Climate Change and the Greenhouse Effect

Introduction

• Human activities are driving up Earth's temperature.
• Main cause: Greenhouse Effect.

Greenhouse Effect

• Gases in the atmosphere:
  • Water vapor
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Methane
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Chlorofluorocarbons
• Function:
  • Allow sunlight in, trap heat (like a greenhouse).
  • More greenhouse gases = more heat retention = increased Earth temperature.

Human Impact

• Activities like burning fossil fuels have increased CO2 levels by over a third since the Industrial Revolution.
• Result: Rapid warming of the planet; current CO2 levels unprecedented in hundreds of thousands of years.

Consequences of Climate Change

• Oceans:
  • Melting ice sheets (Greenland, Antarctica).
  • Rising sea levels leading to coastal flooding.
• Weather Patterns:
  • More extreme weather:
    • Intense storms, floods, heavy snowfall.
    • Longer, more frequent droughts.
• Agriculture:
  • Challenges in crop growth.
  • Changing habitats for plants and animals.
  • Diminished water supplies.
• Health:
  • Warm atmosphere increases smog in urban areas.
  • Smog contains ozone which increases at higher temperatures.
  • Health risks include:
    • Asthma
    • Heart disease
    • Lung cancer

Solutions

• Human actions can combat climate change.
• Transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources:
  • Solar energy
  • Wind energy
• Aim: Prevent the worst effects of climate change.