Climate Changes in the Last 200 Years

What is climate change?

Climate change is a shift in the average weather conditions that a region experiences over a long period of time.

What are the causes of climate change?

Main reason: human activities

Accelerated climate changes in the last 200 years.

Leading to a sharp rise in greenhouse gas emissions and bringing about the phenomenal increase in carbon dioxide levels. Increase in global temperatures -> enhanced greenhouse effect

What is enhanced greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is a natural process whereby greenhouse gases absorb heat from the Suns rays and trap it in the atmosphere. Theses gases help to maintain the Earths average temperature at around 15C. This keeps the Earth warm enough for life to be sustained. (Greenhouse effect = positive) Enhanced greenhouse effect is when more greenhouse gases are released and trapped in the atmosphere with an increase in human activities. (Enhanced greenhouse effect = negative) Example of human activities: industrial activities, large-scale deforestation and agricultural activities -> main causes of increase in greenhouse gases (hence trapping more heat!)

Comparison between the two types:

List examples of human activities that increase the emission of greenhouse gases.
Rapid increase in the use of fossil fuels in vehicles, factories and power plants since the start of industrialisation. Led to high levels of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides being released into the atmosphere. Use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosol cans, refrigerators and airconditioners also contributed to the enhanced greenhouse effect by causing a hole in the ozone layer. (though now use of CFCs have been banned in most countries in an effort to slow down climate change.)

Explain how deforestation lead to an increase in carbon dioxide levels.

Amount of vegetation cover on the Earths surface have been reduced at alarming rates due to large-scale deforestation and forest fires.

Forests are cleared for timber and mining as well as to make more land for agriculture and urban development. (human activities)
Leading to lesser plants to photosynthesis and take in carbon dioxide and restore oxygen levels. (result) When more trees and other plants are cut down or destroyed by forest fires, less carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere. Hence resulting in an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Less plants > less photosynthesis going on > less oxygen, more carbon dioxide. (consequences)

 Agricultural activities like wet rice cultivation and cattle ranching.

Describe how agriculture activities contribute to the increase in greenhouse gases.

Cultivation of rice in padi fields and the use of inorganic fertilisers release methane and nitrous oxides into the atmosphere.

Rearing of cattle and other livestock also release methane as a result of the animals digestive processes.
Hence leading to an increase in the levels of greenhouse gases through agricultural activities. *Methane is 23 times more effective than carbon dioxide in causing global warming.

Effects of climate change

Effects of climate change: Global warming Four effects of global warming: -Melting ice and rising sea levels -Extreme weather conditions - Impact on plants and animals

Common misconception: There is no difference between climate change and global warming.

Correct concept: Climate change is NOT global warming and global warming is an effect of climate change.

Describe the melting of ice caps and how it affects people living in coastal areas.
Ice caps cover much of the Artic region in forms of large icebergs or ice blocks, containing about 70% of the Earths ice. Satellite images from space have shown the decreasing area of ice cover in the polar regions.

Melting of these frozen stores of water has caused sea levels to rise.
Low-lying coastal countries are especially vulnerable to rising sea levels as they are prone to flooding.

The lives and property of an estimated 100million people who live on land within on meter above sea level are threatened by the possibility of flooding.

Explain how global warming has caused an increase in rainfall.

Regions with wetter climates like China, Southeast Asia and the Western United States experience higher relative humidity as higher global temperatures have increased evaporation rates. This increases rainfall in these places, which causes floods.

Describe the formation of tropical storms.

Tropical storms form when the surface of the ocean is heated above 27C. This causes the warm air above the ocean to rise rapidly, leaving room for the surround cold air to spiral inwards quickly. Dense clouds, strong winds, and heavy rain form as a result.

A tropical storm is known as a hurricane in the Caribbean and North America, a typhoon in the western Pacific and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean and around Australia.
Therefore: Tropical storm = hurricane = typhoon =cyclone

Explain the after-effects of hurricanes on people.

Resulted in large-scale flooding, destruction of homes, industries and infrastructure. The strong winds also disrupted economic activities like tourism and caused heavy economic losses as property, crops and businesses were destroyed. *Also to note that it is costly to build back whatever that has been destroyed and may take on toll on the economy of that country as it has already suffered heavy economic losses. *Poorer countries will take longer to recover and often countries need aid in terms of food and shelter from other countries or the UN. (United Nations) * = own research

Explain the formation of a drought.

High temperatures increases evaporation rates, causing lakes and rives to dry up quickly in these places. When the river bodies have dried up, there will be less water vapour in the atmosphere. This will prevent clouds from forming and hence there is little or no rain.

Define what is a heat wave and elaborate on the effects of a heat wave on humans.
A heat wave is an usually prolonged period of hot weather. In Europe, increasing summer temperatures have led to heat waves and caused many deaths. The significant temperature increase resulted in high numbers of death, where up to 70 deaths were recorded per day. Apart from deaths, heat waves can also cause forests fires which lead to destruction of environment.

Case study: drought in Texas

Fig 1. Drought maps for December 6 and January 3, showing the progression of the drought over Texas, and the relaxing of the drought over the Northwestern U.S.

Elaborate on examples how plants are affected by increasing temperatures.

Increasing temperatures have caused changes in the flowering patterns of plants. Plants in Europe now flower a week earlier and shed their leaves a week later compared to 50 years ago. The warmer weather also encourages the rapid breeding of insects such as mosquitos and diseases like malaria and dengue fever can now spread more easily.

Describe how are animals in the polar regions affected by increasing temperatures.
When habitats are affected, animals are forced to migrate or they may be threatened with extinction. For example, the number of Adlie penguins in Biscoe Island in the Antarctic has reduced from 2800 to 1000 pairs. These penguins are dependent on polar ice for survival but rising temperatures have caused the ice to melt.

Fig. 2: Amount of ice over the years

What can the government on its part to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases?
The government, on an international level, can sign treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol where countries agree to reduce their emissions of six major greenhouse gases and work towards it. On a national level, the government can pass laws to help reduce the impact of climate change. For example, in Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA), made it compulsory since 1978 for all vehicles to pass a smoke emission test to ensure that gases they emit are within acceptable limits.