Climate Change
- Created by: DNA.
- Created on: 01-02-23 16:39
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- Climate Change
- Changes in Climate in Quaternary Period
- Over the last 450,000 years, the temperature has been constantly fluctuating.
- On average, roughly every 100,000 years, the temperature peaks so the ice volume is low. There have always been periods of increased and decreased ice volume
- During glacial periods, ice expands, so the majority of seas are frozen. In the interglacial periods, the ice retreats so the sea expands.
- Reasons for glacial and interglacial periods- Milankovich cycle
- Varying tilt (obliquity)- If the earth is tilted more to the sun, then it receives larger concentration of heat so is warmer = interglacial period
- Eccentric orbit- Sometimes earth is closer to sun, sometimes it is further away due to eccentric orbit. The earth completes its eccentric orbit every 100,000 years so this is when earth is closes to sun so it receives more heat
- Varying tilt (obliquity)- If the earth is tilted more to the sun, then it receives larger concentration of heat so is warmer = interglacial period
- Reasons for glacial and interglacial periods- Milankovich cycle
- Over the last 450,000 years, the temperature has been constantly fluctuating.
- The Greenhouse Effect
- Incoming short wavelength solar radiation passes through the Earth's atmosphere and reaches the surface, where it is reflected as long wavelength radiation so this radiation is absorbed by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which re-radiate this heat around the Earth
- El Nino and La Nina
- El Nino
- Every 3-4 years
- The trade winds blow east so the warm ocean currents move to South America, causing low pressure in South America.
- This means that the Pacific ocean to the west in Australia is cooler due to the rising cold water to replace the ocean currents, so there is high pressure in Australia
- So there is rain and floods in South America and dry and drought in Australia
- This means that the Pacific ocean to the west in Australia is cooler due to the rising cold water to replace the ocean currents, so there is high pressure in Australia
- La Nina
- Every 2-7 years
- The trade winds blow west from South America to Australia so the warm ocean currents move to Australia, causing low pressure in Australia
- So the Pacific Ocean to the east in South America is cooler due to the rising cold water to replace the ocean currents, so there is high pressure in South America
- So there is rain and floods in Australia and dry and drought in South America
- So the Pacific Ocean to the east in South America is cooler due to the rising cold water to replace the ocean currents, so there is high pressure in South America
- Happens in the Pacific Ocean
- El Nino
- Human Causes and Impacts of Climate Change
- Causes
- There has been and an exponential rise of CO2 in the atmosphere as it has almost doubled over the last 150 years
- Burning fossil fuels= CO2
- Landfill sites= Methane
- Agriculture such as rice and cows have a higher carbon footprint
- Deforestation= Less trees= less absorption of CO2 for photosynthesis. Burning trees also releases carbon.
- Agriculture such as rice and cows have a higher carbon footprint
- Landfill sites= Methane
- Burning fossil fuels= CO2
- There has been and an exponential rise of CO2 in the atmosphere as it has almost doubled over the last 150 years
- Impacts
- Melting ice caps due to higher temperatures can lead to loss of habitats for polar bears
- This also makes it harder for polar bears to hunt for food such as seals, so polar bears can enter human settlements for food, so might pose as a threat
- Polar bears might also be killed due to this, further endangering them.
- This also makes it harder for polar bears to hunt for food such as seals, so polar bears can enter human settlements for food, so might pose as a threat
- Melting ice caps due to higher temperatures can lead to loss of habitats for polar bears
- Causes
- Case Study- The Bahamas
- Tourism
- Why tourism is vulnerable to climate change
- There can be a loss of beaches due to erosion
- There can be damage to infrastructure due to increased frequency of tropical storms
- Increasing water stress to ecosystems such as coral reefs, due to bleaching and sea temp rise
- Tourism in Bahamas
- Half of population here is employed by tourism
- Without tourism, more people would be unemployed and economy of govt would decline, so the Bahamas, being an LIC, would not be able to develop
- A solution is to build a seawall to reduce storm surges and beach erosion, but this is expensive to build and maintain and are ugly
- Half of population here is employed by tourism
- Why tourism is vulnerable to climate change
- Water and water supplies
- The floods from the salty water is contaminating and salinating freshwater stores from aquifers, resulting in a lack of fresh drinking water
- A solution is to build a desalinating plant, but this is very expensive and needs a lot of energy, which the LIC government can't afford
- Tourism
- Actions to Tackle Climate Change
- Global
- Paris Agreement of 2016
- 196 countries agreed to help each other in working together to set targets to reduce contributions to climate change
- BUT They require all countries to agree, it is not a legally binding agreement and some countries can leave the agreement
- 196 countries agreed to help each other in working together to set targets to reduce contributions to climate change
- Paris Agreement of 2016
- National
- The UK aims to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990
- They have committed to installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 to replace gas boilers
- The UK aims to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990
- Local- Bristol Council
- They want warmer homes, so will spend £105 million on external wall insulation- This is as it could ave money on heating bills
- They want to install district heating, which will distribute heat between the university, hospital and buildings. This is as energy efficient boilers reduces the need for more fossil fuels
- They want ton invest 10km of cycle lanes and promote cycling and walking. This is to improve public health as well as reduces traffic and congestion
- They want to install district heating, which will distribute heat between the university, hospital and buildings. This is as energy efficient boilers reduces the need for more fossil fuels
- They want warmer homes, so will spend £105 million on external wall insulation- This is as it could ave money on heating bills
- Individual
- We can eat a plant based diet, which reduces 0.8 tonnes of carbon
- We can use renewable energy, which cuts down on 1.6 tonnes of carbon
- Global
- Differing views to climate change
- One might say that due to the temperature changes of the glacial and interglacial periods as well as the eccentric orbit of the earth, there are natural causes to rises in the Earth's temperature.
- However, the temperature rise has been steeper than usual recently, so human intervention would have caused climate change.
- A lot of people can't afford to insulate their homes as it costs a lot of money for older homes
- Growing biofuels takes up agriculture land, which can exacerbate food security problems
- One might say that due to the temperature changes of the glacial and interglacial periods as well as the eccentric orbit of the earth, there are natural causes to rises in the Earth's temperature.
- Case Study- Kenya
- Drought in 2015
- Previous years' rain did not come= 1.1 million are food insecure and are malnourished= Emergency food and water supplies
- Record breaking El Nino= Farmers can't feed families so have to leave home and settle in overcrowded slums= Farmers are now educated about effective irrigation
- Previous years' rain did not come= 1.1 million are food insecure and are malnourished= Emergency food and water supplies
- Drought in 2015
- Changes in Climate in Quaternary Period
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