoes etc. • Anthropogenic Causes : Anthropogenic causes for global warming are those which are caused due to human activities. The most prominent cause being man-made pollution. A large part of this pollution can be attributed to the burning of fossil fuels. This includes burning coal to produce electricity as well as burning gasoline to power internal combustion engine vehicles. When these fossil fuels are burnt, they let out CO2 , which is yet another greenhouse gas which traps heat within the atmosphere of the Earth and contributes to global warming.

10. Effects • Changes in the global sea level • Drastic changes in climate patterns • Widespread extinction of flora and fauna • Effects on us humans • Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting—for example,   Montana's Glacier National Park  now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. 

11. THANK YOU!