Hazardous Earth - Humans and climate change

Question 1

List some human activities which are causing climate change

Answer 1

(1) industry
(2) transport
(3) energy production
(4) farming

Question 2

List some evidence of climate change

Answer 2

(1) Global temperatures are rising
(2) Atmospheric CO2 levels are rising in parallel with temp - mostly due to human activity
(3) Ocean is getting warmer
(4) Sea levels are rising
(5) Arctic sea covers are shrinking
(6) Extreme weather events becoming more frequent. e.g. droughts, floods.

Question 3

Explain why projections for future global temp rises and future sea-level rises may not be accurate

Answer 3

(1) Atmosphere and oceans are highly complex - computer models cannot always accurately predict how these systems will respond
(2) Some natural events are hard to predict like volcanoes erupting

Question 4

Explain the enhanced greenhouse effect

Answer 4

(1) Heat (UV rays) from sun reach earth’s atmosphere: some is reflected back into space
(2) Land and Oceans absorbs the rest.
(3) Land and Oceans then radiate infrared heat back into the atmosphere
(4) Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap some of the heat
(5) Human activity increases greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to more warming.

Question 5

List some possible consequences of global warning

Answer 5

(1) more hurricanes, destruction
(2) coastal flooding from rising sea levels
(3) biodiversity loss on land and oceans
(4) more droughts, lasting longer
(5) more floods from heavier rainfall
(6) loss of glaciers means water supply is a problem
(7) changes in farming could affect food supplies