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Climate Change
Name: ______________________________Date: ________________________Period: _______
Weather vs. Climate
The earth’s climate is dependent on the _______________________ over a long period of time.
__________________ is what is happening now or in the near ___________________. Weather
includes: temperature, ______________________, wind & ______________________.
Climate refers to the ___________________weather over a long period of time.
Variability is the changes that occur in daily _________________________ & _______________.
Although an area's climate is always ____________________________, the changes do not usually
occur on a time scale that's immediately __________________________ to us.
Weather _________________and climate types take similar elements into account, the most
important of which are:

The ______________________ of the air

The ________________________ of the air

The type and amount of _______________________

Air __________________________

Wind ___________________ and direction
Although weather and climate are ________________, they are very much interrelated.
A change in one weather __________________ often produces _______________________ in the
others and in the region's climate.
For example, if the average temperature over a region increases significantly, it can affect the
amount of cloudiness as well as the type and amount of precipitation that occur. If these
changes occur over long periods of time, the average climate values for these elements will
also be affected.
Good and _______________________ weather records have only been recorded for the last
_________ years.
Scientists use the following techniques to find the climate of the earth’s past.
1. Clues in the ______________
a. Looking for tiny _______ __________________________ that form when greenhouse
gasses are emitted.
b. Also looking for ________________ particles to indicate when forest fires happened
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2. Clues in the Sediment
a. Often have stored _______________ _______________, plant arts that grew in the past
3. Clues in the _______________ rings
All of these methods provide clues to past temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns as well as
the chemical make-up of the ____________________________.
Greenhouse Gas Effect
Greenhouses are structures that are designed to hold in ___________________. The heat-trapping
ability of a ______________________________ is influenced by several factors:
1. Transparency of the greenhouse _______________________
2. _______________________ of inside surfaces
3. Types of surfaces on the _______________________
The earth’s atmosphere acts like an ____________________ blanket that is just the right
___________________. The “blanket” is a collection of __________________ gases called
________________________ _________________ that trap heat just like the glass walls of a
greenhouse.
While the _____________________ temperature is dependent upon the greenhouse-like action, the
amount of _______________________& cooling are also influenced by several factors:
1. Type of _________________ that the sunlight first encounters
a. Forests, grasslands, _______________, ice caps, deserts & cities all absorb and reflect
light differently
b. __________________ falling on white glaciers will strongly ________________ back into
space.
c. Sunlight falling on a ____________________ desert soil is______________________
2. __________________ _________________
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Greenhouses Gases
Greenhouse gases – any gas in the atmosphere capable of absorbing infrared radiation (heat)
reflected from the _______________________ surface
Greenhouse Gas
Carbon dioxide
Water vapor
Nitrous oxide
Methane
CFCs
Sources
Burning fossil fuels, plant matter, ________________,
volcanic eruptions
___________________________ (water cycle)
____________________ _________________,
burning fossil fuels & wood, agricultural soil
(nitrification & denitrification)
Decomposition, __________________ waste,
decomposing waste in landfills
______________________ & industrial processes
Global Warming vs. Climate Change
1) Global warming: trend towards __________________ temperatures. 10 warmest years on record
have occurred since 1990.
2) Global climate change: changes in ______________________, temperatures, storm intensity.
Global warming can lead to global climate change.
Proof….
1) 20th century was hottest on record
2) Since 1861, average global temperature has risen between 1o- 1.4o F (most of that has been since
1980)
3) 16 hottest years on record have been since 1980, 10 hottest have been since 1990.
4) Glaciers and sea ice are _______________.
5) Sea level rising (4 to 8 inches)
Factors affecting Earth’s temps
1) Oceans can store _____________ and CO2, but no one knows how much.
2) Cloud cover: can ______________ by trapping and releasing heat or cool by reflecting heat back
to space (albedo effect)!
3) Outdoor air pollution: ______________can either warm or cool the atmosphere (much like
clouds)
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4) Stimulate photosynthesis: more CO2 can temporarily cause higher _______________________.
Temporary because plants will “level off” and die, releasing their CO2
5) __________________ trapped under ice is released when the ice melts.
Implications of Climate Change:
1) Plant _____________ changes
2) Water supply
3) Diseases
4) ___________ quality
5) Displaced pollution
6) Droughts/______________
7) Glaciers melting
8) _____________ levels rising
9) Warmer water temps
10______________________ __________________
– Algae & coral are losing their bright colors…b/c the algae are dying from the warm
temps.
10) Ocean acidity
11) ___________________ patterns
12) Food production
13) Desertification
– An area experiencing desert like condition… lack of water, etc.
How can we respond to climate change?
1. Use and production of ____________________
a. Efficiency and conservation
b. Alternative sources – Wind, ___________, hydroelectric
2. Transportation
a. Efficiency of _________________
b. Drive less….public transportation
3. Agriculture and Forestry
a. Soil and forest absorb _______________ _______________
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b. Careful ______________ practices can keep soil in place to help it hold ______________.
c. Trees ______________to replace those that are cut down.
4. Cap-and-Trade
a. Government put a _____________ or cap on the amount of ______________gases that
can be released by an industry.
b. If industry releases less than they are allowed to _________their “allowances” to another
company.
5. Carbon Tax
a. A _________that a government changes polluters for each unit of ______________gases
they emit.
b. European countries have done this.
c. Downside…extra __________ passed on to the _______________.
6. Carbon Offsets
a. Instead of ____________greenhouse gas emissions, an industry or person voluntarily
_____________ another group or person do to so.
b. Example: Someone taking an airplane ride…feels guilty about the amount of greenhouse
gases emitted so pays an organization to plant trees that will absorb ________________ to
compensate for the emissions used by the plane.
7. Carbon Sequestration
a. Way to ________________ and store carbon
b. Stored __________________but no guarantee that is may not ___________out
8. Kyoto Protocol
a. Is an international agreement that seeks to limit ___________________ gas emissions
b. The treaty is ____________ which means the countries that signed it __________commit
to reducing greenhouse gases.
c. The US did __________ sign the treaty.
9. Copenhagen Accord
a. Developed nations pay billions of ____________ to developing nations to fund the
___________________of greenhouse gases.
b. Developed nations also agreed to set specific ______________for emission reduction by
2020.
c. This is not a binding treaty & a disappointment to most nations.
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Climate change
Definition
Evidence of CC
Climate
Change
Implications
Solutions
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CLIMATE CHANGE READINGS
Article: What is Climate Change & How is it Changing?
1. Define climate change.
2. What is a carbon sink?
3. List 2 places where you would find a carbon sink.
4. Define Greenhouse effect.
5. List 3 examples of greenhouse gases.
6. How is carbon dioxide related to climate change? (Hint: Greenhouse effect!)
7. List three activities that you did today (or within the last week) that emitted greenhouse gases.
8. List three specific ways that you can personally reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
9. Imagine yourself 50 years from now. What do you want the earth to look like in 50 years?
10. What are some steps you can take now to ensure your vision of the future?
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Article: What Size is Your Footprint?
1. Explain why you think carbon footprints for high & low income countries are so different.
2. Name three benefits to you & your family from reducing your carbon footprint.
3. What is one way YOU can reduce your footprint today, with little or no effort?
4. What, if anything, is stopping you from making this footprint reduction? How can you overcome this
obstacle?
Article: Save Your Energy!
1. What are some ideas for reducing greenhouse gas emission from transportation?
2. What are some ways to reduce greenhouse gas from in our homes and schools?
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3. Which of these ideas do you think could contribute the most to mitigating climate change? Why do
you think it would have the largest impact? Will it be easy or difficult to implement and why??
4. Why might it be difficult for everyone to buy energy efficient appliances or hybrid cars?
5. What actions can everyone do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Article: Climate Justice
1. Define Desertification.
2. Why do you think malnutrition is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be the most
important factor affecting human health?
3. What additional problems could result from large numbers of people becoming malnourished?
4. Name some consequences that might result from increased migration due to rising sea levels &
changing environmental conditions.
a. Economic: ________________________________________________________
b. Social: ___________________________________________________________
c. Environmental: ____________________________________________________
5. What are some humane ways to encourage a reduction in our population size?
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6. List three ways that a population could help reduce the impacts of climate change?
Article: What’s Happening Out There
1.
Explain the cap & trade system.
2. What is carbon offset?
3. Do you think local climate change initiatives are as important as international initiatives? Explain
your answer.
4. Why do some businesses prefer a cap & trade system to other means of reducing greenhouse gas
emission?
5. Do you think carbon offsets are a good way to reduce our negative climate impacts?
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Carbon Footprint
EQ’s: How can we respond to climate change?
Today you are going to calculate YOUR carbon footprint. Click on the following link and begin to discover.
www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator
1. Calculate YOUR carbon footprint….just for yourself!!!
2. Answer all the questions to the best of your knowledge
3. Your estimated emissions: ______________________________
4. What is the US average per person? ________________________
5. What is the World average per person? _______________________
6. List 5 ways in which YOU could reduce your carbon footprint.
Now, visit the EPA website & use their calculator to see how you can reduce your carbon footprint.
At the end, record how much carbon dioxide you have saved and how many cars that equals.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/calc/index.html#calc=instructions
1. Your total savings of CO2: ____________________ pounds
2. This is equivalent from the emissions of car driving ___________________ miles.
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Climate Change
SLM
Class:
Mrs. Sim
ECOLOGY
Unit Essential Question(s):
Optional
What are the causes
and consequences of a
warming Earth?
Instructional Tools:
Carbon footprint
Greenhouse gas experiment
Climate change videos
Climate change articles
Climate change project
Cap & Trade Activity
Concept
Climate
Concept
Global impacts of
climate change
Concept
Global impacts of
Concept
Personal Action
climate change
Lesson Essential Questions:
Lesson Essential Questions:
What factors
What evidence shows
What are the impacts
How can we respond
determine Earth’s
that global climate
of climate change?
to climate change?
climate?
change is occurring
Lesson Essential Questions:
Lesson Essential Questions:
and why it’s
happening?
Vocabulary:
Greenhouse gasses
Carbon dioxide
Water vapor
CFCs
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Methane
Fossil fuels
Ecosystem
Variability
Vocabulary:
Global climate change
Global warming
Vocabulary:
Desertification
Coral bleaching
Vocabulary:
Carbon footprint
Cap and trade system
Carbon offset
Carbon tax
Kyoto Protocol
Climate
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