Climate change

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  • Created by: chloe
  • Created on: 20-05-13 17:49

Global Warming

Global warming is the warming of the Earth's surface. It is often referred to as the green house effect.

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide trap radiation that would normally escape back to space, this warms the atmosphere. 

Carbon source - releases CO2 for example car exhausts.

Carbon sink - where carbon accumulates for example forest or under oceans.

Carbon footprint - the amount of carbon each person produces living their lives.

Carbon neutral - offsetting, companies plant so many trees for the amount of CO2 they produce and claim they are carbon neutral.

Food miles - how far food travels before it reaches the shop its being sold at.

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Evidence

Evidence for global warming - ice caps melting, de-sanilisation, dendrochronlogy, changing weather patterns ( for example reykjavik was 26 c instead of the normal 9 c in summer.), ecological changes (polar bears waking up from hibernation early and not having food so more conflict with humans), ice core evidence (gases trapped, reads like a timeline.)

Evidence against - pictures show the thames was frozen over at one point so its natural for temperature to increase and decrease, Pictures of vineyards in the UK.

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effects

 rising sea levels,

ice caps melting,

more extreme weather

extinction of species,

dersertification,(LEDC's - over-grazing, over-cultivation)

flooding,

changing farming methods.

Spread of diseases (malaria) in LEDC's

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reducing global warming

Recycling

using public transport or car sharing

solar panels

wind farms

eating more home grown foods to reduce food miles.

Sustainable development - using resources in a way that preserves them for future generations.

BedZed community - water butts, solar pannels, car sharing, double glazing, insulation, wind turbines, ground source heat pumps.

artificial trees absorb CO2

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Kyoto Protocol

A worldwide agreement ot reduce pollution.

America (the biggest polluter) have not ratified the kyoto protocol.

Some LEDC's haven't accepted it because they are trying to develop by using resources like Britain have done for 200 years in the revolution.

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Oil and alternative fuels

Oil is a finite resource.

peak oil has been reached so oil is running out rapidly.

alternative fuels - petrol/electricity hybrid, electricity, liquid hydrogen, vegetable oil, bio-fuels (bio-ethanol)

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