EVR HW 14 (Exam 4)

Which of these would NOT contribute to a global increase in temperature?

Switching from fossil fuels to _____ energy would significantly decrease the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

Planting trees solar, nuclear, and geothermal

The atmosphere around Earth can cause global warming because ________.

molecules in the atmosphere are warmed by radiation from Earth and retain that heat

Earth’s climate ________.

is changing as a result of natural and human processes

Milankovitch cycles ________.

are changes in Earth’s rotation and orbit around the sun that may trigger climate variation

The greenhouse effect involves warming of Earth’s surface and the ________.

troposphere

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Weather occurs over hours and days, and climate occurs over seasons and years.

Which three factors have the greatest effect on Earth’s climate?

the sun, the atmosphere, and the ocean

Which of the following have the ability to absorb energy from Earth’s surface and then emit infrared radiation in all directions?

greenhouse gases

Which greenhouse gas has a global warming potential that is approximately three times that of methane?

nitrous oxide

What is the greenhouse effect?

a warming of Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases that trap reflected heat rather than allow it to escape into space

The predominant greenhouse gas produced by human use of fossil fuels is __________.

carbon dioxide

Which of the following contributes to atmospheric cooling?

aerosols (particularly sulfur compounds) and dusts

What happens as ocean waters warm?

The oceans absorb less CO2

What are the periodic variations in Earth’s rotation and orbit around the sun that alter the way solar radiation is distributed over Earth’s surface?

Milankovitch cycles

Which of the following statements about the sun’s energy is true?

Thirty percent of the sun’s energy is reflected off Earth and back into space.

For every metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted as a result of changes in land use (e.g. deforestation), approximately how much is emitted from industry?

The figure indicates a net accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere of approximately 15 billion metric tons per year. Based on the figure, what is causing this?

4 metric tons Human activities are sending more CO2 into the atmosphere than is moving from the atmosphere to the surface.

The largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the United States is ________, followed by ________.

electricity generation; transportation

The oceans hold ________ carbon than the atmosphere.

50 times more

Soot particles ("black carbon aerosols") generally cause ________ of Earth’s atmosphere by ________ solar energy.

warming; absorbing

Carbon dioxide is ________.

the main anthropogenic greenhouse gas produced in the United States

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ________.

is an international panel that reports on how climate change influences biomes and economies

Carbon-based fuels from lithospheric reservoirs ________.

have been slowly sequestered over many millions of years

Growing rice results in the release of ________ into the atmosphere.

methane

Which type of indirect evidence can substitute for direct measurements of past climate change?

proxy indicators

Scientists evaluate concentrations of gases and other atmospheric constituents from the distant past by examining which of the following?

gas bubbles trapped in ice

What are sophisticated computer programs that allow scientists to understand how climate systems function and to make predictions for the future?

climate models

What initiative or group is responsible for the most reviewed and widely accepted reports that we have on climate change?

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

What is the planet’s albedo?

its ability to reflect light

Ice that formed thousands of years ago is often found to contain tiny bubbles of gas. This gas came from __________.

If we take a sample of ice from 10 meters beneath the surface and find that it is 1,000 years old, where would we need to look for ice that is about 10,000 years old?

Which one of the following types of scientists would most likely be interested in the information we can learn from ice cores from Antarctica?

Which of the following questions is best addressed by studying ice samples from Antarctica?

the atmosphere much deeper, about 100 meters below the surface climatologists interested in climate change How have the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide changed in the last 100,000 years?

Keeling’s reports from Mauna Loa demonstrated ________.

an increase in tropospheric CO2 from the 1950s to present

Keeling began measuring tropospheric carbon dioxide concentrations at Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii in 1958. This is a remote location away from urban and industrial areas. If Keeling had instead established his CO2 monitoring station near a large coal-fired power plant then ________.

his measurements of CO2 levels would likely be much higher than in a place like Mauna Loa

The most recent analyses of polar ice cores have given us the ability to profile global climate change back as far as ________ years.

800,000

Recent evidence from polar ice core analysis shows that, until now, carbon dioxide levels have never exceeded ________ ppm in the last several hundred thousand years.

300

Why are over one-sixth of the world’s people at risk for running out of drinking water?

Glaciers in many areas are melting.

How are warming temperatures causing a vicious cycle (positive feedback) that is leading to enhanced warming?

Ice and snow reflect light, and as they melt, Earth absorbs more of the sun’s rays.

How is global warming most significantly affecting coral reefs and sea life?

Increased concentrations of carbon dioxide are being absorbed by the oceans.

Which section of the United States will experience some significant impacts from global climate change that are NOT related to rising sea levels or the alteration of the world’s oceans? What are those impacts?

Southeast–degrading coasts?

According to the map, the area that will experience the greatest increase in temperatures is ________.

the Arctic and subarctic

The majority of the United States will see temperature rises of ________°C.

4.5-5.5

The region of the planet that will see the smallest rises in temperature is ________.

oceans

Compared to Antarctica, the percent increase in temperature in the Arctic will be ________.

greater

Hydroelectric power generation ________.

is an alternative to fossil fuels that produces fewer greenhouse gases

Hydrogen fuel cells, biodiesel, and long-term electric batteries are potential solutions to ________.

reducing carbon emissions from cars and trucks

The use of public transportation is ________.

one of the best options for decreasing the use of fossil fuels for transportation

In legislation, the precautionary principle applied to climate change states that ________.

lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used to postpone measures to prevent major environmental degradation

The Kyoto Protocol ________.

was intended to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases to levels lower than those of 1990

The U.S. Senate has so far opposed emissions reductions on the grounds that ________.

it might hurt the economy

All of the following will likely be impacts of global climate change on sea levels except ________.

receding coastlines

Of the following, ________ are market mechanisms for addressing climate change.

cap-and-trade and carbon offsets

The United States should enact laws slowing global climate change because ________.

the United States is a major producer of greenhouse gases

Environmentalists advocate immediate intervention regarding global climate change because ________.

they favor the precautionary principle

One factor contributing to U.S. resistance to legal intervention regarding global climate change is ________.

political influence of the petroleum, coal and automobile industries

Why do environmentalists and scientists advocate immediate action, including stricter laws to limit power plant carbon dioxide emissions and subsidies for renewable energy?

These industries produce the most greenhouse gases.

The Clear Skies Initiative may have helped somewhat with the problem of global climate change because it would have ________.

required reduced nitrogen oxide emissions

The Kyoto Protocol was initiated as a response to what sorts of emissions?

greenhouse gases

What two processes emit the most carbon in the United States?

electricity generation and transportation

Which greenhouse gas is produced by the raising of cattle?

methane

Which lifestyle choice would cause the greatest reduction in greenhouse emissions?

riding a bike

What is a situation in which NO net carbon is emitted?

carbon-neutrality

Which of the following is an example of mitigation rather than adaptation for global climate change?

building more solar panels to generate electricity instead of more coal-fired power plants

What is a system in which utilities and industries seek financial gain through competing to reduce emissions?

cap-and-trade

Which of the following is an example of mitigation?

making legislation to reduce our use of fossil fuels

What position did the United States take regarding the Kyoto Protocol?

The United States is the only industrialized nation to refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

In 1991, the massive eruption of Mt. Pinatubo caused global temperatures to __________.

When we compare the catastrophic eruption in Sumatra 71,000 years ago and the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, we find that __________.

What are some of the risks involved in adding one million tons of sulfur 25 kilometers up into the atmosphere?

Increasing sulfur levels in the upper atmosphere would have the same effect as __________.

drop, because sulfur in the stratosphere reflects solar radiation both eruptions caused a drop in the average temperatures across the Earth All of the listed choices describe the risks involved in adding sulfur to the atmosphere. decreasing the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere

What information is presented on the y-axis of the graph?

What does the yellow line represent?

Which line is not a computer-generated forecast?

How did the global surface temperature change between 1900 and 2000?

According to the Business as Usual scenario, how will the global surface temperature change in the century between 2000 and 2100?

Which prediction has the greatest degree of certainty?

Which of the following statements is supported by the graph?

global surface warming, in °Celsius Today’s World: The amount of global warming that is likely to occur if CO2 emissions cease immediately and CO2 concentrations continue at their current level. the black line representing 20th century data It increased by about 0.7 °C. It will increase by about 3.5 °C Today’s World All of the computer-generated forecasts predict some global warming, but reducing the level of CO2 emissions will significantly slow the rate of increase.?

Which country is currently the largest producer of greenhouse gases?

Which of the following is true?

Current target goals for limiting temperature increase use which of the following as a baseline?

What did the climate meeting in Peru accomplish?

If warming continues as predicted, which of the following will happen?

china The polar regions are warming more than all other regions. industrial revolution Global leaders agreed on language for a future meeting on climate change. Sea levels will rise and the oceans will absorb more heat.

If, as some scientists predict, 2016 is like 2015, which of the following will be true?

In 2006-2007 there was a weak El Niño. Which of the following was most likely true?

Which of the following areas is most likely to have the greatest rainfall?

If trends continue, which of the following will occur?

According to scientific data, which of the following is most likely true?

It will be the warmest year on record for the United States and the second warmest for the world.? Record heat was released from the Pacific Ocean.? A region with a warm atmosphere.? There will be more intense rainfall events in the eastern United States. The rate of global warming can speed up or slow down?

John Walke supports government regulation as the most effective approach for reducing air pollution. Which of the following statements expresses one of his reasons?

Jerry Taylor considers better air quality a luxury good. What evidence does he give for this reasoning?

Both authors refer to voluntary actions and their effect on pollution control. Which of the following statements best describes one author’s viewpoint?

Taylor mentions the reduced demands on natural resources due to both reduced use of natural resources and the shift away from manufacturing economies to service economies. Imagine how Walke might respond to Taylor’s statements in a debate.

The authors of the two essays are quite opposite in their views, with Walke pro-regulation and Taylor anti-regulation. If you had to select a type of regulation that both authors would approve, which of the following might work?

There is little or no economic incentive for polluters to pay pollution costs. Once per capita income reaches a certain level, concentrations of pollutants begin to decline as rapidly as they had increased. Walke; Voluntary programs are unsuccessful. For example, in a voluntary EPA program, only one-fourth of the participants committed to reducing emissions. I disagree; the shift to a service economy simply means that manufacturing has moved to other countries. Because air pollution does not respect borders, we will still need pollution regulation. Regulatory incentives that award subsidies to companies demonstrating technological changes in their processes that measurably reduce pollution

Your friend lives in China. Which of the following is a greater risk factor than air pollution for him?

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which of the following is true?

Worldwide, which of the following environmental problems is currently a larger cause of mortality than air pollution?

You are a physician studying the dangerous air pollutants that penetrate body tissues the deepest. How big are the particles you specialize in?

Chinese officials have been more willing to release air pollution levels because which country had been measuring and releasing such information to the public?

You are an environmental scientist interested in studying the effects of outdoor air pollution in large cities. Which two countries would be best for you to visit?

high blood pressure Worldwide, urban air pollution will become an increasing problem for the foreseeable future. unclean water no more than 2.5 microns in diameter united states china and india

The success of this proposed trip to the ozone layer depends in part on which of the following?

What conditions should pilots expect at the atmospheric levels they are attempting to reach in this expedition?

Because of similar conditions, if this expedition is a success, it could help with efforts to explore which of the following planets?

Assuming other characteristics to be equal, which of the following would be the best weight choice for a pilot on Perlan II?

Ozone repair would happen more quickly if scientists could figure out how to remove atoms of which of the following element from the atmosphere?

polar vortex cold temperatures and thin air mars 125? chlorine