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Climate Change

Climate Change. Climate Change and you! So what is this whole climate change thing all about??. Climate Change. International battle on Climate Change. Introduction

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Climate Change

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  1. Climate Change • Climate Change and you! • So what is this whole climate change thing all about??

  2. Climate Change International battle on Climate Change Introduction • How does earth stay warm and comfortable in the coldness of space? Temperatures on Earth are livable because of a natural process we call the greenhouse effect

  3. Climate Change Click here to learn about Different types of Radiation It Starts With the Sun • When the sun’s radiation reaches our atmosphere, some is reflected back into space and some passes through and is absorbed by the Earth. This causes the surface of the Earth to warm up.

  4. Climate Change Click here to find out about Radiative Equilibrium The Greenhouse Effect • Heat from the Earth is radiated outward and absorbed by “greenhouse gasses” in the atmosphere. This process prevents heat from disappearing into space and keeps Earth warm enough to sustain life. Without them our planet would be seemingly lifeless, something close to that of Mars. • The problem is there are high amounts in our atmosphere today, creating a warming situation which could lead to something like Venus.

  5. Greenhouse Gases Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming • Some human activities (primarily the burning of fossil fuels) intensify the warming effect by releasing additional greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. • These gasses include Carbon Dioxide, Methane, CFC’s, Nitrous OxideandSurface Ozone. They come from varying sources and have different heat-trapping capacities also referred to as radiative potency. Link to video clip on Greenhouse Gases: Return to slideshow after clip is finished Intro It Starts With the Sun Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases Global Impact

  6. Greenhouse Gases None Like it Hot • CarbonDioxide:Most abundant of all the green house gases. • Sources: • CO2 is created through respiration of O2 breathing organisms. The decomposition of organic matter releases CO2 back into the atmosphere • The following man-made sources that have caused the exponential increase in global [CO2] • Cars • Factories • Deforestation

  7. Greenhouse Gases • CarbonDioxide: Radiative Potency • CO2 concentrations globally have increased about 30% since the Industrial Revolution. This indicates that humans have a significant role in exponential temperature increases globally. Human activities emit 6.5 billion tons/yr.

  8. Greenhouse Gases • Carbon Dioxide:Ways to Reduce Emissions • Reduce fossil fuel dependency • Energy saving appliances • Stop burning forests: 25-30% of the global [CO2] come from burning forests. • Plant more trees • Photosynthesis is a natural process referred to as a sink, removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

  9. Greenhouse Gases Click here to learn how CO2 effects climate • Carbon Dioxide:Biggest Threat • Destruction of the delicate coral reef system. • Terrestrial and aquatic deforestation • Mass extinction of Arctic, tropical and amphibious species.

  10. Greenhouse Gases • Methane: Formed when compounds decompose under anaerobic conditions • Methane levels have more then doubled since pre-industrial times due mainly to the worldwide expansion of wet-rice agriculture and cattle ranching. • Without oxygen to aerate and assist their natural decomposition, the organic matter ferments (rots) and gives off methane (CH4). • In addition, methane is created when storing liquid manure for agricultural fertilizer. Return to Greenhouse Gases main page

  11. Greenhouse Gases • Methane:Radiative Potency (warming potential) • Even though less present in the atmosphere it’s radiative potency is 23 times greater than that of CO2

  12. Greenhouse Gases • Methane:Ways to reduce emissions • What can you do? Eat less red meat and compost your organic waste

  13. Greenhouse Gases • Methane:Biggest Threat • Cattle farms and landfills. • The methane released from the intestines in cattle accounts for more than 35% of the global methane. • Landfills create CH4 during aerobic respiration.. • Leaking oil pipelines • Hydroelectric dams: CH4 is created and released when plant and animal material are submerged in water during upstream flooding.

  14. Greenhouse Gases • CFC’s:Short for Chlorofluorocarbons, CFC’s are man-made compounds use as a coolant in refrigerators, air conditioners and Formula 1 tires to prevent them from melting at high frictions. In addition they are used to blow Styrofoam into shape. • The most common known CFC used in Freezers was Freon. Return to Greenhouse Gases main page

  15. Greenhouse Gases • CFC’s: • Their radiative potency is 900-8,300 times that of CO2.

  16. Greenhouse Gases • CFC’s: • Using alternative coolants that will not react with ozone (O3). • CFC use is being phased out, but these compounds remain in the troposphere for 1-2 decades and then enter the stratosphere.

  17. Greenhouse Gases • CFC’s: • Despite the fact that CFC’s were banned by all the countries that ratified the Montreal Protocol in 1996 it is still a cause of concern for us because it takes over 100 years for CFC’s to breakdown and sink down from the stratosphere to the troposphere (surface) where they will not react with the delicate (O3) that makes up the protective ozone layer.

  18. Greenhouse Gases • NitrousOxide:(N2O)Formed by bacterial decomposition of organic matter (fertilizers, forest fires, etc..) Return to Greenhouse Gases main page

  19. Greenhouse Gases • NitrousOxide: • Nitrous oxides have a radiative potency 300 times greater than CO2

  20. Greenhouse Gases • NitrousOxide: • Manage forest fires globally • Stop burning fossil fuels • Stop using fertilizers • Recycle livestock waste • Halt nylon production

  21. Greenhouse Gases • NitrousOxide: • Show NASA satellite images of forest fires globally.

  22. Greenhouse Gases • SurfaceOzone:O3is the most commonly overlooked greenhouse gas • Forms ozone shield around the Earth, and blocks out harmful UV radiation • When present in troposphere (surface), it causes temperature inversions (ex. Smog over LA or Beirut) • Not to be confused with the naturally occurring ozone in the stratosphere Return to Greenhouse Gases main page

  23. Greenhouse Gases • SurfaceOzone: • The radiative potency of O3is 900 times more thanCO2 • Accelerates Global warming because of decreased ocean uptake ofCO2 from atmosphere by phytoplankton andCFC’sacting as greenhouse gases.

  24. Greenhouse Gases • SurfaceOzone: • Halt fossil fuel burning. • Use alternative sustainable energy sources such as solar and wind power.

  25. Greenhouse Gases Food, Forests and Wildlife: Reduce yields of some crop Reduce seafood supplies from reduced phytoplankton Disrupting aquatic food webs Decreased forest productivity for UV-sensitive tree species Human Health: • Immune system repression • More skin cancer • Eye cataracts • Sever sunburns • SurfaceOzone: What does it do? Air pollution: Increased acid deposition Increased photochemical smog Degradation of outdoor paints and plastics Intro It Starts With the Sun Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases Global Impact

  26. Climate Change Click here to learn about the human impact on Global Warming Explore More About the Causes of Global Warming Link to the rising sea level problems in Tuamotus Click here to go to view a National Geographic video clip on Global Warming Thinkyou know the ins and outs of global climate change? Take the Quiz and find out! Permafrost Arctic Melting Desertification Water Resources Cycles Controversy Intro It Starts With the Sun Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases Global Impact

  27. Global Impact • Thawing of the permafrost Area shown in pink in Siberia is approximately 1 million km2 of land that has been frozen since the last ice age. • Why are scientists referring to what is happening in Siberia as an ecological landslide? • The area of tundra in the northern hemisphere contains 70 billion tons of stored carbon, which is becoming unstable as the permafrost melts. • The carbon in Siberian soils is 10 times the amount emitted annually from man-made sources.

  28. Global Impact • As the water warms up, it puts intensifies the melting pressure on the edge of the ice adjacent to it. This is an example of “positive feedback” Click anywhere on image to start animation • The Arctic and the intensified effects in the region: • The Arctic floats on top of the Arctic ocean. • As soon as a portion of the ice melts, there is a dramatic difference in the amount of heat absorbed from the sun. • The ice reflects 90% of the IR radiation like a giant mirror whereas in the open sea, water absorbs 90% of that IR (heat). Link to melting of Antarctica Link to the Polar Bear problem

  29. Global Impact Global impact of desertification measured in miles2/yr. 1,376 840 624 Nile, Egypt,: Desertification sand dunes over road • Desertification • Global warming produces more evaporation from the oceans to fill the warmer atmosphere with increased moisture. • Sucks more moisture out of the soil. • As a consequence desertification has increased throughout the world decade by decade.

  30. Global Impact Water Resources: • Disappearance of lake Chad formerly the 6th largest lake in the world in a period of only the last 40 years. • Due to declining rainfall and ever-intensifying human issue. • A region in Africa that includes Southern Sudan, Chad and Niger climate change can be measured not only in temperature increase but in lives lost. Link to video clip about the melting of the Imja glacier in the Himalayas

  31. Global Impact December, January and February (S. Hemisphere summer) Measurements show that the level of [CO2] in the atmosphere is increasing. (Graphs by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NOAA Climate Monitoring & Diagnostics Laboratory) June, July and August (N. Hemisphere summer) • The global fluctuation of [CO2] within the same calendar year is due to seasonal variations because the majority of the Earth’s vegetation is in the northern hemisphere. During the northern hemisphere summer (when photosynthesis is taking place) there is more photosynthesis occurring than in the southern hemisphere summer. This results in more CO2 being absorbed by the plants in photosynthesis in the northern hemisphere during spring and summer months. As result, there is a decrease in the global [CO2] during April-November.

  32. Global Impact Top of a Moulin in Greenland Why is the land based glacier ice melting so fast? • Moulin's are vertical rivers in land based ice where melting fresh water from the pools on the surface of the glacier funnel cutting deeps crevices and vertical tunnels. • When water reaches the bottom of the ice, it lubricated the surface of the bedrock and destabilizes the ice mass. “positive feedback”

  33. Global Impact • Mosquitoes are profoundly effected by GW. There are cities that were originally located just above the mosquito line, which used to mark the altitude above which mosquitoes would venture. Kenya and Harare, Zimbabwe, are two such cities. Now with GW the mosquitoes are climbing to higher altitudes.

  34. Global Impact The spread of West Nile Virus in the USA 1999 2000 2003 2001 • Global Warming and its influence in the Spread of Infectious diseases • West Nile Virus originating in continental Africa and spreading to North America. • Vector: birds • Spread through mosquitoes • First originated in North America in New England in 1999 and by 2003 it had spread all the way to the West Coast • Can be lethal to children and elderly 2002

  35. Global Impact So how is Global warming effecting the following? Biomes Public health Water supplies Forests Agriculture Sea level Weather extremes Biodiversity

  36. Controversy Link Between Solar Cycle and Climate is Blowin' in the Wind So what is all the controversy all about? Do a WebQuest and find three misconceptions about global warming. Form an argument based on what you know about the radiative potency of greenhouse gases and global climate and weather cycles. Post your argument with supportive evidence on the course threaded discussion debate on BlackBoardTM Ready to take the Quiz? Intro It Starts With the Sun Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases Explore More

  37. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! • True or false? Global warming is caused only by natural factors. False True

  38. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! Sorry that is incorrect • Changes in the environment are partially due to the following natural forces: • uneven heating of the earths surface concentrated at the equator, • larger circumference at the equator than at the poles contributing to the rotational speed differentiation: global wind patterns • ocean currents • Human activities which are unsustainable such as • fossil fuel burning and • improper waste management. Scientist now believe that most of the planet’s warming is the last few decades has been due to our emissions of the greenhouse gasses. Next Question

  39. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! Excellent! • Changes in the environment are partially due to the following natural forces: • uneven heating of the earths surface concentrated at the equator, • larger circumference at the equator than at the poles contributing to the rotational speed differentiation: global wind patterns • ocean currents • Human activities which are unsustainable such as • fossil fuel burning and • improper waste management. • Scientist now believe that most of the planet’s warming is the last few decades has been due to our emissions of the greenhouse gasses. Next Question

  40. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! 2. How long does it take for CO2 in the atmosphere to disperse? 1 year 10 years 50 years 100 years

  41. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! Sorry, that’s incorrect • It takes one hundred years for CO2 to breakdown. Which means even if carbon dioxide emissions ceased immediately, past actions would still affect the planet for decades to come. Next Question

  42. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! Excellent! • One hundred years! Which means even if carbon dioxide emissions ceased immediately, past actions would still affect the planet for decades to come. Next Question

  43. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! 3. True or false? A rise in global temperature is expected to increase instances of malaria. True False

  44. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! Sorry, that’s incorrect • Rising temperatures allow mosquitoes to survive at higher altitudes, potentially bringing them to regions that lack population immunity. In addition, the transmission period for vector-borne diseases is increased with expanded warm seasons. (Source: WHO) Next Question Intro It Starts With the Sun Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases Explore More

  45. Check Your Global Climate Change Wisdom! Excellent! • Rising temperatures allow mosquitoes to survive at higher altitudes, potentially bringing them to regions that lack population immunity. In addition, the transmission period for vector-borne diseases is increased with expanded warm seasons. (Source: WHO) Intro It Starts With the Sun Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases Global Impact

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