APES Climate Change Essays

APES Climate Change Essays APES Climate Change Paper APES Climate Change Paper Proxy Indicators types of indirect evidence that serve as substitutes for direct measurements from a different time or place Ice Core Data A type of proxy indicator scientists examine air bubbles from ancient atmospheres that are trapped in deep layers of ice by extracting columns from the ice, or ice columns Climate Models programs that combine what is known about atmospheric circulation, ocean circulation, atmosphere-ocean interactions, feedback loops. IPCC an international panel of scientists established by UNEP that issued the Fourth Assessment Report Fourth Assessment Report consensus of scientific climate research that documents observed trends in climate change factors and predicts future changes based on further greenhouse gas emissions United States Global Research Program created by congress to coordinate federal climate research. predicts many things, including:(1)average temps will rise 3-5?(2)droughts and floods will worsen (3) snowpack will decrease> water shortage (4)Sea level rise will cause loss of coastal wetlands and real estate Hadley vs. Canada Model Hadley Model estimates less drastic temperature increases than Canadian Model, which estimates increases of up to 25? F. Electricity Generation is the number 1 largest contributor to US CO2 emissions (about 40%) Sources of Electricity Fossil Fuel Combustion-50% of electricity comes from coalwe can change to cleaner sources, but havent yet Automobile Effectiveness -62% lost to friction/engine heat-17% idling-5% inefficiencies-2% radio/AC appliances=_________________________only 14% of fuel input goes toward movement 2 main ways to reduce emissions -conservation and efficiency-switching to cleaner renewable sourcesother notable ways include:-agricultural sustainablilty -sustainable forestry-waste management UN FCCC Outlined a plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to levels back in 1990s by 2000. It was on a voluntary basis, so many nations didnt comply Kyoto Protocol unlike the FCCC which was voluntary, this was a COMPULSORY agreement for signatories of the treaty to bring emission levels back down. US didnt sign -__- Addressing Climate Change Because Bush Admin. didnt take action, states and local governments responded to popular desire for limiting greenhouse emissions by signing US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement; they would meet or beat Kyoto Protocol. Carbon Offset practice used in Cap n Trade policy. It is a voluntary payment to another entity intended to enable that entity to reduce the greenhouse emissions that one is unable or unwilling to reduce on their own. Basically, pay to be allowed more emissions Global Climate Change trends and variation in Earths climate, involving aspects such as temperature, precipitation, and storm frequency/intensity. Global Warming increase in Earths average surface temperature (just one aspect of Global Climate Change) Factors Influencing Climate Change there are natural effects, i.e. the sun, but primarily Fossil Fuel Combustion and Deforestation. Greenhouse Gases Gases that absorb infrared adiation very effectively: Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Ozone, CFCs Greenhouse effect the warming of Earths surface and atmosphere (especially trophosphere) caused by the energy emitted from greenhouse gases CO2 spike caused by Burning Fossil Fuels, Deforestation Aerosols Microscopic droplets and particles that have either a warming or cooling effect. Milankovitch Cycles Three periodic changes in the Earths rotation (axial wobble, variation of tilt, variation of orbit) that alter the way solar radiation is distributed on Earths surface El Nino conditions are triggered when air pressure increases in western Pacific and decreases in easter Pacific. ( I like to think El Nino=East, No.) ^_^ La Nina opposite of El Nino NADW North Atlantic Deep Water: Created by the loss of heat from warm currents arriving at Europe, which become colder and denser and sink.