Science Unit 3 Lesson 8

Question 1

What is the definition of anthropogenic climate disruption?

Answer 1

Disturbance of the climate caused by human activities

Question 2

How much of sun’s energy reaches the crust?

Answer 2

About half

Question 3

What percentage of radiated infrared heat from the crust gets absorbed by GHGs (greenhouse gases)?

Answer 3

These greenhouse gases (GHGs) absorb about 90 percent of the infrared heat and radiate it back toward Earth’s surface.

Question 5

What is the definition of anthropogenic climate disruption?

Answer 5

Disturbance of the climate caused by human activities

Question 6

How much of sun’s energy reaches the crust?

Answer 6

About half

Question 7

What percentage of radiated infrared heat from the crust gets absorbed by GHGs (greenhouse gases)?

Answer 7

These greenhouse gases (GHGs) absorb about 90 percent of the infrared heat and radiate it back toward Earth’s surface.

Question 8

How long can different GHGs stay in the atmosphere?

Answer 8

Several years to several thousand years

Question 9

What is the number one cause of global warming?

Answer 9

Tne burning of fossil fuels

Question 10

In the U.S. what activity produces the largest percentage of CHGs per year?

Answer 10

the transportation sector generates the largest percentage of GHGs per year

Question 11

How much GHGs do transportation sectors produce?

Answer 11

About 30% of all GHGs emissions in the U.S.

Question 12

What kind of GHGs do transportation sectors produce?

Answer 12

Most of the GHG emissions are carbon dioxide generated by the burning of gasoline and diesel fuels in the engines of vehicles. Smaller amounts of methane and nitrous oxide are also part of the emissions. Half of GHG emissions in transportation are from passenger vehicles, such as cars and SUVs.

Question 13

How much GHGs does the production of electricity produce?

Answer 13

The production of electricity generates about 28 percent of the GHGs—mainly carbon dioxide, but also methane and nitrous oxide—emitted per year in the United States.

Question 14

What percentage of electricity emitted in the U.S. is produced by fossil fuels?

Answer 14

About 64 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S. is produced by burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

Question 15

Does coal realse the most co2 when burned?

Answer 15

When it is burned to produce electricity, coal emits the most carbon dioxide of the three main fossil fuels. Coal accounted for about 31 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S., and it emitted 68 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by generating that electricity.

Question 16

coal accounted for about ___ percent of the electricity generated in the U.S.

Answer 16

31%

Question 17

coal emitted __ percent of the carbon dioxide produced by generating that electricity.

Answer 17

68

Question 18

What are direct emissions of GHGs?

Answer 18

Direct emissions of GHGs are emissions that are produced at the factory or other facility. Direct emissions come from burning fossil fuels on-site for power or heat, through chemical reactions, and from leaks from equipment or processes.

Question 19

What are indirct emissions of GHGs?

Answer 19

Indirect emissions of GHGs come from burning fossil fuels off-site to generate electricity that is used on-site at the factory or other facility

Question 20

In 2017, direct emissions of GHGs by industry made up about ____ of all GHGs produced that year in the United States. Add in indirect emissions, and industry is responsible for about _____ of GHG emissions.

Answer 20

In 2017, direct emissions of GHGs by industry made up about ____ of all GHGs produced that year in the United States. Add in indirect emissions, and industry is responsible for about _____ of GHG emissions.

Question 21

How many direct emission of GHGs made up all GHGs produced in 2017?

Answer 21

direct emissions of GHGs by industry made up about 22 percent of all GHGs produced that year in the United States. in 2017

Question 22

How many indirect emission of GHGs made up all GHGs produced in 2017?

Answer 22

indirect emissions, and industry is responsible for about 30 percent of GHG emissions.

Question 23

What are ruminants?

Answer 23

These mammals have four-chambered stomachs that contain methane-producing bacteria. Methane escapes from the animals’ bodies into the atmosphere.

Question 24

What percentage of GHGs emissions from agriculture are methane from ruminants?

Answer 24

about one-third of the GHGs emissions from agriculture are methane from ruminants, mainly cattle and dairy cows.

Question 25

What GHGs do livestock manure emit?

Answer 25

Methane and nitrous oxide emissions

Question 26

Gases released by livestock manure represent about ____ of all agriculture GHG emissions.

Answer 26

Gases released by livestock manure represent about 14 percent of all agriculture GHG emissions.

Question 27

Other ways agriculture releases greenhouse gases?

Answer 27

Gases released by livestock manure represent about ____ of all agriculture GHG emissions.

Question 28

How is the management of soils causing GHGs to be released?

Answer 28

Certain methods of soil management, including the use of both synthetic and organic fertilizers, cause nitrous oxide emissions. Using some irrigation practices and growing crops that fix nitrogen in the soil also release nitrous oxide.

Question 29

GHGs released by soil management caused ____ of all agriculture GHG emissions.

Answer 29

about half

Question 30

What stays in the atmosphere longer? Carbon dioxide or methane.

Answer 30

co2

Question 31

How much GHGs emissions do farm animals account for? (World wide)

Answer 31

About 18%

Question 32

How do the machines that cut down trees affect global warming?

Answer 32

The heavy equipment used to tear down trees and clear brush runs on gasoline or diesel fuels. These fuels are made from petroleum. The combustion of these fuels puts carbon dioxide and other GHGs into the air.

Question 33

How does the cutting down of trees affect gobal warming?

Answer 33

In order to photosynthesize, the trees and other plants have absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for years. They store this carbon in their tissues. When they are torn down and begin to decay, the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Sometimes people burn the trees and brush they have torn down, which also releases carbon dioxide. The GHGs accumulate in the atmosphere. They hold in heat and contribute to climate disruption.

Question 34

Why are rainforests considered carbon sinks?

Answer 34

Rainforests are considered carbon sinks because they are natural environments that absorb and store carbon for long periods of time.

Question 35

Describe the water vapor feedback loop works.

Answer 35

(It’s not directly caused by farming or industry) The warming of the atmosphere causes increased evaporation from the ocean and freshwater sources, so more water vapor is released from Earth’s surface. As the temperature of the atmosphere increases, so does the ability of the atmosphere to hold more water vapor. The increased amount of water vapor in the atmosphere absorbs an increased amount of the infrared heat reflected from Earth’s surface. This further increases the temperature of the atmosphere, which is then able to hold even more water vapor, and the feedback loop continues.

Question 36

Water vapor does increase the temperature of the atmosphere, but it also helps decrease the temperature of the atmosphere. How is that so

Answer 36

Well, the increased water vapor condenses into clouds, which reflect the sun’s radiation back into space instead of allowing it to reach Earth’s surface. Scientists seek to take more accurate measurements of atmospheric water vapor to help them better understand the importance of the feedback loop.