Climate Change Lab Doc (2)

(c.) What can we do (as consumers, as voters, as educators, etc.) to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions? You can create a table / illustration / etc. to help organize your thoughts. As consumers, voters, educators, etc., we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in many different ways. For example, familiar and easy practices that we can put forth that will help lessen and destroy greenhouse gas emissions include composting, recycling as much as we can, planting trees, using appliances that have been approved as not admitting a lot of gases, replacing the ordinary light bulbs for LED light bulbs, give money to organizations that support renewable energy along with vote for governmental candidates that also support renewable energy usage. Some may also be surprised to hear that our diets also have to do with greenhouse gases. For example, if we all started to have more of a plant-based diet, then we would already be reducing our personal greenhouse gas emissions significantly. Part 2: Impacts of Anthropogenic Climate Change We’re going to refer to a report put together by the U.S. Global Change Research Program to learn about current and future impacts of anthropogenic climate change. To get started, go to nca2018.globalchange.gov , then click Report Chapters. From there, navigate through the report to answer the following questions. (a.) Based on Chapter 3: Water, indicate how the following are changing: (i.) Droughts: Depending on the area, droughts have become increasingly common and worse over the past years. For example, the Southwest is an area that was largely impacted by droughts. The droughts have decreased the water supply that was available for both people and nature, such as aquatic life. (ii.) Heavy Rainfall: Over the years, heavy rainfall has become increasingly more frequent. Not only has heavy rainfall become more common, but it has also become significantly more intense. (iii.) Snowpack: In many areas over the years, such as in the Northwest, Alaska, and Southwest, snowpack has reduced significantly. The minimization of snowpack can be blamed on the constant rising temperatures that the earth has been undergoing. It can also be blamed on the lack of precipitation. (iv.) Surface Water Quality: It is said in the chapter that surface water quality is also declining as a result of increasing water temperatures along with intense rainfall becoming more common. (v.) Severe Floods: Severe floods are said to be increasing because of the warming climate, but also because of the more frequent heavy rainfall that has also been occurring. (vi.) Infrastructure Failure: Certain areas are more susceptible to infrastructure failure due to severe floods along with the warming climate. (b.) Check out Chapter 7: Ecosystems, Ecosystem Services, & Biodiversity. What services do ecosystems provide, and how are these services being influenced by climate change? Ecosystems provide numerous different services in which all forms of life rely on heavily. The different services that ecosystems provide for life include protection from catastrophic events, food and supplies, better quality of both water and air, and last but not least, an extensive range of both cultural and aesthetic merit. Climate change impacts and influences the several services that ecosystems provide in many

contamination from combined sewage overflows and a lack of access to potable drinking water. (iv.) Climate change . . . is projected to adversely affect food security by altering exposures to certain pathogens and toxins . (v.) Mental health consequences, ranging from minimal stress and distress symptoms to clinical disorders, such as anxiety , depression , post-traumatic stress , and suicidality , can result from exposure to short-lived or prolonged climate- or weather- related events and their health consequences. (vi.) Low-income communities and some communities of color are often already overburdened with poor environmental conditions and are disproportionately affected by, and less resilient to, the health impacts of climate change . Alternative Energy: Our Hail Mary There are countless things we can do to fight the climate crisis, including but not limited to . . . carpooling riding a bike riding a scooter riding a skateboard rollerblading walking running taking a bus taking a train driving a hybrid vehicle driving an electric vehicle properly inflating your tires cultivating kelp forests restoring tree forests coastal wetland restoration solar pathways algae towers carbon capture towers switching to energy-efficient light reducing hot water use hang-drying clothes unplugging unused devices adjusting your thermostat insulating your home removing your lawn drought-tolerant plants reducing plastic consumption reusing items you’d toss recycling packaging recycling electronics reducing meat consumption reducing food waste buying sustainable harvests partaking in community gardens supporting urban agriculture eating locally-grown food growing your own food reducing water waste using a hydroflask/thermos/etc. using reusable bags purchasing pre-owned items avoiding “fast fashion” attending city council meetings collecting the infinity stones voting in local elections voting in state elections voting in federal elections encouraging others to vote educating your family educating your friends educating your partner educating your neighbors educating your coworkers educating yourself supporting carbon taxes protesting fossil fuels endorsing the Paris agreement supporting sustainability initiatives supporting carbon offsets rising up and eating the rich . . . but at the end of the day, the burning of fossil fuels is the number one issue when it comes to anthropogenic climate change, so we need to cut fossil fuels out of the equation. At an individual level, doing so involves some of the actions listed previously, but the elimination of fossil fuels needs to be the endgame. In order to eliminate fossil fuel-based energy, we need to look to alternative energy sources. Listed below are the predominant alternative energy sources available to us today. In the accompanying space, describe each energy source: how they work, their benefits, their drawbacks, etc.. Where are these energy resources currently being utilized?