What are greenhouse gases? Any gases that cause the “greenhouse effect!”

Imagine… a car on a cool but sunny day… That’s how the greenhouse effect heats planet Earth.

CO 2 Sources #1 – Fossil Fuels Burning (gas, coal, oil, natural gas) #2 – Cutting down forests! #3 – Cement Manufacturing

Carbon Dioxide CO 2 is increasing in the atmosphere. Industrial Revolution

6 What unconvinced people are saying… 1.“Theory remains entirely unproved.” 2.“One-in-three chance … that experts are wrong.” 3.“If the weather folk can’t figure out what’s happening for the rest of the week, how can they tell us what the climate will be for the next 50 years?” 4.“Global warming is still just a theory.” Facts… 1.Global mean temperature has been going up in the last 140 years. 2.Concentration of carbon dioxide has been going up as well as other greenhouse gases. 3.Climate change involves the entire “earth system” not just the atmosphere. 4. Several thousand scientists from 40+ countries all over the world have been involved.

Global Climate Change David D. Houghton 7 1,000 Year Temperature and Instrumental Data Year Northern Hemisphere anomaly (°C) Relative to 1961 to 1990 mean

Global Climate Change David D. Houghton 8 Indicators of the Human Influence on the Atmosphere During the Industrial Era Global atmospheric concentrations of three well mixed greenhouse gases All 3 of these Greenhouse Gases increase because of human activities. Carbon Dioxide Methane Nitrous oxide

9 Why Should We Care? We don’t know exactly what will happen with global warming or what the impacts will be. And where or when they will hit hardest. But scientists have a pretty good general idea of what’s to come. They tell us the possible impacts could be far-reaching and could cause serious problems.

10 Sea level will continue to rise, eroding beaches and increasing the damage from storms and leading to loss of wetland habitats. Some island nations will disappear. This map is of the NC coastline. Places in Red are predicted to be under water in the next 100 years. (Not a good time to invest in a beach house.) Rising Sea Levels

11 Increasing temperatures are likely to affect human health: Warmer temperatures mean mosquitoes will spread in areas that were previously too cold for them to survive. Mosquitoes carry infectious diseases like malaria and encephalitis. Deaths from heat waves will rise. Places in red will see Malaria for the first time.

12 Changing weather patterns could affect agriculture. The U.S. Great Plains could have frequent droughts. Areas in red an purple are at risk of drought. Notice how they change over the next 50 years.

Polar Bears depend on Arctic sea ice, but it is melting at a rate of 9% per decade, endangering the polar bear’s habitat and existence. Tigers live in the mangrove forests of India. Rises in sea levels could cause these forests to be under water in the next 100 years. Some ecosystems may disappear, leading to extinction of wildlife species—changes in biodiversity.

14 Economic effects: Billions of dollars in property damage from sea level rise, worsening storms, and more wildfires. As ocean waters warm, predictions call for increase in storm frequency and intensity. Bigger hurricanes, more often. As the land warms and droughts increase, predictions call for an increase wildfire frequency, severity, and size. Bigger, hotter fires, more often.

Who is causing Climate Change? #1 = United States #2 = China #3=Japan

What Can We Do About Global Warming? There are simple steps each of us can take that will help reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases. Just a few examples: Recycling saves the energy required to manufacture new products. Give your family car a day off by riding your bike, taking the bus, or walking. Plant trees – they absorb carbon dioxide. Read and learn about global warming. Save electricity by turning off the TV and lights when you’re through with them. Go solar – a solar system to provide hot water can reduce your family’s carbon emissions by about 720 pounds a year. Preserve forests – they act as carbon dioxide “sinks” – in other words, they absorb carbon dioxide. Develop renewable energy technologies to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

17 Rising Sea Level Video and Worksheet