Climate Change Week 1

Question 1

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Answer 1

Chemical that can be used for cooling refrigerators and air conditioners

Question 2

Montreal Protocol

Answer 2

A commitment by 24 nations to reduce CFC production by 50% by the year 2000

Question 3

Greenhouse Effect

Answer 3

Absorption of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases and reradiation of the enrgy back toward Earth

Question 4

Greenhouse Warming Potential (GWP)

Answer 4

An estimate of how much a molecule of any compound can contribute to global warming over a period of 100 years relative to one molecule of CO2

Question 5

Ocean Acidification

Answer 5

A process in which an increase in ocean CO2 causes more CO2 to be converted to carbonic acid, which lowers the pH of the water

Question 6

Kyoto Protocol

Answer 6

An international agreement that sets a goal for global emissions of greenhous gases from all industrialized countries to be reduced by 5.2% below their 1990 levels by 2012

Question 7

Paris Climate Agreement

Answer 7

A pledge by 196 countries to keep global warming less than 2oC above pre-industrial levels. Also known as the Paris Climate Accord.

Question 8

Anthropogenic

Answer 8

A process or result generated by human beings.

Question 9

Carbon Sequestration

Answer 9

The process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in a fixed molecule in soil, oceans, or plants.

Question 10

Carbon Source

Answer 10

An organism or landscape that emits carbon into the atmosphere.

Question 11

Carbon Sink

Answer 11

An organism or landscape that stores carbon.

Question 12

Emissions

Answer 12

Substances released into the air that are measured by their concentrations or parts per million in the atmosphere.

Question 13

Methane

Answer 13

A greenhouse gas that is produced by the disgestive systems of livestock and decomposition in landfills.

Question 14

Nitrous Oxide

Answer 14

A greenhouse gas that is produced from animal waste, and nitrogen fertilizers in soil.

Question 15

Ground Level Ozone

Answer 15

A greenhouse gas found in the troposphere. It is produced through reactions between nitrous oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when burning coal, gasoline and other fuels. Ozone consists of three oxygen atoms and is the main component of smog.

Question 16

Greenhouse Gases (ghg)

Answer 16

Gases in Earth’s atmosphere that raise the temperature of our planet, including carbon dioxide and methane. They create a layer in the Earth’s atmosphere which traps heat and keeps it in, contributing to global warming.

Question 17

Fossil Fuels

Answer 17

A term for non-renewable energy sources including coal, oil and gas. These were created over millions of years by the decomposition of plant and animal matter.

Question 18

Renewable Energy

Answer 18

Energy from sources that are naturally and constantly renewed. Wind and solar power are examples of renewable energy.

Question 19

Net zero

Answer 19

Net zero means reaching a place where human activity is not adding more carbon to our atmosphere than planet Earth is naturally able to absorb and store.

Question 20

Climate Change Adaptation

Answer 20

Action taken to help people or wildlife deal with the impacts of climate change.

Question 21

Sustainable

Answer 21

A product, process or action whose use can be continued without depleting the Earth’s natural resources and avoiding harm to the environment or people.

Question 22

Carbon Footprint

Answer 22

The total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide) that the actions of an individual, an organisation, a nation etc. produce.

Question 23

Gloabl Warming

Answer 23

An increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature that occurs when the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases.

Question 24

Climate Change

Answer 24

The long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land.

Question 25

Climate Change Mitigation

Answer 25

Any action taken by governments, businesses, or people to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions, or to enhance carbon sinks that remove these gases from the atmosphere.

Question 26

Nature-Based Solutions

Answer 26

Actions to protect, conserve, restore, and sustainably use and manage ecosystems to support climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, preserve biodiversity, and enable sustainable livelihoods.

Question 27

Reforestation

Answer 27

The process of replanting trees in areas that had recent tree cover but where forests were lost, due to wildfires, drought, disease, or human activity such as agricultural clearing.

Question 28

Afforestation

Answer 28

The process of planting trees in areas that have not been forested in recent history.

Question 29

Anthropocene

Answer 29

The proposed term for the current period of time during which human activities have had a significant environmental impact on the Earth due to climate change and altering ecosystems.

Question 30

Carbon-Neutral

Answer 30

The amount of carbon dioxide put into the air does not exceed the amount of carbon dioxide taken out of the air.

Question 31

Carbon Offset

Answer 31

An action to make up for another action that causes carbon dioxide to be put into the air; e.g., an airline that donates money to biofuel research to offset the carbon dioxide being spewed into the air by its planes.

Question 32

De-carbonize

Answer 32

Create less carbon dioxide gas by switching to cleaner fuels, e.g., use solar power or wind power instead of burning fossil fuels for electricity.

Question 33

Deforestation

Answer 33

Cutting down a large number of trees in a forest to use the wood for lumber, or to clear the land for farming or building

Question 34

Albedo

Answer 34

The reflective power of an object or surface. For instance, ice and fresh snow have a high albedo, ranging from 40-80%. This means that they reflect 40-80% of the incoming sunlight. The ocean is darker, so it has an albedo of less than 10%

Question 35

Carbonic Acid (H2CO3)

Answer 35

This acid is formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in water, causing an increase in the acidity of the water.

Question 36

pH

Answer 36

pH is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity of a solution on a scale from 0 to 14, in which 7 represents neutrality. A lower value indicates a more acidic solution whereas a higher value means a more alkaline one.