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1. Why do people believe Global Warming is occurring on Earth?

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1. Why do people believe Global Warming is occurring on Earth?

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- Data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment show “Greenland lost an average of 281 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016, while Antarctica lost about 119 billion tons during the same time period. The rate of Antarctica ice mass loss has tripled in the last decade”
- “Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with the five warmest years on record taking place since 2010."
https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

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2. Why are some people skeptical of global warming?

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2. Why are some people skeptical of global warming?

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- Because they do not believe in science. These people include those in fringe religious groups and sects that believe God made everyone and everything on the planet.
- Those who live in the American Midwest might point out that they still have snow and ice in the winter. As the weathers they witnessed stay the same, they assume that climate change can’t exist because it would otherwise change their experiences.
https://www.bestvalueschools.com/faq/why-do-some-people-think-climate-change-is-a-hoax/

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3. Where is the fastest warming of Earth's atmosphere occurring?

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3. Where is the fastest warming of Earth's atmosphere occurring?

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- The oceans are where the fastest warming of the Earth's atmosphere is happening.
- The Sea Levels are rising.
- The sun has impact on the ice.
- The glaciers are melting.

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4. Compare global population numbers with rising carbon dioxide levels. Are they related? Explain

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4. Compare global population numbers with rising carbon dioxide levels. Are they related? Explain

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- A 2009 study of the relationship between population growth and global warming determined that the “carbon legacy” of just one child can produce 20 times more greenhouse gas than a person will save by driving a high-mileage car, recycling, using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, etc. Each child born in the United States will add about 9,441 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the carbon legacy of an average parent.
biologicaldiversity.org

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5. Are increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere safe for human existence? 

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5. Are increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere safe for human existence? 

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6. What's an environmental refugee? What places will people flee from? Where will they go? 

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6. What's an environmental refugee? What places will people flee from? Where will they go? 

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Environmental refugees or environmental migrants are a subset of environmental migrants who were forced to flee "due to sudden or gradual alterations in the natural environment related to at least one of three impacts of climate change: sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and drought and water scarcity." People would go anywhere that is safe and a place that is not having the same issues.

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7. Let's say after college you return to Lisle for the rest of your life. In 50 years, would we be fleeing our area or accepting environmental refugees into our area? Explain.  

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7. Let's say after college you return to Lisle for the rest of your life. In 50 years, would we be fleeing our area or accepting environmental refugees into our area? Explain.  

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- We would be accepting the environmental refugees because we would not be affected by any sea level rises, the climate is also not that bad.

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8. Does the gasoline that most cars need to operate and function contribute to the Earth's greenhouse effect? 

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8. Does the gasoline that most cars need to operate and function contribute to the Earth's greenhouse effect? 

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- Yes, even though only a tiny amount of the gases in the Earth's atmosphere are greenhouse gases, they have a huge impact on the climate. Sometime during this century, the amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is expected to double. Other greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide are increasing as well. The quantity of greenhouse gases are increasing as fossil fuels are burned, releasing the gases and other air pollutants into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases also make their way to the atmosphere from other sources.
https://scied.ucar.edu/longcontent/greenhouse-effect

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9. How does an increasing consumption of and demand for meat in a human's diet relate to carbon emissions? 

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9. How does an increasing consumption of and demand for meat in a human's diet relate to carbon emissions? 

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- Even if the amount of farmland needed to feed a growing global population remains the same, changes in the way cropland is used could result in additional greenhouse gas emissions. If grazing land is converted to cropland, for example, emissions changes could result from the change in soil nutrients.
- Such poor efficiency means “beef uses more land and freshwater and generates more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of protein than any other commonly consumed food,” the paper says.
- “World Resources Institute. It showed that reducing heavy red meat consumption — primarily beef and lamb — would lead to a per capita food and land use-related greenhouse gas emissions reduction of between 15 and 35 percent by 2050. Going vegetarian could reduce those per capita emissions by half.”

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10. How does an increasing consumption of and demand for fish in a human's diet relate to carbon emissions? 

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10. How does an increasing consumption of and demand for fish in a human's diet relate to carbon emissions? 

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- "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture says that almost a third of commercial fish stocks are now fished at biologically unsustainable levels, triple the level of 1974.”
- “Global per capita fish consumption has risen to above 20 kilograms a year for the first time, thanks to stronger aquaculture supply and firm demand“

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5555e.pdf

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11. Graphic of human influenced carbon dioxide emissions and the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. Do the graphs look like hockey sticks? Explain. 

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11. Graphic of human influenced carbon dioxide emissions and the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. Do the graphs look like hockey sticks? Explain. 

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- No, the graphs do not look like hockey sticks but there has been
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide

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12. What can ice cores tell us about the history of Earth's climate over time? How far back in time can ice  cores provide information? 

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12. What can ice cores tell us about the history of Earth's climate over time? How far back in time can ice  cores provide information? 

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- “The thickness of the annual layers in ice cores can be used to derive a precipitation rate “
- “Melt layers are related to summer temperatures. More melt layers indicate warmer summer air temperatures. Melt layers are formed when the surface snow melts, releasing water to percolate down through the snow pack. They form bubble-free ice layers, visible in the ice core. “
- “ Going back at least 800,000 years. By looking at past concentrations of greenhouse gasses in layers in ice cores, scientists can calculate how modern amounts of carbon dioxide and methane compare to those of the past, and, essentially, compare past concentrations of greenhouse gasses to temperature.”
http://www.antarcticglaciers.org/glaciers-and-climate/ice-cores/ice-core-basics/

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13. How have sea levels fluctuated over the last several years? Is this driven by natural circumstances or is this caused by human influence? In your opinion, why? 

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13. How have sea levels fluctuated over the last several years? Is this driven by natural circumstances or is this caused by human influence? In your opinion, why? 

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- Approximately 125,000 years ago, the sea level was approximately 8 meters higher than it is today. This was during the Sangamonian Inter glacial, the last time the north polar ice cap completely melted. After this peak in sea level, ice returned to the planet. And the Wisconsin Glacial period followed between 80,000 and 20,000 years ago, when a glacial maximum, and sea level low stand took place.
- It began to level off about 5,000 years ago, leading to fairly slow sea level rise in recent geologic time and the sea level human society has been accustomed to.
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/earth107/node/1496

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14. If the glaciers melt, where does most of that liquid (freshwater) go? 

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14. If the glaciers melt, where does most of that liquid (freshwater) go? 

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- “By the mid 2020s, those plants could be using the Pacific to produce about 10  that could churn out 20 million gallons each day and a $1 billion plant in Huntington ... The remaining product is drinkable water, though minerals are added to. Desalinated ocean water costs $1,900 to $2,100 per acre-foot.”
- “If all the world's glacial ice were to melt, sea levels would rise 265 feet as the melt water flowed into rivers and ended up in the ocean. Most sea level rise would come from Antarctica and Greenland in the Arctic, not mountain glaciers, which would contribute only about 20 inches.”
http://climateandlife.columbia.edu/2017/05/08/the-glaciers-are-going-why-this-matters/

https://www.ocregister.com/2017/01/23/turning-ocean-into-drinking-water-how-it-works-what-it-costs-and-is-it-safe/

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15. What is ocean acidification? How has this influenced our oceans over the last 100 years? 

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15. What is ocean acidification? How has this influenced our oceans over the last 100 years? 

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- Here are the basic facts about ocean acidification: ... This has caused an increase of 30% in surface ocean acidity. If current carbon dioxide emissions continue at this rate, ocean acidity is expected to increase 100-150%.
- When carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater, chemical reactions occur that reduce seawater pH, carbonate ion concentration, and saturation states of biologically important calcium carbonate minerals. These chemical reactions are termed "ocean acidification"
https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F

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16. What are sea surface temperatures (SST)? Think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears... are SSTs too hot, too cold, or are they just right? Explain.

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16. What are sea surface temperatures (SST)? Think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears... are SSTs too hot, too cold, or are they just right? Explain.

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- The Sea Surface Temperature of the ocean is indicated by measurements taken at depths that range from 1 millimeter to 20 meters.
- “According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global sea surface temperatures are expected to rise by approximately 0.4 – 1.1°C by 2025.”
http://www.oceanhealthindex.org/methodology/components/sea-surface-temperature

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17. Why is there less heat escaping into space? 

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17. Why is there less heat escaping into space? 

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Because carbon dioxide is trapping the heat.

https://skepticalscience.com/human_fingerprint_less_heat_escaping.shtml

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18. How does Carbon Dioxide trap infrared radiation on Earth? 

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18. How does Carbon Dioxide trap infrared radiation on Earth? 

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- This animation shows a molecule of CO2 absorbing an incoming infrared photon. The energy from the photon causes the CO2 molecule to vibrate. Shortly thereafter, the molecule gives up this extra energy by emitting another infrared photon. Once the extra energy has been removed by the emitted photon, the carbon dioxide stops vibrating.
- This ability to absorb and re-emit infrared energy is what makes CO2an effective heat-trapping greenhouse gas”
https://scied.ucar.edu/carbon-dioxide-absorbs-and-re-emits-infrared-radiation

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19. Clouds ( water vapor) are considered a greenhouse gas. How can cloud coverage both complicate the heating of Earth and also help alleviate the heating of Earth?  

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19. Clouds ( water vapor) are considered a greenhouse gas. How can cloud coverage both complicate the heating of Earth and also help alleviate the heating of Earth?  

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- Clouds warm or cool Earth's atmosphere by absorbing heat emitted from the surface and radiating it to space.
-Clouds warm and dry Earth's atmosphere and supply water to the surface by forming precipitation.
- Clouds warm Earth's surface by absorbing heat emitted from the surface and re-radiating it back down toward the surface.
- Clouds are themselves created by the motions of the atmosphere that are caused by the warming or cooling of radiation and precipitation.
- Clouds cool Earth's surface by reflecting incoming sunlight.
https://isccp.giss.nasa.gov/role.html

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20. How does El Nino weather patterns influence climate? 

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20. How does El Nino weather patterns influence climate? 

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- “The term El Niño refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific.”
-Effects are likely to develop over North America during the upcoming winter season. Those include warmer-than-average temperatures over western and central Canada, and over the western and northern United States.
“El Niño as the warm phase of ENSO. These deviations from normal surface temperatures can have large-scale impacts not only on ocean processes, but also on global weather and climate.”
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html

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21. How would you characterize the weather patterns of the United States in the last decade from 2008-2018? 

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21. How would you characterize the weather patterns of the United States in the last decade from 2008-2018? 

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Getting a whole lot hotter. In the last 20-30 years the climate map of the United States has changed so much and has gotten a lot hotter really quick too.

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22. A. Does this statement support global warming deniers? Explain.                        B. Does this statement support climate science research? Explain.                    C. Does your answer change when you consider deforestation and increased demand for paper and housing? 

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22. A. Does this statement support global warming deniers? Explain.                        B. Does this statement support climate science research? Explain.                    C. Does your answer change when you consider deforestation and increased demand for paper and housing? 

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23. How can they effectively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?  

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23. How can they effectively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?  

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- “ That the combination of direct air capture , water electrolysis and fuels synthesis used to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels can be made to work at a global scale, for little more than it costs to extract and sell fossil fuel today. This would revolutionize the world’s transport industry, which emits nearly one-third of total climate-changing emissions. It would be the equivalent of mechanizing photosynthesis.”
- The idea is grandiose yet simple: decarbonize the global economy by extracting global-warming carbon dioxide straight from the air, using arrays of giant fans and patented chemical whizzery; and then use the gas to make clean, carbon-neutral synthetic diesel and petrol to drive the world’s ships, planes and trucks.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/04/carbon-emissions-negative-emissions-technologies-capture-storage-bill-gates

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24. How does tree ring growth or lack of growth support or refute climate changes in the last 100 years?

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24. How does tree ring growth or lack of growth support or refute climate changes in the last 100 years?

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- “The tree rings from certain sites seem to properly reflect temperature variability up until around 1960, and after that, the usability of the signal from that proxy can be reduced. This pattern has been noticed in a number of different tree ring records; the phenomenon is widespread enough that it has a name. It is called the “divergence problem.”
- “Trees with seasonal growth may produce woody tissue at higher or lower rates depending on a limiting factor, such as available water or temperature.”
- "increase in atmospheric CO2 has affected tree growth in such a way that the tree ring widths no longer reliably indicate temperature. Changes in the pattern of snow melt at high altitudes, which is where the temperature-sensitive trees are generally found, may affect growth patterns. Changes in minimum or maximum temperature distributions could be a cause. It is also likely that the amount of atmospheric dust has an impact on tree growth, so recent pollution could be a factor.”
- “That tree rings were one of the proxy indicators used by Michael Mann and his team in constructing the famous "Hockey Stick" graph showing a dramatic increase in the Earth's temperature since the onset of industrial times.
- “ This is important because tree rings are an often used proxy indicator for reconstructing past climates."
https://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2014/12/17/new-research-on-tree-rings-as-indicators-of-past-climate