Chapter 14: Global Climate Change

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Tracking Wildfires in the West

“Preservation of our environment is not a liberal or conservative challenge, it’s common sense.”

Central Question

14.1-14.4 Science

14.1 The atmosphere exerts key controls on planetary temperatures

Atmosphere and Planetary Temperature

Think About It

14.2 Scientists began building the basis for understanding the greenhouse effect more than 200 years ago

DISCOVERING INFRARED LIGHT

TYNDALL’S INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING ABSORPTION OF INFRARED LIGHT BY TRACE GASES

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14.3 Global temperatures and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations have varied cyclically

The Climate Record in Ice

Role of Earth Orbital Cycles

Milankovitch Cycles

MILANKOVITCH CYCLES

ECCENTRICITY

AXIAL TILT

PRECESSION

Hemispherical Differences in Timing of Warming

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14.4 Atmospheric CO₂ appears to be the thermostat controlling global temperatures

RELATIVE INFLUENCES ON THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

POSITIVE FEEDBACKS IN RESPONSE TO CO₂ FORCES GLOBAL WARMING OR COOLING

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14.1-14.4 Science: Summary

14.5–14.8 Issues

14.5 Precise measurements reveal that fossil fuel burning is the main cause of increased atmospheric CO_{2} levels

Mauna Loa and the Keeling Curve

MEASUREMENTS OF ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE FROM MAUNA LOA, HAWAII

RECORD OF ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE YEAR 1 TO 2011 CE

Carbon Isotopes and Fossil Fuels

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14.6 As CO_{2} levels have risen in modern times, global temperatures have increased significantly

Reanalysis and Confirmation of the Temperature Record

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14.7 Rising temperatures have been accompanied by diverse changes in the Earth system

Melting Ice

Warming Oceans

Shifts in Species’ Ranges and Seasonality

Dying Forests and Corals

BUTTERFLY RESPONSES TO CLIMATE WARMING IN MASSACHUSETTS

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14.8 Climate change can lead to a wide range of societal costs

IMPACT OF WARMING ON CORAL REEFS AND FOREST TREES

Disruptions to Agriculture

Impacts on Human Health

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14.5–14.8 Issues: Summary

14.9-14.11 Solutions

14.9 Developing a road map to reduce carbon emissions

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY ELECTRICITY GENERATION USING VARIOUS ENERGY SOURCES

Evaluating Carbon Footprints of Electrical Generation

life cycle assessment

Increasing Transportation Efficiency

Urban Design Can Reduce Fossil Fuel Use

Legislating Carbon Emissions

energy subsidies

Think About It

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE (BEV)

PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE (PHEV)

14.10 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions provides new economic opportunities

Repowering Transportation

Green Building Saves Money and Creates Jobs

ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND CO₂ EMISSIONS

BUILDING FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SITE

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE

WATER EFFICIENCY

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION

Cleaner Technologies Reduce Soot

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14.11 Restoring and enhancing carbon sinks could help balance the carbon budget

Carbon Uptake by Land and Oceans

Agriculture, Forestry, and Conservation

carbon capture and

sequestration A

geo-sequestration

Carbon Capture and Sequestration

Geoengineering

geoengineering

CARBON CAPTURE AND SEQUESTRATION

CARBON CAPTURE

CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Adapting to Climate Change

Think About It

climate adaptation

14.9-14.11 Solutions: Summary

14.1–14.4 Science

14.5–14.8 Issues

Climate Change and You

Follow the science.

Conserve energy.

Support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Become involved.

14.9-14.11 Solutions

Answer the Central Question:

Chapter 14 Review Questions

1. What produces the differences in temperature among the planets Earth, Mars, and Venus?

2. Carbon capture and sequestration is a technology that

3. The climate of Earth

4. Which is the most abundant greenhouse gas in Earth’s atmosphere?

5. Which of the greenhouse gases appears to act as Earth’s “thermostat”?

6. Milankovitch Cycles

7. Which one of the following statements about the greenhouse effect is not correct?

8. Which factor causes the concentration of water vapor in the atmosphere to increase?

9. Why did the Kyoto Protocol emphasize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries?

10. Which of the following has the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the United States in the near term?

Critical Analysis