Possible Effects of a Warmer World Misconceptions: –Why worry about a few degrees? –Local...
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Transcript of Possible Effects of a Warmer World Misconceptions: –Why worry about a few degrees? –Local...
Possible Effects of a Warmer World
• Misconceptions:– Why worry about a few degrees?– Local weather vs. global climate
• Predictions:1. Climate “Out of Balance”
• CO2 (more released from plants)
• Temperature (some warmer, some cooler)• Precipitation (drought vs. flooding)• Weather Extremes
Possible Effects of a Warmer World
2. Polar Regions– Large Polar Temp Change– Melting Ice (floating vs. land-based/sea level rise)– Decrease Albedo– Thaw Permafrost– Alter Biomes
3. Climate Shift (1°=100km/150m)– Can species adapt quickly enough?
– Die-offs release more CO2
Dealing with Climate ChangeDealing with Climate Change
Human Activities
Government Regulations
Marketplace
Removing CO2
Human Solutions
• Cut fossil fuel use• Improve energy efficiency• Transfer technology to developing
countries• Shift to renewable energy use• Reduce deforestation• Use sustainable agriculture• Slow population growth
US Government Regulation
• Reduce subsidies for coal & oil use• Encourage shift to natural gas use and energy
efficient technologies• Emphasize methane reduction• Agree to meet global GHG standards• Carbon and energy taxes• Fund transfer of technology• Increase nuclear power use• Establish policies/global funding for ZPG
Marketplace
• Competition for companies– reducing carbon emissions– develop more efficient technology
Removing CO2
• Sequestering Carbon– Plant trees– Capture and pump
deep underground– Inject into deep ocean
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
• History:– Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)
• CFC-11 (trichlorofluoromethane, CCl3F)
• CFC-12 (dichlorodifluoromethane, CCl2F2)
– Uses• AC coolants (freons)• Aerosol cans• Cleaners• Plastics
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
• What’s the problem?– Release of CFCs into atmosphere– Insoluble in water– CFC breakdown O3 breakdown– Lag-time 10-20 years– Residence time = 75-100yrs– 1 CFC destroys 100,000 O3
Formation
Destruction
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
• Why worry? (effects of depleted ozone)– Increased exposure to UV
radiation• Increased skin cancer• Increased cataracts• Immune system suppression• More photochecmical smog in
troposhere• Lower crop yields• Decreased forest and aquatic
productivity
Protecting Stratospheric Ozone
• Stop producing CFCs
• Find substitutes– HFC (hydrofluorocarbons)– Hydrocarbons– Ammonia– Water/steam– Terpenes– Helium
Protecting Stratospheric Ozone
• Montreal Protocol (1987)– CFC phase-out by
2010– Developed fund
developing countrieshttp://www.multilateralfund.org/
– CFC production has dropped 90%
Links
• NASA Ozone Research Page– http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html