Global Warming & Climate Change

• The atmosphere acts like an insulating blanket or a greenhouse
• The atmosphere keeps a perfect amount of the suns heat energy
• • As the sun's heat energy comes down to Earth in the form of short wavelength radiation it passes through the atmosphere and hits the surface of the Earth
  • Some of this energy is absorbed by the ground
  • But most is reflected into the atmosphere towards space in the form of long wavelength radiation
  • Some radiation does escape to space
  • Most ends up hitting gas particles which absorb the energy
  • After a short delay the particles emit this energy in random directions
  • Now the energy will go to space or be absorbed again
  • This repeated process keeps the earth at a warm and stable temperature
• The molecules that perform the process of emitting and absorbing the suns heat energy are greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane and water.
• Humans produce too many greenhouse gasses so the concentration in the atmosphere rises. This will increase the greenhouse effect which has led to global warming.
• Carbon dioxide is increasing due to deforestation (less photosynthesis) and more burning of fossil fuels (releasing carbon stores)
• Methane is increasing because farm animals produce methane in digestion and humans produce huge amounts of waste that produces methane as it decomposes
• Global warming has been happening for hundreds of years
• The effects of global warming are hard to predict but we do know is that global warming will have a significant impact on our planet: climate change.
• Climate change is the effects of global warming on the planet
• Droughts, Hurricanes and Floods will become more severe and common due to global warming
• Sea levels will rise due to the ice melting in the ocean as the water warms up. This could lead to seasonal flooding or even the submersion of entire islands and costal towns.
• Climate change will have a general impact on species perfectly adapted to their environment. some will adapt or migrate, but many will go extinct as they cannot change.
• Biodiversity will fall rapidly due to global warming.
• Water expands when heated so global warming will increase the waters volume.
• Weather refers to short term atmospheric conditions, like whether it's raining or sunny on a particular day
• Climate describes the typical weather conditions in an entire region for a very long time