Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Environment- Climate
Change / Global Warming
- Climate
Change
- Carbon
Footprint
- reference to the total greenhouse gases
emitted by someone / something
- most often measured
in tons of CO2
- reduced carbon footprint =
reduction in your negative
impact on the environment
- there are both direct and indirekt
forms of carbon emissions
- direct
- driving your car
- indirect
- using electricity inside
your home (electricity is
created somewhere else)
- Explanation
- The Earth's climate is driven by a continous
flow of energy from the sun. Energy in the
form of heat passes through the Earth's
atmosphere and warms the Earth's surface.
- Some of this heat is absorbed by
gases in the atmosphere, such as
Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane
- As the temperature increases, the Earth
sends heat energy (infrared radiation)
back into the atmosphere
- Greenhouse
effect
- Gases act as a blanket, trapping in the heat and preventing it
from being reflected too far from the Earth. They keep the
Earth's average temperature at about 15°C.
- 15°C = warm enough to sustain life
for humans, plants, animals
- Without these gases: average temperature ~
-18°C >> too cold for most forms of life
- Is a natural warming effect
- Global Impact
- some regions and seasons will
become wetter, others drier
- summer droughts become more intense
- Trocial cyclones become more severe
- cold weather: less frequent
- Changes in
atmosphere
- Human activities have increased
greenhouse gases
- throws the climate
system out of balance
- rising levels of carbon
dioxide >> likely to double
by end of this century
- carbon dioxide = responsible for
60% of greenhouse warming
- Geographical changes
- Glaciers melt
- Arctic sea-ice
becomes thinner
- global sea levels rise
- vegetation zones will
change and boundaries
between the zones will shift
- human and animal
diseases spread
- e.g. Malaria
- tropical / sub-tropical areas:
rising risk of famines
- food production
becomes harder
- natural disasters
- flooding
- forest fires
- heat waves
- storms / hurricanes
- food / water shortage
- diseases
- counter-measures
- carbon emission limits / cuts
- development of alternative technologies
- forms of renewable energy
- changes in lifestyle
- Global
Warming
- an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature
that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may
result from the greenhouse effect.