Climate change

Definition

Climate change refers to significant and lasting alterations in temperature, precipitation patterns, and other atmospheric conditions on Earth, primarily driven by human activities that increase greenhouse gas concentrations. This phenomenon has far-reaching effects on ecosystems, weather patterns, and sea levels, significantly impacting global health, agriculture, and economies.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes are major contributors to climate change, increasing the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
2. The concentration of carbon dioxide has risen from about 280 parts per million before the Industrial Revolution to over 410 parts per million today.
3. Climate change leads to more frequent and severe weather events like hurricanes, droughts, and heatwaves, affecting ecosystems and human populations worldwide.
4. Mitigation strategies to combat climate change include reducing greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, and implementing carbon capture technologies.
5. Climate change not only affects environmental conditions but also has social implications, as vulnerable communities often bear the brunt of its impacts due to limited resources for adaptation.

Review Questions

• How do the sources of greenhouse gases contribute to climate change, and what role do sinks play in this process?
  • Greenhouse gas sources like fossil fuel combustion and agriculture release significant amounts of gases such as CO2 and methane into the atmosphere. These emissions enhance the greenhouse effect, causing global temperatures to rise. Sinks, like forests and oceans, absorb some of these gases, but their capacity is limited. When sinks are diminished or overwhelmed, as with deforestation or ocean degradation, more greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.
• Discuss how interdisciplinary approaches can enhance our understanding and response to climate change challenges.
  • Interdisciplinary approaches bring together experts from various fields—like environmental science, economics, sociology, and policy-making—to create comprehensive strategies for addressing climate change. By integrating knowledge about ecological systems with socioeconomic factors, communities can develop tailored solutions that are both effective and equitable. Collaboration across disciplines also helps identify innovative technologies and practices that can reduce emissions and enhance resilience against climate impacts.
• Evaluate the chemistry behind carbon dioxide and methane's role in climate change and their atmospheric lifetimes in comparison to other greenhouse gases.
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are potent greenhouse gases that significantly contribute to climate change due to their ability to absorb infrared radiation. CO2 has a long atmospheric lifetime of hundreds of years, while methane is more effective at trapping heat but has a shorter lifespan of about a decade before breaking down into CO2. Understanding their distinct chemical behaviors is crucial for formulating mitigation strategies; reducing methane emissions can have immediate climate benefits while addressing CO2 requires long-term commitments to decrease fossil fuel usage.

Related terms

Greenhouse Gases: Gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Carbon Footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, or activity, usually expressed in equivalent tons of CO2.

Adaptation: The process of adjusting practices, processes, and structures to minimize the damage caused by climate change or take advantage of opportunities that arise.