Climate Change

Question 1

x2 pieces of evidence to define the start of the Anthropocene

Answer 1

-must be evidence of long term changes
-must be a marker of this event which can be identified by digging into rocks, ocean floor sediment or glacial ice

Question 2

What is the Anthropocene

Answer 2

The Anthropocene is a new unit of earth history, in which humans have become such a dominant force that they have changed the characteristics of our planet

Question 3

What are the four major greenhouse gases?

Answer 3

Carbon dioxide, fluoro gases, methane +nitrous oxides

Question 4

CO2 - Percentage of greenhouse gas emissions in atmosphere

Answer 4

75%

Question 5

Fluro Gases - Percentage of greenhouse gas emissions in atmosphere

Answer 5

2%

Question 6

Methane - Percentage of greenhouse gas emissions in atmosphere

Answer 6

17%

Question 7

Nitrous oxide - Percentage of greenhouse gas emissions in atmosphere

Answer 7

6%

Question 8

CO2 greenhouse strength

Answer 8

1

Question 9

Fluro gases greenhouse strength

Answer 9

Approx 10,000

Question 10

Methane greenhouse strength

Answer 10

30

Question 11

Nitrous oxide greenhouse strength

Answer 11

600

Question 12

Where does the CO2 come from?

Answer 12

• burning fossil fuels to generate electricity for homes
• to power transport
• deforestation

Question 13

Where do the Fluro gases come from?

Answer 13

• man made gases used in air conditioning, aerosols + fridges

Question 14

Where does methane come from?

Answer 14

• agriculture (cattle/sheep/wet rice paddies)
• melting permafrost

Question 15

Where does nitrous oxide come from?

Answer 15

• agriculture (fertiliser manufacture and use)
• burning fossil fuels (eg. In car engines)

Question 16

Communities responsible for emitting CO2 - in order -

Answer 16

1- China
2- America
3- India
4- Russia
5- Japan

Question 17

Why are carbon emissions produced?

Answer 17

-high populations developing
-developed/ rapidly developing economies
-lots of fossil fuel resources

Question 18

The more developed a country is…

Answer 18

The more emissions produced!

Question 19

What is carbon footprint?

Answer 19

The total amount of greenhouse gases brackets including CO2 + methane brackets that are generated by our actions

Question 20

How to limit Carbon Footprint 👣

Answer 20

• limit meat consumption 🥩
• consume locally sourced products 👯
• bring reusable shopping bags to supermarkets 🛍️🛒
• only buy what you need (to avoid waste) ❌🥗🍱🧆❌
• limit driving when possible, instead: walk 🚶‍♀️ , cycle 🚲 , take train 🚆 , or bus 🚌
• turn off lights to save electricity 🚫💡

Question 21

How can the government help to mitigate against climate change?

Answer 21

• @ 2015 PARIS AGREEMENT, world leaders pledged to limit warming to below ⬇️ * 1.5c - 2c*
  -invest in clean energy technologies (eg. Wind 💨, solar ⚡️, hydro 🚤 + geothermal 🌋

Question 22

The change in CO2 levels has … (increased/decreased) … over time

Answer 22

INCREASED OVER TIME

Question 23

In 1700 the ppm was…
In 2020 the ppm was…
+ pre 1800…

Answer 23

1700 = 275 ppm

2020 = 415 ppm

+ pre 1800 not much Carbon emissions

Question 24

Note: ONCE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HAPPENED, THERE WAS A MJOR INCREASE IN CO2 LEVELS

Answer 24

Note: ONCE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HAPPENED, THERE WAS A MJOR INCREASE IN CO2 LEVELS

Question 25

What is a positive feedback loop?

Answer 25

- When something happens + (in doing so), causes itself to happen again more intensely; sometimes called a vicious cycle or snowball effect.

Question 26

Give me one example of a positive feedback loop…

Answer 26

EG. Permafrost releases methane into atmosphere, methane is a greenhouse gas which enhances the greenhouse gas - this warms the planet - because the Earth is warmer = more permafrost melts + by melting more permafrost, we start a cycle of having more permafrost on the planet! 🌍

Question 27

Explain the greenhouse effect…

Answer 27

1- some solar radiation is reflected by the Earth and the atmosphere 2- most radiation is absorbed by the earths surface and it warms it 3- some of the *infrared* radiation passes through the atmosphere. 4- some is absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by the gg molecules + the effect of this is to warm the earths surface and the lower atmosphere 5- infrared radiation is emitted by the Earths surface

Question 28

Explain the enhanced greenhouse gas effect…

Answer 28

1- human activity (eg. Burning ff’s) increases the concentration of gg in the atmosphere 2- shortwave radiation passes through the earths atmosphere 3- the earths surface heats up and emits infrared/ long wave radiation 4- more of the outgoing infrared radiation is absorbed into atmosphere 5- less of outgoing infrared radiation escapes into space

Question 29

Evidence for the climate changing =ice

Answer 29

polar ice caps+ sea ice shrinking + thinning (Greenland ice cap shrunk for 25 yrs in a row)

Question 30

Evidence for climate changing = oceans

Answer 30

Sea levels risen (by 10cm since 1993 due to Melting ice caps+ thermal expansion of water molecules)

Question 31

Evidence for climate changing= storms

Answer 31

Climate change has seen an increase in frequency + intensity of storm events (record breaking flooding in Germany 2021 + Pakistan 2022)

Question 32

Evidence for climate changing= drought

Answer 32

rainfall has become more extreme - wet places wetter + dry places drier - more frequent + intense (draught causing famine in Somalia 2023)

Question 33

Evidence for climate changing= extreme heat 🥵

Answer 33

record brealing temps on reg. basis (2022 = UK'S hottest year ever = 40°c recorded)