Relating Chemical Systems and Equilibrium to Technology, Society, and the Environment
An increase in average global temperature/an increase in extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes and tornadoes
Is the carbon cycle involved?
Recent scientific evidence indicates that humans have upset the carbon cycle, leaving more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, burning biomass such as ethanol and wood, creating cement and releasing other chemicals into the atmosphere is upsetting the natural flow of carbon.
Greenhouse gases in our atmosphere act almost like a blanket between the earth and frigid space. At lower levels, greenhouse gases trap some heat in our atmosphere
…show more content…
Some of the most obvious changes are happening in the Arctic, where the amount of ice in the ocean has decreased dramatically. Some signs of climate change include: higher temperatures, more droughts, wilder weather melting glaciers, warmer oceans etc.
What are some possible causes of this shift?
The main reason the climate is changing is because people are adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The most important greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which is released whenever people burn fossil fuels to do everyday activities like driving cars, heating buildings, and making electricity. As greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, they cause the Earth to trap extra heat, making the planet warmer.
What are some possible consequences?
Temperature plays an important role in how nature works, and even a small change in average temperature can have a noticeable impact on plants, animals, and other natural processes. For example, just a one- to two-degree increase in global temperature can lead to a much greater risk of wildfires. Some parts of the world are warming a lot more than average, which means the effects are much more dramatic.
A loss of plant and animal species, both by observable causes and by unknown causes
Is the carbon cycle involved?
The carbon cycle involves trees absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting
Rising temperature is not the only problem caused by climate change, other problems like displacement of animals and humans, rising water levels, and even the disruption of water currents can be caused because of Climate Change. In the Arctic, icebergs
The effects of climate change depend upon how much change there is, how fast it occurs, and how easily the world can adapt to the new conditions. If the change is to rapid then that will leave some species of animals or plants to be extinct because they don’t have enough time to move or adapt. Other examples such as “Coral reefs: slightly warmer tropical water may kill the algae which reef animals use for food”.(Homeworktips) Increase in temperature in the climate is making a lot of the ice cap and icebergs melt in the north. Which is making the ocean rise more. “Mangrove swamps: Mangrove swamps are important breeding grounds for many animals that live in water. Increased ocean flooding may damage these areas by changing the supply of nutrients and the amount of salt.”(Homeworktips)
The over loaded carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere like a warm blanket held the heat from lease to the space. Climate change is a part of the Earth's history. There have been dramatic fluctuations in overall average temperature
Climate change is a massive issue that is caused by many different things however, the main reason is greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gasses are gasses, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide being the main three (Greenhouse Gases), that allow direct sunlight to reach the surface and
Sometimes this strange change can affect the lives of citizens. Heatwaves causing an increase in evaporation could be dangerous, leading to extreme weather events such as hurricanes, droughts, wildfires and other natural disasters. The increase in heat rising are fuels to storms, making them even more dangerous and of much greater damage done to the environment. Farmers are having trouble with growing their crops because of the change of weather and the urge to keep up with the patterns and unpredictable water supplies. Climate change also often prevents the world from transportation because of hot weather, flooding, and other extreme weather conditions. Young children, the elderly, and those who are already ill have a very low rate to adapt to higher temperatures and poor air quality. This leads to heart and respiratory diseases, including
Before we talk about what climate change has done to your planet, you need to know what has caused our climate to change. One of the biggest causes of climate change is the increase of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. Since the industrial revolution, the amount of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere has gone up by 33%. Carbon Dioxide traps heat and with the concentration so high, the
` Countless of people across the United States and around the world are unaware of what climate change is. It can be a change in the Earth’s climate, a change in the Earth’s usual temperature, or a change in where snow and rain descend. Climate change all the way from the Arctic can affect us in different ways. It can alter global climate and precipitation patterns. It can affect Arctic species, which can be felt globally. It can also increase global sea levels.
For decades, scientists have collected all forms of meteorological and climate data. Over the past century, the temperature has risen by 1 degree Fahrenheit (National Geographic). Although this slight change is not noticeable in our day to day lives, on a global scale subtle environmental shifts are occurring. For example, fish have begun to migrate toward the North and South Poles as the ocean has warmed. Coral reefs have also been damaged, having been “bleached” by the warmer waters (National Wildlife Federation).
A very visible effect of climate change has been the steady melting of sea ice and glaciers, especially in the Arctic.The IPCC has projected that the Arctic could be virtually free of summer sea ice by 2070, and more recent studies project this could occur several decades sooner. If this were to happen, and we continue using fossil fuels instead of more environment safe energy sources such as hydroelectric power or wind power, parts of Miami and New Orleans would become nearly inhospitable. The melting of land-based ice,
Human activity has altered the global carbon cycle in multiple ways. One of the most impactful ways that the carbon cycle has been impacted is thru the use of fuels has added an abundant amount of carbon dioxide to the world. This is a major concern because this is dangerous to human life, but it adds to global warning.
Climate change is known to have many different negative impacts on the world. Some of the more known impacts of climate change are a rise in extreme weather conditions such as droughts, hurricanes, floods and more. These impacts, in turn, can have negative consequences that are not regularly discussed, like starting a war.
Researches reveal that natural events as well as human related activities contribute to changes in average global temperatures. AtKisson affirms that global warming is basically a result of increased emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This atmospheric carbon dioxide (co2) comes from anthropogenic (caused by humans) sources. The concentration of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, nitrous gases, and methane in the atmosphere has increased evidently due to human activities since 1800. NASA’s article adds:
The primary cause of climate change is the human expansion of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural occurrence, which NASA defines as “the warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from space” (NASA). During the greenhouse effect, heat from the sun passes through the atmosphere, which is made up of various gases. When the heat from the sun reaches the surface, some of it radiates away from Earth, back into space. However, some of the gases in the atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases, absorb this heat, preventing it from escaping (World Meteorological Organization). The greenhouse effect keeps the Earth at a habitable temperature. The World Meteorological Organization, or WMO, states that the greenhouse effect and
The earth’s climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases –– primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed. Although uncertainty exists about exactly how earth’’s climate responds to these gases, global temperatures are rising. Go to the Emissions section for much more on greenhouse gases.
There are various reasons as to why global warming is happening, but it is mostly caused by greenhouse gases. An article entitled, “Global Warming and the Neglected Greenhouse Gas,” the author, Andrew Jorgensen states that the greenhouse gas emissions are the “second largest anthropogenic contributor to global warming” (Jorgensen 2006). The Greenhouse gases that are found in earth’s atmosphere are water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide which help increase and maintain the earth’s temperature. Most of the earth’s energy comes from the sun, and when