• temperatures around the world have increased 1 to 2 degrees F, affecting the global temperature rates since the late 1900s

Blue bars indicate cooler-than-average years; red bars show warmer-than-average years. NOAA Climate.gov graph, based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.

• Graph indicates increasing rates of global temperature increase within the past several years

Effects of Global Temperature Increase:

• Frequent regional and national temperature extremes

• Reduction in snow cover and sea ice

• Intensifying heavy rainfall

• Changing habitat/tolerance ranges for plants and animals

  • tolerance range = the range of environmental conditions (like temperature, salinity, pH, etc.) that an organism can survive and thrive within

Causes of Global Temperature Increase:

• "Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850-1900 in 2011-2020" - International Panel on Climate Change.

• In 2024, burning fossil fuels and clearing forests add about 11 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere each year

• Allows the EPA to regulate air pollutants that endanger public health.

• Key Climate Milestone:

  • In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts v. EPA that greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

  • In 2009, the EPA issued the Endangerment Finding, stating that GHGs threaten public health and welfare.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations

• Vehicle Emissions Standards:

  • EPA and the Department of Transportation set fuel economy and GHG emission standards for cars and trucks (most recently updated for model years 2023–2026).

• Power Plant Emissions:

  • Clean Power Plan (2015) (under Obama): Proposed limits on carbon emissions from power plants. Never fully implemented due to legal challenges.

  • Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule (2019) (under Trump): Replaced the Clean Power Plan, offered more flexibility to states, but was also challenged.

  • New EPA Rule (2023) (under Biden): Proposed stricter emissions limits for power plants, focusing on technologies like carbon capture.

Methane Emissions

• EPA has updated rules to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.

Reporting and Monitoring

• Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (2009–present):
  Requires large emitters to report GHG emissions annually.

B) Deforestation, decreasing the oxygen production

C) Increase in human activity, releasing greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere

D) Increase in water vapor concentrations, releasing carbon emissions

i) The Earth is revolving at a faster rate than before.

ii) There is an increase in human population that is causing for an increase in air pollution around many countries.

iii) The decrease in snow coverage /sea ice and increase in heavy rainfalls.

iv) The increase in greenhouse gas emissions are creating warmer temperatures.

B) Recycling materials to reduce landfill volume

C) Regulating oil maintenance in oil industries

D) Setting curfews to limit the amount of cars on roads

B) Pollinating from different areas and transferring their pollen grains to produce more vegetation

C) Providing food for its predators and becoming its prey

D) Playing a role in the food chain

i) The more bumblebees there are, the more plants are pollinated, increasing the fertilization and production of seeds.

ii) Bumblebees directly eliminate predators from the ecosystem, increasing species richness.

iii) Restoring bumblebees decreases competition among plant species, allowing invasive species to thrive.

iv) Bumblebees produce honey, which provides food for all herbivores in the ecosystem.