Climate change

Definition

Climate change refers to significant and lasting changes in the Earth's climate, particularly a rise in global temperatures due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This phenomenon affects various aspects of the environment, including weather patterns, ecosystems, and human health, leading to widespread impacts on the planet.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, have significantly increased greenhouse gas concentrations, driving climate change.
2. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that without significant reduction efforts, global temperatures could rise by 1.5°C to 2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050.
3. Climate change leads to more extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts, which can cause severe economic and social disruption.
4. Changes in precipitation patterns due to climate change can lead to water shortages in some regions while causing flooding in others, affecting agriculture and ecosystems.
5. Terrestrial ecosystems are rapidly changing, with species facing habitat loss and altered migration patterns as they adapt to shifting climate conditions.

Review Questions

• How do human activities contribute to climate change through the release of greenhouse gases?
  • Human activities such as burning fossil fuels for energy, industrial processes, and deforestation release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary contributor from these activities, while methane (CH4) from agriculture and landfills also plays a significant role. This increase in greenhouse gases enhances the greenhouse effect, trapping more heat in the atmosphere and leading to global warming and associated climate changes.
• Discuss how radiative forcing is related to climate change and its implications for global temperatures.
  • Radiative forcing is a measure of how much the energy balance of the Earth’s atmosphere is altered due to changes like increased greenhouse gas concentrations. Positive radiative forcing leads to warming because more energy is retained in the atmosphere than is lost to space. Understanding radiative forcing helps scientists predict future temperature rises, informing policy decisions aimed at mitigating climate change by reducing emissions.
• Evaluate the potential long-term impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.
  • Climate change poses serious threats to terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity through habitat alteration, shifts in species distributions, and increased extinction risks. As temperatures rise and weather patterns become more extreme, many species may struggle to adapt or migrate quickly enough to survive. This can lead to a loss of biodiversity and disrupt ecosystem services that are crucial for human survival, such as pollination and water purification. The long-term effects could reshape entire ecosystems, creating challenges for conservation efforts.

Related terms

Greenhouse Gases: Gases in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Radiative Forcing: The difference between solar energy absorbed by the Earth and energy radiated back to space, which helps to quantify the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change.

Ecosystem Resilience: The ability of an ecosystem to recover from disturbances, which is increasingly challenged by climate change effects like habitat loss and changing weather patterns.