Chapter 12 - climate change and the energy crisis

chapter 12

1. CHAPTER 12 Climate Change and The Energy Crisis

2. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis “There is no question that climate change is happening; the only arguable point is what part humans are playing in it.” - David Attenborough

3. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES

4. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis CLIMATE CHANGE is the global phenomenon of climate transformation characterized by the changes in the usua l climate of the planet that are e specially caused by human activities. - is the range of global phenomena caused by burning fossil fuels that add heat-trapping gases to the Earth’s atmosphere.

5. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis CLIMATE CHANGE is both natural and anthropogenic. The rising temperature is only caused by human activities.

6. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis GLOBAL WARMING it is generally defined as the general warming effect caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

7. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis The greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation that enters the atmosphere and radiate it to the Earth’s surface as heat, thereby warming the Earth.

8. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Some common greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming include naturally occurring gases such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxides (NOx), and man-made gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons, (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ).

9. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis GLOBAL WARMING K eeps the planet warm and prevents warm air from leaving the planet.

10. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis DEFORESTATION is also pointed at as a culprit to this adverse phenomenon. When forest land is destroyed, CO 2 is released into the air, thus increasing the levels of long-wave radiation and trapped heat. Deforestation also affects biodiversity because damage in the rainforest results in the destruction of wildlife habitats.

11. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis D eforestation is one of the main causes of excessive CO₂ that is released in the atmosphere. It also affects the bio diversity of rainforests.

12. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE M elting of ice caps in the polar regions of the Earth that causes dilution of salt in the ocean and disruption of natural ocean currents.

13. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis

14. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE Polar bears are also decreasing in number because the melting of the polar ice caps has caused them to starve and lose habitats.

15. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE Melting ice caps can also cause sea levels to rise which may greatly affect low-lying coastal areas where large populations dwell.

16. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Acid Deposition When SO 2 and NO 2 react with particulate matters (dry) or with water vapor (wet), acid deposition occurs which causes surface water acidification and affects soil chemistry.

17. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Acid Deposition At pH levels lower than 5, acid deposition may affect the fertilization of fish eggs, and can kill adult fishes. As lakes and rivers become highly acidic, biodiversity is reduced.

18. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Thermal Inversion The major component of photochemical smog, peroxylacetyl nitrate (PAN), is a combination of different criteria pollutants, PAN is a transporter of NO x intro rural regions and causes ozone formation in the global troposphere, which can decrease visibility especially in elevated places.

19. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Thermal Inversion The pollutants that come from sources (i.e., industrial chimney or stack) mix with air. The mixed air normally rises to the atmosphere. In a normal cycle of thermal inversion, an unstable air mass and air constantly flow between warm and cool areas.

20. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Thermal Inversion Thermal inversion is also affected by weather conditions, or it may also occur in some coastal areas because of the upwelling of cold water that lowers surface air temperature.

21. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Thermal Inversion Topography or man-made barriers like high-rise buildings can also create a temperature inversion. The cold air may be blocked by these barriers and then pushed under the warmer air rising from the source, thus creating the inversion.

22. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Thermal Inversion Freezing rain or ice storms develop in some areas with a temperature inversion in a cold area because snow melts as it moves through the warm inversion layer.

23. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Thermal Inversion El Niño is a normal climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean also known as the “warm phase”. La Niña the “cool phase” which is a pattern that describes the unusual cooling of the surface waters of the region.

24. Climate Change and The Energy Crisis Aside from the physical damages caused by disasters, they also come with mental and emotional damage. Victims of disasters may suffer from trauma, depression, or anxiety because of experiencing loss caused by disasters. This is why climate change should not be perceived as an isolated issue—it affects may aspects of human life.