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Chapter 18 Study Guide:
Key Terms
Adaptation
Mitigation
Albedo
Carbon offset
ENSO (El Niño/ La Niña)
Global climate change
Greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gas
Kyoto Protocol
Tipping Point
Permafrost
Aerosols
Climate Change Denier
Coral Bleaching
Positive Feedback Loop
Climate Change
Keeling Reports
Milankovitch cycle
Precautionary Principle
Proxy indicator
Climate Modeling
Radiative Forcing
Solar output
Storm surge
Troposphere
Thermohaline circulation
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
United Nations Enviornmental Programm (UNEP)
Introduction to Climate (pp504-511)
1. What was the impact of the 2007 “Fourth Assessment Report” from the IPCC?
2. What is the difference between climate and weather?
3. What is the difference between Climate Change and Global Warming?
4. What are the 2 human activities are largely responsible for current climate changes.
5. What percent of the sun’s radiation is absorbed by the Earth?
6. Explain how greenhouse gases warm the Earth’s atmosphere. Use a diagram in your
explanation.
7. Which layer of the atmosphere are the greenhouse gases warming?
8. Explain why carbon dioxide is the focus of climate change policies even though it is
relatively weak as a greenhouse gas.
9. Draw the carbon cycle and identify the major reservoirs and fluxes of carbon. (Not in
Book)
10. Explain the significance of the Lithosphere reservoirs of carbon and how the
relationship between accumulation rates and release rates affect global climate
change. (Not in book)
11. List the 6 major greenhouse gases and give a natural source and an
anthropogenic source for each.
12. Which Greenhouse gas has increased the most since 1800?
13. Which Greenhouse gas is the most potent per molecule?
14. Which Greenhouse gas is most abundant in the atmosphere?
15. What is the number one source of anthropogenic methane?
16. How do volcanic sulfate aerosols affect the earth’s climate?
17. What surface has the most albedo and why is this important for climate?
18. Describe “Radiative Forcing”
19. Besides Atmospheric Gasses, what are 4 other factors that influence Earth’s climate?
20. Describe the Milankovitch cycles and explain their significance to global climate
change.
21. Describe the ENSO system and explain its significance to global climate change.
22. What environmental harms are caused by the ENSO system?
23. Describe one other thermohaline circulation pattern that affects climate.
24. How does the warming of the oceans affect the environment?
25. Explain how warming bodies of water affects global climate change?
26. Compared to past global warming in earth history, why is the current warming of the
earth causing so much concern?
Evidence and Impacts (pp512-529)
27. How do scientists know that the Earth’s climate has been changing throughout
history?
28. What is the Keeling data and what is its significance?
29. What is the current level of Carbon Dioxide?
30. Using ice cores, how far back can scientists determine greenhouse gas concentration
in the atmosphere?
31. Not counting the current Carbon Dioxide spike, what is the highest level (in ppm) of
Carbon Dioxide measured in the past several hundred thousand years?
32. List 5 ways climate change causes environmental harm.
33. Explain what the IPCC is and its effects on global climate change issues.
34. Examine the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report on page 517 and list an indicator from
each category that you think is of extreme importance or one you were surprised to
learn about.
35. How might climate change affect the spread of diseases?
36. How might climate change affect the ocean’s pH?
37. Describe how deforestation contributes to global climate change.
38. Which part of the world will see the greatest temperature changes?
39. What percent of U.S. land is vulnerable to coastal flooding?
40. What percent of U.S. population is vulnerable to coastal flooding?
Response to Climate Change (pp 512-536)
41. Describe the difference between “Adaptation” and “Mitigation” and give one example
of each.
42. What is the percent of U.S. cities devoted to Automobiles?
43. What is one of the best ways to decrease the use of fossil fuels for transportation?
44. How do subsidies for mass transit affect ridership?
45. Which fossil fuel is responsible for most of the carbon emissions in the U.S.?
46. Rank the top 2 sources of Greenhouse gases in the United States.
47. What percent of automobile fuel is NOT used for moving the car?
48. What percent of U.S. electricity comes from fossil fuel?
49. Describe the “Precautionary Principle” and how it relates to global climate change.
50. Describe how each of the following solutions can help with global climate change:
a. Public Transportation
e. Electric cars
b. Hydroelectric power
f. Federal subsidies for mass transit
c. Hydrogen fuel cell
g. Cap and Trade rules
d. Biodiesel
h. Carbon Offsets
51. Explain the relationship between the UNEP, the IPCC, the UNFCCC and the Kyoto
Treaty.
52. Describe the Kyoto Protocol
53. Describe the major flaws in the Kyoto Protocol.
54. List two countries that have reduced carbon dioxide emissions significantly since the
Kyoto Protocol and two countries that have increased their emissions significantly in
the same time period.
55. Give an example of how cities and states in the U.S. have led the federal government
in making policy affecting global climate change?
56. Compare market solutions of Carbon Offsets and Cap and Trade. Explain how they
work and discuss their limitations.
57. Describe how you would identify your carbon footprint.
58. Describe two positive feedback loops related to climate change.
59. Contrast the Montreal Protocol with the Kyoto Protocol. (Not in book)
60. Describe the difference between Global Warming (The Greenhouse Effect) and
Ozone Depletion (the Hole in the Ozone layer). Also explain why there can be
confusion. (Not in book)