GLOBAL WARMING Flashcards
(40 cards)
- refers to the long-term increase in Earth’s average surface temperature, primarily attributed to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes.
- This is the result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere caused by carbon emissions and release of cfc’s, trapping heat and causing a rise in temperatures worldwide.
- Difference between climate change and global warming
Global warming
refers to a broader spectrum of alterations in global climate patterns, encompassing not only temperature rise but also shifts in rainfall, sea level increase, melting ice caps, intensified weather extremes, and ecosystem
transformations due to long term climate shifts
Climate change
refers to the prolonged rise in Earth’s average surface temperature, caused predominantly by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. To summarize, ______________ is a specific facet of climate change, highlighting temperature escalation, while climate change encompasses a more comprehensive array of shifts occurring in Earth’s climate system.
Global warming
Causes of Global Warming
Greenhouse gases
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Methane (CH4)
- Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
- Water Vapor (H2O)
- Human activities Contributing to Emission:
Energy production
o Fossil Fuel Combustion
o Alternative Energy
Transportation
o Vehicles
o Sustainable transportation
Industrial processes
o Cement production
o Technological innovation
Agricultural
o Livestock
o Fertilizer
o Sustainable agriculture
Industrial processes
o Cement production
o Technological innovation
Agricultural
o Livestock
o Fertilizer
o Sustainable agriculture
- This gas is primarily released through the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. It also stems from deforestation and industrial processes.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- This gas results from agricultural and industrial activities, as well as the combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
- A potent greenhouse gas, methane is emitted during the production and transport of fossil fuels, livestock digestion, and the decay of organic waste in landfills.
Methane (CH4)
- While not directly emitted by human activities, changes in other greenhouse gases can influence water vapor levels, amplifying the overall greenhouse effect
Water Vapor (H2O)
o Fossil Fuel Combustion
o Alternative Energy
Energy production
o Vehicles
o Sustainable transportation
Transportation
o Livestock
o Fertilizer
o Sustainable agriculture
Agricultural
o Refers to the decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining activities. Greatly accelerated by human activities since 1960, deforestation has been negatively affecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and the climate.
o Loss of carbon sink
o Biodiversity impact
Deforestation
o Cement production
o Technological innovation
Industrial processes
- particles also shape the climate as they circulate in the atmosphere. Some of these particles can reflect sunlight, helping to cool the atmosphere. Other aerosol particles absorb heat from sunlight. This causes the atmosphere to warm.
Aerosol
o is a process by which human activities transform the natural landscape, referring to how land has been used, usually emphasizing the functional role of land for economic activities.
o Urbanization
o agricultural expansion
Land-use changes
- is the sooty black material emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel. It comprises a significant portion of particulate matter or PM, which is an air pollutant.
Black Carbon
- Earth’s temperature has risen by an average of 0.14° Fahrenheit (0.08° Celsius) per decade since 1880, or about 2° F in total.
- The rate of warming since 1981 is more than twice as fast: 0.32° F (0.18° C) per decade.
- 2022 was the sixth-warmest year on record based on NOAA’s temperature data.
- The 2022 surface temperature was 1.55 °F (0.86 °Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average of 57.0 °F (13.9 °C) and 1.90 ˚F (1.06 ˚C) warmer than the pre-industrial period (1880-1900).
- The 10 warmest years in the historical record have all occurred since 2010.
Evidence of Global Warming
- Increase in severe weather events
- Increase in the extinction of animals
Consequences of global rising
is fundamental measurement for describing the climate, and the temperature in particular places can have wide-ranging effects on human life and ecosystem.
Temperature
- Sea level rise
- Extreme weather events
- Human cause
- If people keep adding greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at the current rate, the average temperature around the world could increase by about 4 to 12°F by the year 2100.
- If we make big changes, like using more renewable resources instead of fossil fuels, the increase will be less —about 2 to 5°F.
Effects of Global Warming
- It encompasses the reduction in the number of species, their genetic diversity, and the variety of ecosystems they inhabit. The change
of habitats due to rising temperatures creates a challenge for many different species trying to adapt, eventually resulting in a loss of biodiversity.
Biodiversity loss
- Global warming affects natural ecosystems. This means it modifies the timing of seasonal events such as migration and flowering, disrupts food chains, and could lead to an imbalance in the relationship between predators and prey.
Changes in Ecosystem
- Heatwaves, storms, and droughts have an impact on the productivity of agriculture, which can cause food shortages and economies to fall apart in areas where farming is the primary source of income
Agricultural
- People are forced to migrate due to extreme weather events and rising sea levels, which creates social, economic, and political challenges.
Displacement and migration
