Climate Change Handout PDF

# CONNECTIONS ## HANDOUT - climate change ## Human activities and climate change As previously discussed, global warming is the process where the Earth's average temperature is increasing, due to gases in the atmosphere trapping in heat that normally bounces back into space. This warming effect i...

# CONNECTIONS ## HANDOUT - climate change ## Human activities and climate change As previously discussed, global warming is the process where the Earth's average temperature is increasing, due to gases in the atmosphere trapping in heat that normally bounces back into space. This warming effect is called the Greenhouse Effect. This warming causes climate change (another environmental term used today). Climate change is a term used more often because although the Earth is warming up on average, certain climates are becoming colder, hotter, drier and wetter than they were before. Even a change in 1°C have a major impact. By the end of this century, the Earth might be warmer by as much as 4°C. ### Gases that can trap in this heat in our atmosphere are called greenhouse gases. * The most important ones are H₂O vapour and CO₂. * Other gases are methane (CH₄), ozone from the troposphere (O₃), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) ### Many human activities produce these greenhouse gases: * Burning fossil fuels for energy (coal, oil, gas) produces large amounts of CO₂ and deforestation adds to the problem (trees absorb CO₂). This is a huge contributor to the problem. * Methane (CH₄) is a powerful greenhouse gas and is produced by processes like domesticating farm animals, disposal and treatment of garbage, agriculture, oil and gas operations. * Fertilizers and industrial/waste management increase nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. | Sector | Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector (%) | |--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| | Industrial Processes | 16.8 | | Power Stations | 21.3 | | Transportation fuels | 14.0 | | Agricultural Byproducts | 12.5 | | Fossil fuel retrieval, processing, and distribution | 11.3 | | Waste disposal and treatment | 3.4 | | Land use and biomass burning | 10.0 | | Residential, commercial, and other sources | 10.3 | ## IMPACTS of climate change ### GLOBALLY * Hotter temperatures * More severe storms (increased heat gives storms more energy, like hurricanes and tornadoes) * Increased flooding and increased drought (water is becoming more scarce all over the world) * A warming, rising ocean * Loss of species/biodiversity * Food insecurity/shortages * More health risks (changing weather patterns are causing many diseases to spread) ### LOCALLY * Worsening air and water quality * Extreme weather events * Triggered heat-related health impacts in cities (concrete absorbs and holds more heat energy) * Decline in local water supplies * Decline in local agricultural production * Living in areas near the sea shore (storms, sea level rise, localized flooding) * Climate change makes it more expensive to insure homes or valuable assets in risk-prone areas, or insurance is denied altogether. ### INDIGENOUS PEOPLE * Harder for tribes to access safe and nutritious food, including traditional foods, and traditional lands are lost. * Limited access to safe drinking water (climate change is expected to increase water contamination and availability). * Cultural identity is affected as plants and animals used in traditional practices or sacred ceremonies become less available. * Climate change is felt much more in Arctic regions. Communities are disappearing because of melting permafrost, and lack of sea ice is forcing hunters to stay close to shore. * Weather pattern changes creates climate-related infectious diseases. ## GLOBAL WARMING Under ideal conditions, the combustion of hydrocarbons (fuels) produces only CO₂ and H₂O. But ideal conditions rarely exist. If not enough heat or O₂ is present, or the fuels aren't "clean", other pollutants are produced too. But carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the main issue when it comes to global warming. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) produces this gas in huge amounts each year. Last year on Earth we burned 97,000,000 barrels of oil products a DAY. This translates to 354,000,000,000 barrels consumed per year (3.54 billion). ### CO₂ prevents the Sun’s energy from bouncing off the Earth back into outer space. This is called the GREENHOUSE EFFECT because the Earth warms up slowly like a greenhouse. A greenhouse lets the Sun's energy in through the glass, but a lot of this energy can't escape back out, heating the inside up so you can grow plants, even in the winter. Climate change results because this added heat changes weather patterns around the globe. We can lower global CO₂ emissions by burning less fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas). Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel is made from oil products, so this is also a very big part of this problem. ## GLOBAL INITIATIVES Many local and global initiatives can be used as solutions to combat climate change: * Putting a price on pollution (for example, carbon taxes). * Promote and use more renewable resources for sources of energy, instead of burning fuel (coal, oil, gas) to generate electricity. * Types of renewable power generation: wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, water (hydro), biomass. * Engineering: methods used to store renewable energy. * Trees and plants absorb harmful CO₂ in the air. Don’t cut them down, but grow more instead. * Engineering: "Carbon capture" is storing CO₂ using plants, or using chemicals/minerals to remove CO₂ from the air. * Preserve and protect natural ecosystems. * More efficient transportation (less harmful emissions) such as fuel efficient and electric cars, public transit, carpool, bicycles, walking. * Fly in airplanes less. * Use more energy-efficient appliances, lighting. * Energy efficient buildings. * Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, Rethink, Refuse * Eat lower on the food chain (plants). Eat less meat (livestock is one of the biggest contaminators of our atmosphere). * Forests are clear-cut to make room for cattle pastures for meat production. * Eat the food that you buy instead of throwing it out. * And importantly, increased public awareness campaigns and action. * Environmental engineer degrees are offered at many Universities. Technology can be used to combat climate change, and reduce society’s impact on climate.