Question of the Day 4/14

1. Question of the Day 4/14 What do you know about global climate change? Do you believe it is real?

2. Global Climate Change

3. Overview • Introduction to Climate Change • Causes of Global Climate Change • Effects of Climate Change • Melting Ice and Rising Sea Level • Changes in Precipitation Patterns • Effects on Organisms • Effects on Human Health • Effects on Agriculture • Dealing with Global Climate Change

4. Is it happening? 15 of the top 16 warmest years on record (recording started in 1880) occurred in the 21st century. Last year, 2015, was the warmest year ever recorded. IPCC- International panel on climate change in 1995, concluded human-induced air pollution DOES have an impact. Prediction 2-6 degree F increase in 21st century, not uniform heating across globe

5. Introduction to Climate Change-Mean Annual Global Temperature 1960-2005

6. Relationships – CO2 and Temp

7. Milankovich cycles

8. Climate Change Terminology • Greenhouse Gas • Gas that absorbs infrared radiation • Ex: Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and tropospheric ozone • Positive Feedback • Change in some condition triggers a response that intensifies the changed condition • Infrared Radiation • Radiation that has a wavelength that is longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves • Greenhouse Effect • Increase of heat in a system where energy enters (often as light), is absorbed as heat, and released sometime later

9. Greenhouse gases CO2- fossil fuel burning, deforestation, tree burning CH4- methane-unburned gas, anaerobic activity in landfills, intestines of cattle and man Nox- nitrogen oxides, from burning and troposphere O3 CFC’s- trap heat and cause ozone depletion Aerosols, suspended particles, sulfur oxides- actually cool atmosphere,

10. Introduction to Climate Change • Evidence for Climate Change • 15 of the hottest 16 years since 1880 occurred after 2000. • Phenological spring in N. hemisphere now comes 6 days earlier • Warming is not due to natural causes • Human-produced greenhouse gases are most plausible explanation

11. Causes of Climate Change • Greenhouse gas concentrations increasing

12. Causes of Climate Change • Increased concentration of CO2 (right) • Burning fossil fuels in cars, industry and homes • Deforestation • Burning of forests

14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPJJM_hCFj0&nohtml5=False

15. Greenhouse Effect

16. Effects of Global Climate Change • Ocean as CO2 sink - excess CO2 is starting to harm ocean life

17. Effects of Global Climate Change- Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels • Sea level rise caused in 2 ways • Thermal Expansion • Water expands as it warms • Melting of land ice • Retreat of glacier and thinning of ice at the poles • Melting has positive feedback • Increased melting decreases ice, which decreases albedo leading to further warming

18. Water World • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/warming/waterworld/

19. Question of the Day 4/15 What is an effect of climate change that you have read about in the Newsela articles?

20. Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels 1957 1998

21. Case-In-Point Impacts in Fragile Areas • Eskimo Inuit live traditional life dictated by freezing climate • Climate change is altering their existence • Wildlife are smaller or displaced • Reduced snow cover and shorter river ice seasons • Thawing of permafrost (right)

22. Effects of Global Climate Change- Changing Precipitation Patterns • Some areas will get more water, some areas will have greater droughts • Ex: Hurricanes will likely get stronger

23. Effects of Global Climate Change- Effects on Organisms • Zooplankton in parts of California Current have decreased by 80% since 1951 • Effecting entire food chain • Decline in krill around Antarctica • Caused decrease in penguin populations • Species have shifted their geographic range • Migrating birds are returning to summer homes earlier • Food is not available at this time

24. Effects on Organisms - Coral Reefs • Coral reefs can be bleached (right) due to increase in water temperature • Affects coral symbiotes and makes them more susceptible to diseases to which they would otherwise be immune

25. Effect on Organisms - VegetationBeech Tree Range

26. Effects on Human Health • Increased number of heat-related illnesses and deaths

27. Effects on Agriculture • Difficult to anticipate • Productivity will increase in some areas and decrease in others • Rise in sea level will inundate flood plains and river valleys (lush farmland) • Effect on pests is unknown • Warmer temperatures will decrease soil moisture- requiring more irrigation • Location (i.e. elevation and altitude) where certain crops can be grown may have to change

28. Dealing with Global Climate Change • To avoid the worst of climate change, CO2 levels must be stabilized at 550ppm • 50% higher than current levels • Two ways to attempt to manage climate change • Mitigation • Focuses on limiting greenhouse gas emissions to moderate global climate change • Adaptation • Focuses on learning to live with to the environmental changes and societal consequences brought about by global climate change

29. Dealing with Global Climate Change- Mitigation • Locate/invent alternative fuels to fossil fuels • Increase efficiency of cars and trucks • Sequestering carbon before it is emitted • Plant and Maintain trees to naturally sequester carbon

30. Dealing with Global Climate Change- Adaptation • Rising sea levels and coastal populations • Move inland • Construct dikes and levees • Adapt to shifting agricultural zones • NYC sewer line

31. International Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emission • Kyoto Protocol • Legally binding, signed by 192 countries • Provides operational rules on reducing greenhouse gases • US has not signed it- it is difficult to implement without US backing