C13 : 13.4 - Global climate change Flashcards
what is a major cause of
climate change.
- increase in average global temperature (due to increasing levels of greenhouse gases)
what is climate change
when there is a long term shift in worldwide weather patterns and conditions
briefly list the potential effects of global climate change
- rising sea levels
- changing rainfall patterns
- frequency and severity of storms
- changes in distribution of wild life species
- frequent and intense droughts
describe briefly “changing rainfall patterns” as a potential effect of global climate change
- leading to uneven distribution of freshwater supplies
- results in economic and political instability as neighbouring countries compete for scarce resources
- has impacts on the food-producing capacity of different regions
describe briefly “frequency and severity of storms” as a potential effect of global climate change
- increasing common extreme weather events like severe storms
- the storms are more frequent and severe
describe briefly “rising sea levels” as a potential effect of global climate change
- melting of polar ice caps and glaciers => leading to rising sea levels
- results in destructive erosion to coastal regions, flooding of wetlands and habitat destruction for birds, fish and plants
- Low lying cities likely to see increased flooding => permanent loss of usable land without expensive barrier systems
- Increased soil salinity
describe briefly “changes in distribution of wild life species” as a potential effect of global climate change
- changes in temp and water available may affect wild species and cause changes in distribution
- some may go extinct
- this puts ecosystems under stress as food webs disrupted
describe briefly “frequent and intense droughts” as a potential effect of global climate change
- some regions facing intense droughts => leading t crop failures + collapse of agricultural production
- food production reduces => leading to hardship and starvation
what is a carbon footprint
the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product (eg a drilling machine), service (eg school bus) or event (e.g world cup)
how easy is it obtaining precise measurments of carbon footprints
- it is challenging - due to a lot of diff factors to consider - e.g. sourcing all the emissions in manufacturing, using and disposing a product
- but act of assessment raises awareness of climate change of impacts and encourages people and policymakers to find alternative or ways of reducing carbon footprints
although it is hard to exactly measure a carbon footprint, what can be generally done to reduce it
The carbon footprint can be reduced by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide and methane
what are some actions to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and methane (to reduce your carbon footprint)
- using renewable energy sources - such as solar, wind, nuclear energy - instead of burning fossil fuels
- cutting out unecessary journeys
- using public transport / car-pooling
- reducing consumption of meat
- Buying locally sourced foods to reduce food miles (the distance food travels from production to consumption)
- Carbon off-setting: paying for reforestation projects to compensate for carbon emissions from flying for e.g.
- Switching to EVs
- Recycling and re-using materials
what are food miles
the distance food travels from production to consumption
what are some actions governments are doing to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and methane (to reduce your carbon footprint)
- taxing fossil fuels and cars that burn lots of fossil fuels
- funding research into alternative forms of energy
- support use of biofuels - made from plant material that absorbs co2 and returns that when burned - so “carbon neutral”
- provide incentives to improve home insulation to conserve energy
- offer financial incentives to companies in an effort to convince them to “go green”
- put a cap on emissions of all greenhouse gases that companies make - then sell licences for emissions up to that cap
what is an action governments are doing on an industrial scale to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and methane (to reduce your carbon footprint)
- investing in carbon capture schemes
- co2 from power generation stations and other industries is trapped
- the co2 is stored deep underground in porous rocks from which oil and gas have been extracted
- aims to restore the balance in the carbon cycle, by locking up carbon in the Earth’s crust where it was previously stored as fossil fuels
