Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Causes of Global Warming
- Natural causes of climate change
- Variations in solar output
- The sun emits varying
amounts of solar radiation
due to changes in its
magnetic field.
- When magnetic activity is
high, there is more
sunspots leading to higher
global temperature.
- A magnetic activity
cycle lasts about 11
years.
- Volcanic Eruptions
- releases vast
amounts of
sulphur dioxide,
dust and ash.
- Reflects solar energy
back into space, causing a
reduction in the amount
of sunlight
- Results in global
dimming which cools
the earth
- Eg: Mt Pinatubo,
Philippines
- erupted in 1991
- released 17 million tonnes
of sulphur dioxide forming
sulphur-based particles
that reflected solar energy
back into space
- Temperature dropped by 0.6
degrees Celsius in the
northern hemisphere
- Effect lasted 2 years
- Enhanced greenhouse
effect [human activities]
- Burning of fossil fuels
- Fossil fuels: oil, coal,
natural gas formed from
dead organic matter
decomposed over millions
of years
- produces
energy
when burnt
- releases
carbon dioxide
when burnt due
to high carbon
content
- carbon dioxide is a
greenhouse gas
which traps heat
- used for industries,
transportation,
domestic and
commercial
activites
- provides 80%
of world's
energy
- Deforestation
- Forests absorb
billions of tonnes
of CO2 each year
via photosynthesis
- the removal of
forests will thus
lead to an increase
in CO2
- Changing landuse
- Agriculture
- Rice
cultivation
- tractors used to
plough padi fields
releases carbon dioxide
- inorganic fertilizer used
releases nitrous oxide
into the air
- waterlogged conditions required
for growth of rice promotes the
rapid decomposition of organic
matter
- Cattle
farming
- Cattle releases
methane as
waste gas
- Each cow emits
1000-8000 litres of
methane each day
- Industries
- production of
goods and
services
- secondary industries involve
high usage of fossil fuels to
generate power
- produces high
emission of carbon
dioxide
- Urbanisation
- process by which an
increasing number of
people live in urban areas
- urban areas are densely populated and uses high
amount of energy to support the high number of
activities
- How does climate change affect
people?
- Sea level
- an increase in the mean
height of the sea's surface
between high and low tide
- glaciers melt
- water in the seas and
oceans expand
- more frequent
extreme
weather events
- refers to a severe and rare weather
phenomenon that results in significant
economic losses and the loss of lives
- Eg: floods, droughts, heat
waves, tropical cyclones
- spread of
infectious
insect-borne
diseases
- increased temperature and
rainfall could cause certain
insects to thrive
- trive in aquatic habitats, resulting in
the spread of malaria and dengue fever
- lengthening of growing
season in certain regions
- higher temperatures may
result in longer growing
season
- might be good/bad for crop
growth, affecting agricultural
production