Global Warming Noadswood Science, 2016

Friday, September 21, 2018 Global Warming To describe global warming and the consequences it will have on the Eart

Precise Learning Students should be able to describe some of the biological consequences of global warming. Levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are increasing, and contribute to ‘global warming’ (understand that the scientific consensus about global warming and climate change is based on systematic reviews of thousands of peer reviewed publications. Explain why evidence is uncertain or incomplete in a complex context)

Earth Human activities have led to the pollution of the environment, and a reduction in the amount of land available for other animals and plants, which makes it difficult for some species to survive There is a need to achieve a level of development that also sustains the environment for future generations...

EARTH The atmosphere is a thin layer of gases, surrounding the Earth Certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat, reflecting it back to the Earth’s surface, warming it This is similar to the glass in a greenhouse, which traps heat inside it (trapping of heat by the Earth’s atmosphere is known as the greenhouse effect)! Without this atmosphere the Earth would be too cold for life to exist

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

INCREASING Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas involved with the warming of the Earth (as well as methane) Human activity is producing more carbon dioxide (combustion engine) and methane (cattle and drilling) Increasing the greenhouse gases increases the amount of heat the atmosphere traps This increased greenhouse effect makes the Earth warmer, leading to global warming

TRAPPING HEAT Greenhouse gases trap some of the Sun’s heat, so warming the surface of the Earth…

TRAPPING HEAT Greenhouse gases trap some of the Sun’s heat, so warming the surface of the Earth…

CAUSES There are a variety of reasons why more greenhouse gases are present in the atmosphere, but certainly human activity is greatly responsible… Huge numbers of cars and factories mean enormous levels of carbon dioxide are produced Large scale deforestation reduces the number of plants which can remove the carbon dioxide (via photosynthesis) Methane levels are also rising (via cattle farming; paddy fields; and drilling for oil and gas)

RATE Carbon dioxide has steadily risen as has the average temperature of the Earth over the last 150 years…

EFFECTS Rises of just a few degrees in world temperature could have a dramatic impact on the world climate – global weather patterns may change, causing drought for some areas, and flooding for others Melting of ice caps could raise sea levels causing flooding of low-lying land (as well as habitat destruction)

ARGUMENT

Urbanisation Urbanisation is the growth of cities, and about half the world’s population live in cities, and most of the population growth in the future is expected to take place in cities – it is predicted that by 2015, the world’s six largest cities will each have more than 20 million inhabitants Some of the effects of urbanisation include: - Increased pollution Increased energy consumption Land no longer used for food production Loss of natural habitats Decline of rural towns and villages as people leave them to live in cities

Sustainable Development Sustainable development means improving our quality of life without damaging the quality of life of future generations It is important to all of us, not just the other inhabitants of the planet, that sustainable development is achieved, and this involves each of us as individuals, and careful planning at local, regional and global levels

SPEAK Your task is to summarise the effects of greenhouse gases, deforestation, urbanisation and their impact on global warming – what possible problems will these activities cause for the Earth and in what ways we can combat global warming This can be done via a letter to Parliament / an add campaign to increase awareness of the problems / changes you can do to do your part in decreasing the production of greenhouse gases

Global Carbon Carbon dioxide and global temperature

Practice Questions – Application Since the 1950s a species of bird has started to become more common in a small island country. The population of the species on the island started increasing as the average global temperature rose due to global warming. Scientists have suggested that it is the effect of global warming that has changed the distribution of the species Explain how global warming can lead to changes in the distribution of organisms Besides causing distribution changes, suggest one other way in which global warming might affect birds found in the country

Answers Explain how global warming can lead to changes in the distribution of organisms – organisms are found in places where they can survive. If the average global temperature increases the distribution of the organism may change Besides causing distribution changes, suggest one other way in which global warming might affect birds found in the country – migration patterns / populations dying out / habitats change causing organisms to live in slightly different places