Environmental Issues Webquest
Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect
Go to http://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introduction and answer the following questions.
1. What is the greenhouse effect?
2. How does it relate to climate change?
3. Draw and label the greenhouse effect.
4. Scroll down to the section “The Greenhouse Effect is Natural. What do we have to do with it?” What are some ways that humans are thought to be contributing to climate change?
5. Scroll down to the section “Small Average Global Temperature Change can have a Big Impact.” (Do not use the large map. Scroll down past it) Describe how global warming might affect the
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Also, by clearing forests to support agriculture, we are transferring carbon from living biomass into the atmosphere (dry wood is about 50 percent carbon).
The result is that humans are adding ever-increasing amounts of extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Because of this, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are higher today than they have been over the last half-million years or longer.
— The Carbon Cycle; The Human Role, Earth Observatory, NASA
Another way of looking at this is with a simple analogy: consider salt and human health:
• A small amount of salt is essential for human life; • Slightly more salt in our diet often makes food tastier; • Too much salt can be harmful to our health.
In a similar way, greenhouse gases are essential for our planet; the planet may be able to deal with slightly increased levels of such gases, but too much will affect the health of the whole planet.
[pic]Image source: NASA.(Note, values shown represent Carbon Gigatons being absorbed and released)
The other difference between the natural carbon cycle and human-induced climate change is that the latter is rapid. This means that ecosystems have less chance of adapting to the changes that will result and so the effects
Over the years Carbon Dioxide has been significantly increasing from human activity. CO2 has a concentration of about 400 ppmv (parts per million volume). Its concentration in the atmosphere was about 280 ppmv before the Industrial Revolution, now it has increased immensely to about 380 ppmv in 2006. Many have said Carbon Dioxide has been the main reason or cause of global warming; saying that if we produce too much of this greenhouse gas it can create a global climate change. Even though carbon dioxide affects the temperature of the atmosphere it also affects the acidity of water specifically in the ocean.
The effect of all this excess extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is that the overall temperature of the planet is increasing (global warming). Whilst the average global temperature is increasing, on a day-to-day level the climate is changing in unpredictable ways. To try and reduce the risk of continued adverse effects we need to reduce how much fossil fuel we are burning. Australia is currently has the highest CO2 emissions per capita. Figure 1 shows a graphical comparison to all the other developed countries and how Australia is lacking severely behind in terms of CO2 emissions.
Carbon Dioxide is a dangerous, poisonous gas, carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is appearing more in the atmosphere. The human body and most other species on earth need oxygen to live and breath. Without enough oxygen in the air we would suffocate and so would most other spices. Now there is a way to reverse the amount of CO2 in the air. The answer to this issue, is plant more trees! Trees and other vegetation take in CO2 and convert it to oxygen. Not only could we have CO2 levels on the rise but another big kill around the world is cancer is In 2012, there were an estimated 8.2 million deaths from cancer in the world. Cancer is the second leading cause of death around the world. Im
Recent scientific evidence indicates that humans have upset the carbon cycle, leaving more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, burning biomass such as ethanol and wood, creating cement and releasing other chemicals into the atmosphere is upsetting the natural flow of carbon.
Thesis and Preview: Today I will talk to you about what is causing climate change, the effect it will have on us, and finally, how to prevent it.
Our lives involve the emission of theses dangerous greenhouse gases (Bushnell 25). Carbon dioxide has increased to
[Level 2] Which of your own daily activities contribute most to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and changing the climate? What are some steps you can take to decrease this effect?
28. What are your thoughts regarding the role humans and the burning of carbon-based fuels in global warming? This is an opinion question
Main Point - Despite the fact that a specific amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) happens naturally in the Earth's atmosphere, there are many human activities that boost the levels of the greenhouse gases causing it to be harmful to Earth`s climate.
Secondly, together with deforestation of the planet, the burning of fossil fuels is contributing to a measurable increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in
Carbon dioxide is very important in the atmosphere, however only in moderation. For centuries humans have been burning coal, oil, and fossil fuels therefore releasing tons of carbon into the air. The problem with this is that this can cause a problem known as global warming. This is a major climate problem, which has series results on people and the environment. The result on people can be very deadly. Too much carbon in the air can cause cancer.
The case for attributing the recent global warming to human activities rests on the following undisputed scientific facts:
Thesis Statement: Climate change is natural; however, advances of human society such as deforestation, industrialization, and the burning of fossil fuels, have increased the rate at which the climate is changing.
The rapidly increasing amount of carbon dioxide may be one of the factors that cause climate change. As Hillman states, “Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are increasing, and have done so since the Industrial Revolution.” An atmospheric CO2 concentration, research shows that there is a dramatic increase from 280 parts per million (ppm) in 1750 to 373 ppm in 2002, a rise of the third. Furthermore, the linear chart demonstrated the trend of annual global CO2
In addition, human activities like deforestation may increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is because forests help in carbon sequestration, which reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. It follows then that clearing such tress will increase the amount of carbon dioxide since carbon sequestration will not occur (3). The man-made theory of climate change also explains that when these harmful gasses reach the atmosphere, they form a blanket, which traps heat in the atmosphere. This trapping of in the atmosphere is the phenomenon that causes the planet to get warmer, hence the term global warming (Sharma, 4).