Hydrogen Production and Energy Sources Quiz

Greenhouse Effect

• The Earth's atmosphere contains gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) that absorb and release heat, warming the atmosphere.
• These gases are called greenhouse gases.
• They allow visible light and some infrared/ultraviolet radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere.
• The Earth's surface absorbs this radiation and emits longer wavelength infrared radiation (heat).
• Some heat escapes into space, while the rest is absorbed by greenhouse gases and re-emitted into the lower atmosphere.
• This natural warming effect of the troposphere is the natural greenhouse effect, which is essential for maintaining Earth's surface temperature.

Global Climate Change

• Global warming is a human-enhanced warming of the atmosphere.
• Climate change is a long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns naturally occurring over time.
• However, the last 200 years witnessed human activities as a primary driver of climate change, primarily driven by industrial activities.
• Even a small change in temperature of 1-2°C can result in significant shifts in weather and climate patterns.

More Frequent and Severe Weather

• Warmer temperatures are increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves, posing risks to elderly and young children.
• Warmer air holds more moisture, leading to extreme weather events, including droughts, intense storms and floods.
• Drought conditions lead to water shortages, wildfires, and dust storms.
• Heavier rains can cause flooding, property damage, contamination of drinking water, and mold infestation.
• Increased warmth promotes health risks such as waterborne and foodborne illnesses, and spreading of disease-carrying insects.

Melting Ice Caps

• Approximately 90% of solar radiation hitting snow and ice is reflected back into space.
• Global warming leads to the increase in melting snow and ice in summer, exposing darker land and ocean surfaces.
• Darker surfaces absorb more solar radiation, releasing heat into the atmosphere causing more melting.

Melting Permafrost

• Global warming is causing permafrost in polar regions to thaw.
• This thawing releases carbon locked in the soil, producing carbon dioxide and methane, which enhances warming.

Higher Air Pollution

• Rising temperatures worsen air pollution by increasing ground-level ozone.
• Ground-level ozone is a major component of smog and results in higher hospital admission rates and death rates for asthmatics with cardiac/pulmonary issues.
• Warmer temperatures also increase pollen count, causing problems for those with hay fever or allergies.

More Acidic Oceans

• Increased CO2 emissions are absorbed by oceans, increasing ocean acidity.
• This poses a threat to underwater life, particularly sea creatures with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons (mollusks, crabs, corals).
• Shellfisheries and industries that depend on these creatures face impacts.

Rising Sea Levels

• Global sea levels have risen by about 8 inches since 1880, at a rate of 1-2 mm per year.
• This increase is the result of melted land ice and warming seawater.
• The rise in sea level threatens coastal areas and island nations.
• Many major coastal cities like New York, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Miami face risks.

Higher Death Rates

• Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.
• It leads to an increase in illnesses, emergency room visits and mortality, especially among the vulnerable (children, elderly, low-income, and minority communities).
• Climate change impacts affect wildlife species, both terrestrial and aquatic.
• This leads to an increase in wildlife extinction rates.

Causes of Global Climate Change

• Human activities are the main cause of warming since the 1950s, exceeding natural climate variability.
• Activities like burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture are primary contributors; these release significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) gases into the atmosphere.
• CO2 levels are at a record high of 414.8 ppm, not observed for millions of years.

Reflectivity or Absorption of the Sun's Energy

• Human activities such as agriculture, road construction, and deforestation alter the Earth's surface reflectivity.
• Darker objects (soil, ocean, forests) absorb more sunlight. Lighter objects (snow, clouds) reflect more sunlight.
• Changes in the earth's surface and reflectivity impact temperature locally.
• Heat islands result from urban centers absorbing more sunlight than surrounding, less populated areas.

Changes in the Earth's Orbit and Rotation

• Changes in the Earth's orbit and axis of rotation affect the intensity of sunlight on the planet over long periods of time.
• This is linked to climate cycles, including ice ages and interglacial periods of warmer temperatures.

Variations in Solar Activity

• Variations in solar energy output affect the intensity of sunlight reaching the Earth.
• Measured solar energy output has not increased despite rising temperatures.

Volcanic Activity

• Volcanic eruptions inject particles (e.g., sulfur dioxide) into the upper atmosphere, reflecting sunlight back into space, causing temporary cooling of the Earth's surface.

Changes in Naturally Occurring Carbon Dioxide Concentrations

• Over hundreds of thousands of years, carbon dioxide naturally varies along with glacial cycles (higher in warm periods, lower in cold glacial periods).
• These variations amplify temperature changes caused by long-term shifts in Earth's orbit.

Kyoto Protocol & Paris Agreement

• The UNFCCC is an international treaty to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system".
• The Kyoto Protocol (1997) was the first attempt to implement legally binding measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for developed countries.
• The Paris Agreement (2015) set a global goal to limit the rise in global temperatures, with no enforceable targets for individual countries.

Melting Ice Caps

• When solar radiation hits snow and ice, approximately 90% of it is reflected back into space.
• As global warming causes more snow and ice to melt, darker surfaces absorb more of the solar radiation, releasing heat into the atmosphere causing more melting.

Melting Permafrost Releases Greenhouse Gases

• Global warming causes soils in polar regions to thaw, releasing trapped carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, causing more warming.

Higher Air Pollution

• Rising temperatures worsen air pollution by increasing ground-level ozone.
• Ground-level ozone is a major component of smog.
• Warmer temperatures also increase airborne pollen, causing problems for people with allergies.

More Acidic Oceans

• Increased CO2 emissions are absorbed by oceans, increasing ocean acidity.
• This poses a threat to underwater life, particularly organisms with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons.
• Shellfisheries and related industries face impacts.

Rising Sea Levels

• Global sea levels have risen by about 8 inches since 1880, at a rate of 1-2 mm per year.
• The result of melted land ice and warming seawater and poses a serious threat to coastal areas and island nations.

Test your knowledge on hydrogen production methods, the Paris Agreement, and energy sources. This quiz covers important concepts such as steam reforming, thermochemical processes, and the environmental impacts of energy consumption. Challenge yourself and see how well you understand these critical environmental topics!