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Flashcards in Climate and Change Deck (24)
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1
Q

Name all the natural causes of climate change

A

1)Eruption theory
2)Meteors
3)Changes in solar output
4)Circle to ellipse
5)Axis theory
6)Wobble theory
(Milankovitch cycles^^ 4-6)

2
Q

How does eruption theory work, how long does it last and the effect on the earths climate?

A
  • Volcano erupts and sends particles into the stratosphere, aerosols reflect solar energy back into atmosphere, ash blocks out sun
  • Can last days, months or years
  • Mountain in Philippines in 1991 released 10km3 of ash and cooled the world by 0.4 degrees
3
Q

How do meteors work, how long does it last and the effect on the earths climate?

A
  • Large meteors crash into earth and trigger natural disasters, total extinction
  • Extremely random and rare
  • When the dinosaurs became extinct
4
Q

How do sun spots work, how long does it last and the effect on the earths climate?

A
  • Higher number of sunspots, hotter earth is
  • Most active over last 60 years out of 1150 year period
  • 1645 & 1715, fewer sunspots seen and links to mini ice age
5
Q

How does circle- ellipse cycle work, how long does it last and the effect on the earths climate?

A
  • Earths orbit changes shape, circle to ellipse, varies sun exposure
  • Changes shape every 100,000 years
  • Changes earths temp by 5-8 degrees, start or end an ice age
6
Q

How does axis theory work, how long does it last and the effect on the earths climate?

A
  • Earths axis tilts, varies sun light exposure
  • 41,000 years to switch from straight to tilt
  • Changes earths temp by 2-3 degrees
7
Q

How does wobble theory work, how long does it last and the effect on the earths climate?

A
  • Spinning fast allows earth to stay straight, but slower and it wobbles
  • 26,000 years to switch between wobble and straight
  • Makes summers hotter or winters colder
8
Q

What factors on the global and local have increased the emissions of greenhouse gases?

A
GLOBAL SCALE
Fossil fuels being burnt
Agriculture and growing demand for meat (like in Chinas developing middle class)
Global trade
LOCAL SCALE
Domestic energy use growth
Increased car driving
9
Q

Facts about CO2

A

o From burning fossil fuels and deforestation
o Increased by 30% since 1850
o More power stations are used to meet energy needs, more cars used

10
Q

Facts about methane

A

o From gas pipeline leaks, farming rice and cattle
o Increased by 250% since 1850
o Increased demand for agricultural meat and the retrieval of fossil fuels

11
Q

How has the effects of climate change affected sea level rise?

A

Bangladesh

  • By 2050, 15% of coasts will be underwater
  • Thousands of people live in tents
  • Broken embankments
  • Thousands rely on charities
  • Salty land
12
Q

How has the effects of climate change affected crop yields?

A
  • Egypt is predicted to lose 15% of wheat crops by 2050
  • Increased temps by 4 degrees will cause 9 million more children to become malnourished by 2050 in South East Asia
  • Food prices fall as better conditions for African crops so increased supply
13
Q

How has the effects of climate change affected coral reefs?

A

Great Barrier Reef

  • Flood on the coast cause polluted sea water from tourists
  • 1500 fish species there that migrate to cooler water
  • 360 hard coral species that become stressed and bleach in warm waters
  • 22 species of shore bird starve when fish migrate
  • Cyclones break up coral reefs
14
Q

What are the arguments that natural causes are to blame for climate change?

A

₪ Some warming since 1979 but cause from urban heat island effect
₪ Global increase of 0.8 degrees since 1900
₪ Warming periods of earths history came 800 years before rise in CO2 levels
₪ After WW2, lots of CO2 was produced but global temps fell for 4 decades

15
Q

What are the arguments that humans are to blame for climate change?

A

☯ Warmest period since 1997 is the last ten years
☯ Medieval warm period is patchy thus unreliable
☯ Arctic is at its warmest since last 2000 years
☯ Solar forcing cant be responsible as it doesn’t match greenhouse gases

16
Q

What are the arguments that we should act now about climate change?

A

◎ 80% of economic cost will affect LICs, like America will experience more tropical storms
◎Water supplies in Peru and China are threatened
◎ HICs need to help LICs by providing flood defences
◎ Climate change could reduce LICs economy by up to 19% by 2030 if actions aren’t taken now

17
Q

What are the arguments for do nothing about climate change?

A

◇ Global warming could be preventing another ice age given the general cooling trend of the Holocene
◇Every little climate change is blamed on effects of global warming not natural increases
◇ Coral reefs vanished until 225 million years ago until todays reefs were built, allowed opportunities for smaller things to live
◇ Acting now is expensive

18
Q

What are the national/ local responses to climate change?

A

Car shares
Allotments
British gas smart meters
Recycling

19
Q

What are the problems with global strategies?

A

☼ Cutting emissions by same amount leave India with very little
☼ Renewable energy is caro y unreliable
☼ Not all countries sign up
☼ Voluntary emission cutting was never going to be a success

20
Q

Summarise IPCC

A
  • 1988 by UN
  • Showed earth warmed by 0.5˚ over last 100 years
  • Role of meeting was to assess existing knowledge
21
Q

Summarise Earth Summit

A
  • 1992 in Rio
  • UNFCC was signed by 154 countries
  • Voluntarily decrease emissions
22
Q

Summarise Kyoto

A
  • 1997

* 178 countries signed a treaty agreeing that HICs cut emissions by 5%, came into play in 2005

23
Q

Summarise Bali Conference

A
  • 2007
  • IPCC confirmed theres a 90% chance that last 50 year climate change was from humans
  • Negotiated a deal to be finalised in 2009 which would replace Kyoto
24
Q

Summarise Paris

A
  • 2015
  • 195 countries aim to limit global warming to 2˚C, enter force in 2020
  • EU is aiming to cut emissions by 40% by 2030
  • Countries like China and USA signed up which is a massive step forward