Climate change

• What is the greenhouse affect?

  the containing of heat in the atmosphere caused by the build up of greenhouse gases
• What are greenhouse gases?

  gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat.
• What would the mean temperature on earth be without the greenhouse affect?

  -18 degrees and there would be very little or no life. So the greenhouse affect itself is a good thing.
• The greenhouse effect traps some of the energy from the sun which keeps our planet at a suitable temperature for life.
• What is the enhanced greenhouse affect?

  Increased release of greenhouse gases causing an increase in the greenhouse effect. This is leading to global warming.
• What is global warming?

  The long-term increase rise of the average temperature of the earths surface
• What are the 3 most common greenhouse gases?

  Carbon dioxide, water vapour and methane
• How much have the levels of carbon dioxide increased?

  since the start of the industrial revolution in about 1750 the levels of carbon dioxide have increased by 40 percent
• When were the ten hottest years recorded?

  They have been recorded in the last 30 years. The mean increase in the last 100 years has been less than 1 degree.
• What are the consequences of global warming?

  • melting of polar ice caps
  • many species will become extinct
  • weather patterns will change with more unusual weather
  • animals will migrate towards the poles to find habitats with suitable temperatures
  • tropical diseases may become more common in other regions, such as europe.
  • the rise in sea levels may one day threaten many cities such as London, New york and Amsterdam