Climate Change 2

• What is the natural green house effect


  The greenhouse effect keeps the Earth naturally warm enough to support life
• What is the difference between enhanced greenhouse effect and natural greenhouse effect


  The enhanced greenhouse effect is due to human activities which has increased the amounts of greenhouse gases but the natural,greenhouse effect keeps the earth naturally warm
• How much carbon dioxide accounts for the enhanced green house effect

  60%
• Where does carbon dioxide get released

  Car exhausts

  Deforestation

  Burning wood

  Burning fossil fuels
• How much methane accounts for the enhanced greenhouse effect


  20%
• How is methane released?

  Farm livestock

  Rice farming

  Burning biomass for energy

  Decaying organic matter in landfill sites and compost sites
• How effective is nitrous oxide in capturing heat then co2

  Very small concentrations are up to 300times more effective
• How does nitrous oxide get released

  Car exhausts

  Sewage treatment

  Agricultural fertilisers

  Power stations
• What are the 4ways climate change can be managed

  Alternative energy sources

  Carbon capture and storage

  Planting trees

  International agreements
• The burning of fossil fuels accounts for how much of the carbon dioxide emissions

  87%
• What are the alternative energy sources

  Wind, water, geothermal, nuclear, biomass, solar, tides
• Explain the process of carbon capture and storage

  The process of 'carbon capture and storage' is when carbon molecules are captured, compressed, piped and injected as a liquid to a well underground to be stored in a suitable geological reservoir
• How do trees remove Co2 from the atmosphere


  photosynthesis
• How does planting trees reduce climate change?


  Trees release moisture into the atmosphere which produces more cloud, reducing solar radiation producing a cooling effect

  Trees also absorb Co2
• Second international agreement

  Copenhagen accord(2009)

  Consider International agreements on tackling climate change post 2012

  No legally binding agreement -agreed to reduce emissions with financial support for developing nations
• Third International agreement


  Paris agreement (2015)
• How many countries signed the Paris agreement and why was this agreement more successful then the others

  195 countries

  The first ever legally binding global climate deal
• What were the aims of the Paris agreement

  -peak greenhouse gases asap

  -balance sources and sinks

  -keep global temps below 2c

  Review progress every 5years

  -100billion dollars a year to support developing countries by 2020
• How many countries agreed to sign the Kyoto protocol

  170 countries
• how can farmers adapt to climate change

  -introduce drought resistant crops

  -educate farmers in water harvesting techniques

  -new cropping patterns

  -new irrigation systems

  -plant trees to shade seedlings
• How can we defend against high sea levels

  -construction of sea walls

  -build houses raised off the ground on stilts

  -construction of artificial islands so people can be relocated
• what are the risk of rising sea levels

  -important agricultural land such as India and Vietnam are at risk

  -contaminate freshwater supplies with saltwater

  -increase rate of coastal erosion and damages from storm surges
• example of a place at risk of rising sea levels

  Maldives is expected to be uninhabitable by 2030 and submerged by 2070
• Explain the enhanced greenhouse effect 


  More greenhouse gases are emitted such as CO2, methane and nitrous oxide

  Leading to and increase in the 'insulating layer' around the Earth

  Resulting in the sun's radiation being trapped within the Earth's atmosphere which causes a rise in temperatures
• Why do some countries choose to adapt to climate change rather then tackle the issue? 


  Because climate change will affect developing nations the most so protecting the people by making them less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change would be cheaper.

  For example farmers in places such as Gambia, plant shade trees to protect seedlings from strong sunshine rather than stopping the reason why the sunshine is so strong, which is the release of greenhouse gases from car exhausts, burning fossil fuels etc.