Download Global Climate Change and You

Global Climate Change and
You
By Fred Pollert
Matt Hartman
Bill Heslin
Colleen Kozel
Climate
 Climate is the long term average of a
regions weather events, it describes
temperature and precipitation.
– Ex. New England’s climate is cold and wet
Factors Influencing the Earth’s
Climate
 Solar Radiation
– UV rays, Infrared rays, visible light
 Greenhouse Gases
– Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, CFCs
 Sulfate Aerosols and Global Cooling
 Changes in Ocean Temperature
– Interruptions in ocean currents: El Nino and La Nina
 Milankovitch Cycles
Greenhouse Gases
 Greenhouse gases are particles in the
atmosphere that actually act like the glass
that makes up a greenhouse. They allow
the light to pass through and not radiate
back out, allowing the atmosphere to heat
up without that much heat lost.
Greenhouse Gases Cont.
 Carbon Dioxide
– This most common greenhouse gas, which has
increased about 30% since the Industrial Revolution,
indicates that humans have a significant role in the
globally increased temperature
– Its believed that the main source of carbon dioxide
emissions are through the burning of fossil fuels
– Photosynthesis, a natural process called a sink,
removes gases like this one from the atmosphere
Greenhouse Gases Cont.
 Methane
– Formed when organic compounds decompose
under anaerobic conditions
 Methane levels have more then doubled since preindustrial times due mainly to the worldwide
expansion of wet-rice agriculture and cattle ranching
– Even though less present in the atmosphere it’s
radiative forcing effect is around 20 times more
potent than that of carbon dioxide
Greenhouse Gases Cont.
 Nitrous Oxide
– Formed by bacterial decomposition of organic
matter (fertilizers, forest fires, etc..)
– Levels of this gas have stayed relatively
constant through recent decades
– Nitrous oxides force is 200 times greater than
carbon dioxide
Greenhouse Gases Cont.
 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)
– Once widely used in refrigerators, freezers and
air conditioners
– The most common known CFC used in
Freezers was Freon.
– CFC’s were banned by the Montreal Protocol in
1996
– This is because CFC’s are 10,000 times more
potent than carbon dioxide
Greenhouse Gases Cont.
 Ozone
– Most commonly overlooked greenhouse gas
– Naturally occurs in the stratosphere
– Forms ozone shield around the Earth, and
blocks out harmful UV radiation
– When present in troposphere, it causes
temperature inversions (ex. Smog over LA)
Greenhouse Gases Cont.
 Water Vapor can act as a greenhouse gas
or heat reflector
– While in the upper atmosphere the highelevation cirrus clouds act as greenhouse gases
while the more lower-level cloud (cumulus
clouds) reflect solar radiation
– With increased global warming, comes
increased precipitation, leading to more water
vapor in the atmosphere
Contributors to Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse Effect
 The Greenhouse Effect is the natural
warming process that results from the
emission of greenhouse gases
Greenhouse Effect cont.
 Greenhouse gases are not completely bad.
Without them our planet would be seemingly
lifeless, something close to that of Mars.
 The problem is there are high amounts in
our atmosphere today, creating a warming
situation
 The EPA, under the Clean Air Act, is
regulating U.S. emissions since 1970
Environmental Impacts
 15 – 30% of all species could be driven to
extinction by 2050 due to climate change
– Penguin populations have shrunk by 33% in parts of
Antarctica due to a lack of an ice habitat
 279 species of plants and animals are already
responding to the dire effects of global warming
 Species are migrating at a rate of 4 miles a
decade away from the equator to escape an
increase in global temperature
Environmental Impacts Cont.
 The Arctic ice pack has lost about 40
percent of its thickness over the past four
decades.
 Global sea level is rising about three times
faster over the past 100 years compared
with the previous 3,000 years.
Global Cooling
 Sulfate aerosols that are both naturally
occurring in volcanoes and human influence
 Instead of greenhouse gases these particles
have the opposite effect, actually reflecting
solar radiation (heat) back into space
 Aside from volcanic eruptions Sulfate
aerosols originate from sulfur containing
fossil fuels, coal fired industrial boilers, and
coal smelting of metal ores
How climate is changing.
 The temperature has risen on average
about 1ºF over the past 100 years.
 Sea level has risen 4-8 inches.
 The 10 warmest years all occurred in the
last 15 years and 1998 was the warmest
year on record.
Global Warming
 Global Warming is an average increase in
Earth’s temperature, which in turn causes
changes in climate.
– Leads to high impacts on plant, animal and
human life.
Global Warming in the Arctic:
A Case Study
 The Arctic is receiving some of the most
severe climate change on Earth.
 Over the next 100 years, climate change is
expected to accelerate, contributing to
major, physical, ecological, social and
economic changes, many of which have
already begun.
Global Warming in the Arctic:
A Case Study
 Greenhouse effect is already devastating
the polar bear and arctic bird populations.
Global Warming in the Arctic:
A Case Study
 In some places the ice is starting to thaw as
much as 3 months early.
– In 2001 12 hunters had to be rescued when a
piece of ice broke off and floated out to sea.
 Permafrost stabilizes the ground which
supports the shorelines against fierce Arctic
storms. As the permafrost warms and
thaws, that buffer dissolves, and shorelines
are retreating by several feet each year.
Future of the Earth’s Climate
 High Emission Scenario
– Assumes that the world population growth will
continue at current rates and energy demand
will continue to be met by fossil fuels. In this
scenario, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will
more than double in the next hundred years.
Future of the Earth’s Climate
 Mid-Range Emission Scenario
– Assumes that population growth will slow to
about 1 percent per year and energy will
depend largely on fossil fuels. In this scenario
by 2100, carbon dioxide levels will be around
1.5 times the current level.
Future of the Earth’s Climate
 Low Emission Scenario
– Assumes that the global population will stabilize
around 6 billion and the use of fossil fuels will
decline to their 1995 levels. In this scenario
carbon dioxide levels will decrease slightly.
Future of the Earth’s Climate
 If the High Emission Scenario prevails
– Average global temperature will rise 2.7-8.1º F.
– Mountain snow cover, glaciers, and a significant
fraction of continental ice caps and sea ice will
diminish.
– Average sea level will rise 4-16 inches.
– Flooding in some areas and drought in others.
– A greater potential for heat- related illnesses
and deaths, as well as wider spread infectious
diseases carried by insects and rodents.
Future of the Earth’s Climate
 If the High Emission Scenario prevails cont.
– Agriculture, fishing, and wildlife will be affected
in unpredictable ways.
– Climate change may also increase rates of
species extinction
– Warmer seas are likely to spawn more frequent,
more intense, and more destructive storm
events such as tornadoes and hurricanes.
Current Efforts to Minimize
Global Warming
 Limiting dependence on fossil fuels.
– Shifting industries and utilities from coal to
natural gas is one way energy efficiency can be
enhanced. Natural gas is rich in hydrogen and
yields more energy per unit of fuel than coal,
thereby lessening carbon dioxide emissions.
– Converting conventional coal and oil furnaces to
natural gas would increase efficiency from 5090 percent.
Current Efforts to Minimize
Global Warming
 Shifting to alternate forms of energy
– Wind Power Installations are reliable and cost
effective
– Photovoltaic solar powered projects such as the
U.S. “million solar roofs” program
– Solar Photovoltaic installations in Canada to
power coastguard telecommunication devices
and meet residential electricity requirements
– Hydrogen Gas, Fuel cell powered concept cars.
Current Efforts to Minimize
Global Warming
 Kyoto Protocol 1997
– More than 160 countries drafted a strong global
warming treaty, which established reductions in
carbon dioxide emissions that would be met by
2010.
What You Can Do
 Save Electricity
– Remember to turn off lights when you leave a
room.
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Bike, Bus, and Walk
Plant Trees
Recycle
By products that support a healthier
environment