The Atmosphere and Global Climate Change

Pre-test: 1. What is the greenhouse effect? Is it natural or human caused? 2. Did ozone depletion cause g.c.c? 3. Are humans influencing g.c.c? 4. What are some of the potential effects of g.c.c?

Review: Layers of the Atmosphere

What is the Greenhouse Effect? Is it Naturally occurring or human induced?

The greenhouse effect is natural. Most of the sun’s energy DOES NOT reach the Earth. (1-billionth of the total energy released by sun strikes our atmosphere) What reaches the atm, 31% is reflected and 69% is absorbed And it… Drives the water cycle (hydrologic), carbon and others Produces our climate Powers photosynthesis

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Poster Walk/Reading Number 1’s – Poster Walk Number 2’s- Read pages 218-221 Together, answer questions 1-3.

What is the Greenhouse Effect? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzCA60WnoMk Video: NASA Observatory

Review: Describe the greenhouse effect. Is it a naturally occurring event? What are some greenhouse gases?

What is ozone depletion? Ozone layer- is in the stratosphere. Job- to protect us from UV rays from the Sun Why are UV rays bad? Can cause DNA mutations Cause skin cancers, cataracts in eyes, weakened immunity UV rays inhibit photosynthesis

What happened to the ozone? O3 molecules in the stratosphere can be depleted by CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) Compounds such as halons from fire retardants, methyl bromide-a pesticide, methyl chloroform and CFC’s from Freon from aerosol cans, refrigerants and Styrofoam

Reaction in Atmosphere

Ozone depletion Thinning discovered by scientist in 1985 Increased thinning in Sept. due to polar vortexes, “ozone holes” Solution: International problem because the atmosphere is a global common Countries signed the Montreal Protocol to reduce, and then eliminate CFC’s, HCFC’s

Ozone depletion is a separate issue from global climate change! O3 is being destroyed in the stratosphere by chlorine, fluorine and bromine UV vs. infrared But when we switched from CFC’s to HFC’s and HCFC’s, the substitutes are potent greenhouse gases Getting better due to Montreal Protocol/Montreal Multilateral Fund

Video http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/06/ozone-layer-mend-thanks-chemical-ban

Posters/Reading Number 1’s – Poster Walk Number 2’s – Reading on pg. 230-232 All together- review questions pg. 232

Review: What is ozone? What are the two types and where can they be found? In the stratosphere, what is the ozone layers job? What happened to the ozone layer and what is being done?

Global Climate Change

Overview Introduction to Climate Change Effects of Climate Change Evidence and causes of Global Climate Change Effects of Climate Change Increase storms and intensity Melting glaciers and less sea ice Impacts on human health and wildlife Effects on Agriculture/plant life Ocean acidification Precipitation pattern change

Climate Change Terminology Greenhouse Gas Gas that absorbs infrared radiation Ex: Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, HCFC’s, tropospheric ozone, water vapor Positive Feedback Change in some condition triggers a response that intensifies the changed condition Infrared Radiation Radiation that has a wavelength that is longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves Greenhouse Effect Increase of heat in a system where energy enters (often as light), is absorbed as heat, and released sometime later

Global Climate Change-Yes, it is Happening Global Climate Change-Yes, it is Happening! Human impact from burning ancient carbon https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

Scientific Consensus http://science.sciencemag.org/content/306/5702/1686

Review Chasing Ice

Misconceptions https://youtu.be/OWXoRSIxyIU

Evidence All three major global surface temperature reconstructions show that Earth has warmed since 1880.5 Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with 15 of the 16 warmest years on record occurring since 2001. The year 2015 was the first time the global average temperatures were 1 degree Celsius or more above the 1880-1899 average.6 Even though the 2000s witnessed a solar output decline resulting in an unusually deep solar minimum in 2007-2009, surface temperatures continue to increase. .

The past three years…. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/18/science/earth/2016-hottest-year-on-record.html

Is it happening, Yes! The math https://youtu.be/RBpmzjql4yU

Introduction to Climate Change Evidence for Climate Change 11 of the 12 years between 1995 and 2006 were among the twelve warmest years since the mid-1800s Spring in N. hemisphere now comes 6 days earlier Warming is not due to natural causes Human produced greenhouse gases are most plausible explanation

Mean Annual Global Temperature 1960-2005

Causes of Climate Change Increased concentration of CO2 (right) Burning fossil fuels in cars, industry and homes Deforestation Burning of forests

Greenhouse gases CO2- fossil fuel burning, deforestation, tree burning CH4- methane-unburned gas, anaerobic activity in landfills, intestines of cattle and man NOx- nitrogen oxides, from burning and troposphere O3 CFC’s- trap heat and cause ozone depletion Aerosols and suspended particles- actually cool atmosphere,

Causes of Climate Change Greenhouse gas concentrations increasing

Bill Nye – Top 5 What you need to know https://youtu.be/NEoZV4htuXo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtW2rrLHs08

Climate Models Climate affected by: winds, clouds, ocean currents, and albedo Used to explore past climate events Advanced models can project future warming events Models are only as good as the data and law used to program them They have limitations, thus need to look at evidence

Poster- 5 facts Reading from text book pg. 222-229 Answer questions on paper and get a teacher check.

Effects of Global Climate Change Ocean as CO2 sink - excess CO2 is starting to harm ocean life

Effects of Global Climate Change- Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels Sea level rise caused in 2 ways Thermal Expansion Water expands as it warms Melting of land ice Retreat of glacier and thinning of ice at the poles Melting has positive feedback Increased melting decreases ice, which decreases albedo leading to further warming

Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels 1957 1998

Philadelphia with rising sea levels http://geology.com/sea-level-rise/new-york.shtml

Case-In-Point Impacts in Fragile Areas Eskimo Inuit live traditional life dictated by freezing climate Climate change is altering their existence Wildlife are smaller or displaced Reduced snow cover and shorter river ice seasons Thawing of permafrost (right)

Effects of Global Climate Change- Changing Precipitation Patterns Some areas will get more water, some areas will have greater droughts Ex: Hurricanes will likely get stronger

Effects of Global Climate Change- Effects on Organisms Zooplankton in parts of California Current have decreased by 80% since 1951 Effecting entire food chain Decline in krill around Antarctica Caused decrease in penguin populations Species have shifted their geographic range Migrating birds are returning to summer homes earlier Food is not available at this time

Birds Affected by Climate Change https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170515091126.htm http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-22484907

Effects on Organisms - Coral Reefs Coral reefs can be bleached (right) due to increase in water temperature Affects coral symbionts and makes them more susceptible to diseases to which they would otherwise be immune

Effect on Organisms - Vegetation Beech Tree Range

Effects on Human Health Increased number of heat-related illnesses and deaths

Effects on Agriculture Difficult to anticipate Productivity will increase in some areas and decrease in others Rise in sea level will inundate flood plains and river valleys (lush farmland) Effect on pests is unknown Warmer temperatures will decrease soil moisture- requiring more irrigation Location (i.e. elevation and altitude) where certain crops can be grown may have to change

International Implications of Climate Change Developed vs. Developing countries Differing self-interests Differing ability to meet the challenges of climate change

Dealing with Global Climate Change To avoid the worst of climate change, CO2 levels must be stabilized at 550ppm 50% higher than current levels Two ways to attempt to manage climate change Mitigation Focuses on limiting greenhouse gas emissions to moderate global climate change Adaptation Focuses on learning to live with to the environmental changes and societal consequences brought about by global climate change

Dealing with Global Climate Change- Relationship Between Mitigation and Adaptation

Dealing with Global Climate Change- Mitigation Locate/invent alternative fuels to fossil fuels Increase efficiency of cars and trucks Sequestering carbon before it is emitted Plant and Maintain trees to naturally sequester carbon

Dealing with Global Climate Change- Adaptation Rising sea levels and coastal populations Move inland Construct dikes and levees Adapt to shifting agricultural zones NYC sewer line

International Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emission Kyoto Protocol-1992 Legally binding, 192 ratified except USA, Sudan, Afghanistan Provides operational rules on reducing greenhouse gases to 1990 levels Evolved, update is Paris Climate Change Agreement Paris Climate Change Agreement- http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php

Hot: Living through the next 50years on Earth Mark Hertsgaard http://www.theworld.org/2011/03/mark-hertsgaard-fatherhood-and-climate-change/#