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Climate Change

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Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panal on climate change (IPCC) says scientists are 95% certain that humans are the dominant cause of global warming since the 1950s
98% of the world's glaciers are currently retreating

Key Terms for Climate Change

EVIDENCE
- Sea Level Rise
  - water released from melting ice caps
  - The removal of ice caps has relieved the land and caused isostatic uplift (raised beaches of Arran)
  - 10-25cm rise during the 20th century
- Radiocarbon Dating
  - ratio of C14 and C12 abundance in a plant to determine its age
- Dendrochronolgy
  - the rings of trees can show what conditions were like at the time
  - warm and wet = thick ring
  - cold and dry = thin ring
- Vegetation Belts
  - migration of species so they can now exist where they couldn't before
  - supported by the analysis of pollen in soil
- Ice Core Analysis
  - Ice traps C02
  - less C02 present in cold periods, more C02 in warm periods
- Glacial and Post Glacial deposits
  - the effect of ice on the landscape, and meltwater
  - NASA has measured shrinkage of Arctic pack ice at 2.9% per dacade
- Landforms and Landscapes
  - glacial valleys and granite tors need certain conditions to form
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
- Human Causes
  - Burning fossil fuels
    - accounts for 49.4% of the greenhouse gases presents
  - Deforestation (Brazil)
    - reduced C02 absorbtion
  - Irrigation of land
  - Urbanisation
  - Transportation
  - Agriculture
    - methane produced by paddy fields
      - methane accounts for 12.5% of greenhouse gases
- Natural Causes
  - Sunspots
    - dark patches on the sun that release more heat energy
  - Melting of Permafrost
    - the melting of frozen soil in Siberia/Russia releases methane
  - Volcanoes
    - eruptions release gases
    - ash clouds block out sunlight and reduce temperatures
  - Milankovitch Theory Variations in 3 of the Earth's orbital characteristics
    - oval - Oliptical over 100,000yrs
    - tilt changes by 1 degree over 41,000yrs
    - wobble as it spins over 23,000yrs
- Natural Feedback Mechanisms
  - Cloud Cover
    - clouds reflect the sun's energy and so temperatures fall
    - increased insolation so temperatures rise
  - Warming of the Atmosphere
    - increases the capacity to hold water vapour which is a GH gas so increases the GH effect
  - Evaporation
    - Increased evaporation increases snowfall which increases albedo therefore more sunlight is reflected reducing the GH effect
PREDICTED EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING
- People
  - Water
    - decreased snow pack so fewer recreational activities
    - decline in drinking water
      - salt contamination
      - early glacial melt so no source
    - less for agrictulture
  - Economy
    - damage to infastructure
    - lost productivity
      - days 'locked' inside
    - mass migration
      - climate refugees as weather is too extreme
    - coping costs
  - Health
    - spread of diseases
      - malaria
    - poor air quality
    - constantly high temps cause heat strokes
  - Food
    - more pests so less organic
    - change in fishing
    - less productive countries at the equator
    - change in seasons and species migration
      - previously cooler areas can benefit from longer growing seasons
    - reduced yields due to dry/saturated ground - insecurity
    - more expensive meat as have to cool animals
- Temperature
  - Ground
    - melting permafrosts
  - Oceans
  - Air
    - 3 degree increase by end of 21st century
- Oceans
  - Sea Level Rise
    - threaten coastal communties
      - Maldives
    - salt water invasion to crops and water sources
    - ocean chemistry changed killing off species
    - decrease in sea ice decreases albedo so more heat absorbed
- Freshwater
  - Precipitation
    - extreme
    - lack of
  - Land Ice
    - flash floods
    - decrease in resources
- Ecosystems
  - displacement
  - life-cycles altered
  - habitat destruction
    - Polar Bears
      - Arctic is shrinking 2.9% per dacade
- LEDCs will be hit hardest and lease able to adapt
EFFECTS ON THE BRITISH ISLES
- Wetter Winters
  - benefit water supplies
  - more flooding and coastal damage
  - destroy habitats
  - increase in waterborne diseases
- Higher Temperatures
  - increase in pests
  - reduce water levels in soil
    - only certain plants can grow
    - loss of native species
  - plants can grow at higher altitudes
  - longer growing season
  - tourism
    - fewer recreational activites
    - more desirable for holidays
- annual temps will increase by 3 degrees
- precipitation in winter will increase by 10-35%
- 2003 Heatwave in Europe
- Reservoir in South Oxford
  - supply Oxford, Swindon & London
  - destroy homes
- River Severn flooding
  - Bewdley, Worchestershire
    - homes along the banks
    - barrier for £11 million
- Glasgow Flooding 2002
  - 1/4 of homes flooded due to sewage
    - stop turning lawns into drives!
- Aldbrough, Yorkshire
  - worst rates of coastal erosion in Europe
    - clay cliffs being eroded at 2 metres a year
- Scotland
  - Scotland's snow will decrease by 60%
  - population decline of Salmon in the Blackwater river due to graval being washed away so eggs cannot be laid
- Fens, East Anglia
  - lowlying farmland that accounts for 48% of our agricultural land
    - seas would flood it
- BedZED community
RESPONSES
- National
  - Biofuels
    - convert buses
    - deforestation - not sustainable
  - Solar Panels
    - government grants
    - uses crop space
    - limited by weather
  - Transport
    - accounts for 20% of emissions in the UK (2012)
    - congestion charges
      - goes towards public transport
    - catalytic converters and MOTs
    - low taxes for eco-cars: Fiat 500
    - few charging stations for electric cars
    - doesn't suit our lifestyle
- Local
  - Navitus Bay Wind Farm
    - power for 700,000 homes a year
    - offsetting 1,290,000 tonnes of C02 each year
    - West of Isle of Wight
  - Food
    - save air miles
    - less packaging and processing
  - Poole Carbon Management
    - turn street lights off for 5hrs and it will save Poole 90 tonnes of C02
- Large Companies
  - Tescos
    - reduces carbon emissions by 25% by 2020
    - F Plan
      - fuller cages
      - fewer miles
    - more efficient lorries
    - do just want to make money
  - Velvet
    - planting 3 trees for every one used
    - increase C02 absorbtion
    - hopefully other companies with follow
    - high demands
- International
  - Carbon Trading
    - carbon credits
    - can change financial situation of LEDCs
    - annual quota for carbon emissions
  - Copenhagen Conference (2009)
    - pledge varying amounts to reduce by 2020
    - signed but not legally binding
  - Kyoto Protocol (1997)
    - countries pledge to cut carbon emissions by agreed amounts
    - reduction targets
    - US and China haven't signed
PROBLEMS WITH GLOBAL AGREEMENTS
- change of government and policies
- countries have their own problems to sort
- how to enforce rules
- difference in level of pollution
- renewable resources not competitive on global market
  - Canada's statement
- not all at meetings

Information

Description: A Levels My Subjects (Geography Human) Mind Map on Climate Change, created by flora h on 05/01/2015.
Created by: flora h · Jan 2015
Updated: Apr 6, 2018
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