Climate Change - EVIDENCE
Dr. Katz (Earth and Environmental Science, RPI)
01/20/16
Dr. Katz gave a lecture explaining to the class
the evidence behind why climate change is happening along with the possible
future impacts. Different types of evidence, gathered all around the world,
showed a similar trend. The evidence included graphs showing different types of
gasses such as CO2 and CH4, both of which are greenhouse gasses. In the natural
cycle of glacial and interglacial periods on earth, the amount of these gasses should
be decreasing based on what Dr. Katz showed us based on evidence found in ice
cores. This was based on evidence showing the Earth’s climate moving in a
cyclical pattern of the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere along with
the surface temperature over time. Based on the traditional pattern of the
Earth's climate the temperature and amount of greenhouse gasses should be
decreasing but instead they are reaching record levels in recent history.
This is very important to society because as the
climate changes, it causes multiple aspects of society to change, such as but
not limited to: the economy, agriculture, need for new construction and an
overall effect on how the government has to spend money in many areas.
For the government, climate changes will affect
many departments and agencies on many levels. Including research and
development of cleaner and more efficient ways to obtain and use energy. Making
sure that the infrastructure can withstand the changes in weather patterns such
as stronger storms, also needed to be studied. Also, the government faces a huge challenge in
trying to unite politicians both nationally and internationally in accepting
and spending money in response to the potential long term effects of climate
change.
As was previously stated in class, the
environment is not part of the economy, the economy is part of the environment[D2] . The economy will be affected in many ways due to the fact that
many different types of goods and services will be affected by a changing
climate. The food industry is being affected greatly with agriculture having to
change because farmers have to plant differently due to differences in weather caused
by changes in climate.
Greenhouse Gasses - These are gasses that trap
heat from the sun in the atmosphere causing the overall temperature of the planet
to increase. These gasses include carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor.
CO2- Carbon dioxide, greenhouse gas that was
projected to decrease but started to increase around 10,000 years ago when it
was believed that there was major deforestation caused by humans. CO2 greatly
increased in the mid to late 19th century and has rapidly increased ever since
then.
CH4- Methane, greenhouse gas that was projected
to decrease until about 5000 years ago when agriculture left the fertile
crescent and grew across the continents. This coincides with an increase in
rice paddies which produce large amount of methane. It is still increasing
today due both methane from livestock, along with a larger amount of
agriculture such as rice paddies.
Ice Cores - A large columns of ice that
researchers drill to see what the atmosphere was like over time in both the
amount of greenhouse gases and temperatures.
ppm-
Parts per Million. The unit used for the amount of a gas in the atmosphere.
This is similar to percent (parts per
hundred).
Mauna Loa Observatory - In mid 20th
century in Hawaii the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere was recorded and has been
researched continuously since then. It was found that the graph of the data was
that the PPM of CO2 is increasing exponentially.
Natural Variability - The Earth has an average natural
variability of CO2 in the atmosphere based on the previous climate cycles
studied from ice cores. The natural variability for CO2 is 180 to 280 ppm.
Instead today CO2 is over 400 PPM.
·
Keeling Curve
·
Methane hydrate and idea
that top 3 m of permafrost contain more
carbon than in entire atmosphere now
·
Can trace volcanic
carbon that is isotopically different from carbon released from fossil fuels
·
El Nino and La Nina don’t
explain overall changes we are seeing
·
Satellite evidence of
earth’s temperature changes
·
Top 10 hottest years on
record occurred since 1998
Connections
Dr. Borton, Using solar energy as a possible way to reduce the impact of and limit
climate change in the future.
Cleanroom, The manufacturing of photovoltaic
cells aka “solar cells” use for solar energy as a way to reduce climate change
in the future.
**Be able to read about climate change and see if the evidence provided is of high quality or not. If so, be able to list facts that show why you agree. If not, be able to list facts as to why you disagree. For example, what evidence do you have to agree or disagree with the conclusions implied by this chart: http://www.weatherquestions.com/Loehle-2000-yr-proxies.gif**
Links
Amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and the
temperature over time.
Climate Projections
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