7/2/2012

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 13e

CHAPTER 19:
Climate Change,
and Ozone Depletion

Global Warming and Global Cooling

Are Not New
Over the past 100,000 years
Interglacial period

How Might the Earths Climate

Change in the Future?
Considerable scientific evidence
indicates that emissions of
greenhouse gases into the earths
atmosphere from human activities
will lead to significant climate
change during this century.

Our Climate, Lives, and Economies

Depend on the Natural Greenhouse Effect
Without the natural greenhouse effect
Cold, uninhabitable earth

Natural greenhouse gases

Over the past 10,000 years

Temperature stable

Over the past 100 years

Temperature changes

TEMPERATURE CHANGE (over past 1,000 years

Water vapor (H2O)

Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Animation:
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/green
house

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The Atmosphere Is Warming Mostly

Because of Human Activities
Carbon dioxide (CO2 )
Burning of fossil fuels
Cutting of trees, fires

Methane (CH4)
Extracting fossil fuel
Raising cattle and sheep (belch methane)

and Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Increase use of nitrogen fertilizers
Scientific research : 9099% likely that lower atmosphere
is warming
Melting of glaciers and floating sea ice
Last 100 years: sea levels rose 1020 cm

Can the Oceans Save Us?

Solubility of CO2 in ocean water removes
25-30% CO2 of produced.
Upper ocean getting warmer
CO2 solubility reduces with increase temp. (like
in soft drinks)
CO2 levels increasing acidity by 30% (carbonic
acid) since preindustrial times
Effect on coral reefs and phytoplankton
populations disrupt food web and removal of
CO2 by photosynthesis

Is a Hotter Sun the Culprit?

Since 1975
Troposphere has warmed
Stratosphere has cooled

This is not what a hotter sun would do

Inputs at earths surface (from human
activities) are the main cause.

What Are Some Possible Effects of

a Warmer Atmosphere?
The projected rapid change in the
atmosphere's temperature during this
century is very likely to increase
drought and flooding, shift areas
where food can be grown, raise sea
levels, result in intense heat waves,
and cause the premature extinction of
many species.

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19062005: global ave. temp increased

about 0.74C
During the last century:

Global
Warming
The browning
of earth

Ice and snow

melting

Raising of
sea level

Threat to
biodiversity

the upper portion of ocean warmed by 0.67 C

Worlds average sea level rose by 10-20 cm

So what is the big deal?? Why to worry

if the rise is only a few degrees in the
earth's average surface temperature??

Enhanced Global Warming Could

Have Severe Consequences
Tipping point and irreversible climate change
Worst-case scenarios
Ecosystems collapsing
Low-lying cities flooded
Wildfires in forests
Prolonged droughts: grasslands become dust bowls
More destructive storms
Glaciers shrinking; rivers drying up

Severe Drought Is Increasing:

The Browning of the Earth
Accelerate global warming, lead to more drought
i.e. evaporation exceeds precipitation
Less
moisture in
soil

Growth of
trees and
plants slow

CO2 removal
will be
reduced

Positive feedback loop

Lakes shrink
or disappear

Forest fires
increase CO2

Biodiversity
will decrease

area of dry
climate

More global
warming

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Ice and Snow Are Melting

Light colored ice
and snow reflect
incoming solar
energy

melting exposes
darker land and
sea

absorb more
solar energy

more
evaporation

Melt more ice

polar region to
warm faster

Sea Levels Are Rising

Average sea level is likely to rise 18-59
cm during this century.
This increase results from:
1. Melting of land-based ice 1/3
2. Expansion of warm water 2/3

Positive feedback loop

raise atmospheric
temp

Sea Levels Are Rising

Projected irreversible effect
Degradation and loss of 1/3 of coastal areas
Flooding of agricultural lowlands and deltas
Flooding of worlds largest cities and
displacement of 100 million people (esp. China,
India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand..)
Contamination of freshwater aquifers
Submergence of low-lying islands in the Pacific
and Indian Oceans and the Caribbean

Global Warming Is a Major

Threat to Biodiversity
If temp change exceeds 1.5-2.5C 30%
animal & plants disappear
If temp increase is 3.5C 70% disappear
Most susceptible ecosystems are colder
climates
Which organisms could increase with global
warming? Significance?
Insects & Fungi that destroy trees
Microbes

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Climate Change Will Threaten

the Health of Many People
Deaths from heat waves will increase
Deaths from cold weather will decrease
Higher temperatures can cause
Increased flooding
Increase in some forms of air pollution, more O3
More insects, microbes, toxic molds, and fungi
Increased draught, hunger, diseases

Options to Deal with Climate

Change

What Can We Do to Slow

Climate Change?
To slow the rate of global warming and
climate change, we can:
1.increase energy efficiency,
2.sharply reduce greenhouse gas
emissions,
3.rely more on renewable energy
resources, and
4.slow population growth.

Oil rig

Tanker delivers
CO2 from plant
to rig

Coal power
plant

Tree plantation

Two approaches:
1. Drastically reduce greenhouse gas
emissions
2. Develop strategies to reduce its
harmful effects

CO2 is pumped
down from rig for
disposal in deep
ocean or under
seafloor sediments

Abandoned
oil field
Switchgrass

Crop field

CO2 is pumped
underground

Spent oil or
natural gas
reservoir

Mix both approaches

Spent coal
bed cavern

Deep, saltwater-filled cavern

= CO2 pumping
= CO2 deposit

Fig. 19-C, p. 394

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Avoiding Catastrophe: We Can Reduce

the Threat of Climate Change
1. Input or prevention strategies
1. Improve energy efficiency to reduce fossil fuel use
2. Shift from nonrenewable carbon-based fossil to a
mix to carbon-free renewable energy resources
3. Stop cutting down tropical forests

2. Output strategy
1. Capture and store CO2 in vegetation, deep ocean

To be effective slow population growth, and

reduce poverty

Human Impact on the Ozone

Layer
Location and purpose of the ozone
layer
Located in the lower stratosphere
Blocks 95% of suns harmful ultraviolet
radiation

Ozone depletion poses serious threat

to humans, animals, plants

How Have We Depleted O3 in the

Stratosphere & What Can We Do?
Widespread use of certain chemicals has
reduced ozone levels in the stratosphere,
which allows for more harmful ultraviolet
radiation to reach the earths surface.
To reverse ozone depletion, we must stop
producing ozone-depleting chemicals and
adhere to the international treaties that
ban such chemicals.

Causes chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Known as Freons

Coolants in A/C and refrigerators

Propellants in aerosal sprays cans
Cleaning solutions for electronic parts
To fill tiny bubbles in plastic foam used for insulation and
packaging

Others:
Halons and Hydrobromoflurocabons (extinguishers)
Methyl bromide (fumigant)
Cleaning solvents such as methyl chloroform, carbon
tetrachloride..

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Why Should We Worry about

Ozone Depletion?
1. Damaging UV radiation
Increase eye cataracts and skin cancer

2. Impair or destroy phytoplankton

Key role in removing CO2 from
atmosphere
Base of ocean food webs

We Can Reverse Stratospheric

Ozone Depletion
Stop producing all ozone-depleting
chemicals
It will need 60100 years to recover the
O3 layer it had in 1980

Substitutes for CFCs are available

and more are being developed

Three Big Ideas from This

Chapter - #1
The projected rapid change in the
atmosphere's temperature during this
century is very likely to increase drought
and flooding, shift areas where food can
be grown, raise sea levels, result in
intense heat waves, and cause the
premature extinction of many species.

HCFC-22

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Three Big Ideas from This

Chapter - #2
Reducing the possible harmful effects
of projected rapid climate change
during this century requires
emergency action to cut energy
waste, sharply reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, rely more on
renewable energy resources, and
slow population growth.

Three Big Ideas from This

Chapter - #3
We need to continue phasing out the
use of chemicals that have reduced
ozone levels in the stratosphere and
allowed more harmful ultraviolet
radiation to reach the earths surface.

Chapter 19: Climate Change

and Ozone Depletion
How might the earths temperature and
climate change in the future?
What are some possible effects of a
warmer atmosphere?
What can we do to slow climate change?
How have we depleted ozone in the
stratosphere and what can we do about it?