Global Issues Flashcards
What is climate change?
a change in average weather conditions (temperature and rainfall) experienced in a specific area as a result of natural or human activity.
process of global warming
The sun sends out energy as sunlight. This warms the earth.
Earth gives out some energy again as heat which warms the air.
Some of this heat escapes into the outer atmosphere.
Some is absorbed by the molecules of greenhouse gases on earth’s surface.
This leads to warmer air temperatures.
Evidence shown for climate change
Warning signs from nature Extreme weather Historical records Ice cores Instrumental records Glacial retreat and sea ice Changing sea levels Pollen analysis Dendrochronology (studying tree rings)
Mitigation
Attempt to limit the amount of climate change
Reduce sources of GHGs (less fossil fuel use) or enhance the stores (planting trees)
requires international cooperation
Paris deal in 2015
Adaption
process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects
Governments beginning to develop adaption plans and policies and to integrate climate change considerations into broader development campaigns
responding to climate related risks involves decision making in an uncertain changing world
limits to effectiveness
How many garbage patches in the world?
5
How many plastic drinking straws used every day in the US?
500 million
Plastic
Plastic has toxins that harm sea life.
Plastic breaks down into pieces too small to see.
Micro organisms can’t digest micro plastic
production of plastic uses petrol
blocking sewers > flooding > infectious diseases
How much plastic ends up in the ocean every year?
8 million tonnes
Where is the aral sea?
central asia
lies on the boundary between Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the south.
Fast Fashion definition
fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends
Environmental impacts of fast fashion
26.7kg uk consumption of new clothing per head
235 million items of clothing sent to landfill 2017
700,000 fibres released in each domestic wash
i.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions produced by global fashion industry (2015)
Where does cotton production happen?
hot coastal areas
close to equator, tropic of cancer, tropic of capricorn
newly emerging economies
Malaria statistics
Every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria
219 million new cases of malaria in 2018
90% of malaria cases occur in the sub-saharan desert
3000 children die everyday
50% of the world’s population was at risk of malaria in 2015
Symptoms of malaria
headache fever muscle fatigue and pain back pain chills sweating dry cough spleen enlargement nausea vomiting
