8/31/14
When wedges do more than silver bullets
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Heat waves have shift natural occurrences in nature (weather, supplies)
Glacier meltdowns result in unstable global climate (reflect solar energy)
Increasing concentrations in greenhouse gases
Consequence no improvement in carbon output lose ice caps inevitable (acceleration of
change)
Politician responsible new rules reduce carbon output
Wedges can work now
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Wedge analyzes- breaking huge problems into little ones
Stephen Pacala & Robert Socolow wedge idea 2004 journal science
Problems can be solved by new alternative in ecological footprint (habits)
Early start means healthy environ. For all organisms (reduction in health problems)
15.1 What is the atmosphere?
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Atmosphere layered massive molecules near ground surface
Troposphere heated by warm earth surface
Convention cells = warm air rises
Atmosphere continues cycle of placing heat and moisture
Atmos. Also keeps solar heat = protect from radiation space = recycling water
Weather- short lived local pattern circulation temp. & moisture
Climate- long term patterns temp. & precipitation
Short & long pattern important understanding our climate
Aerosols- minute particles & liquid droplets (capturing, distributing, reflect energy)
Troposphere- air adjacent earth surface, air constant motion
Convention current- circulation warm air, low air rises above cooler density air
Stratosphere- rises from tropopause (composition similar), H20 vapor zero & 1,000
times more ozone
Ozone- pollutant near earth surface, absorbs solar radiation, protection from UV-B, UV,
& malfunction in organisms in life
Breaking of ozone causes UV-B & UV seeps in
High energy radiation= aurora borealis, aurora australis (northern or southern lights)
Absorbed solar energy warms our world
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solar radiation stronger in higher latitudes at earth’s equator
Albedo- high reflectivity (ex: snow, clouds, H20, etc) also low appears dark color
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Positive feedback loop- melt = more melting, leads dramatic consequences
The greenhouse effect id energy capture by gases in the atmosphere
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Greenhouse effect- trapping of heat in the atmosphere, important to life too much bad
Greenhouse gases- general term trace gases, captures wavelength energy earth’s surface
Evaporated water stores energy, & wind redistributes it
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Hadley cells= equilateral convection
Ferrell & Polar cells= mid-latitude & polar cells
Northern hemisphere air moves west to east
Latent heat- H20 vapors add huge amount stored energy
15.2 regional patterns or weather
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Precipitation (something falling from the sky) occurs moisture cools & condenses
Troposphere heats contact warm earth’s surface; convection cells= warm air rises
Atmosphere circulation cycles moisture & heat
Weather pattern occurs uneven heating & spinning earth’s surface
Condensation nuclei- coating particles, dust, or ash allows vapors (H2O) to take form
The coriolis effect explains why winds seem to curve
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Northern hemisphere wind bends clockwise & southern counterclockwise
Coriolis effect- or cyclonic winds, the curving or movement of winds
Jet streams- hurricane-force winds that circle the earth
Ocean currents modify our weather
Ocean circulations called gyres carry H2O north & south
Seasonal rain supports billions of people
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Benefit support life, consequence if failure rain life can’t prosper
Monsoons- seasonal wind blow hot humid air from Indian ocean
Earth’s axis of rotation is at an angle
Frontal systems occur where warm & cold air meet
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Cold front- cooler air pushes warmer air, generates strong convective currents (result
violent storms)
Warm front-moving air mass is warmer than surrounding air (result cloud &
precipitation not as strong)
Cyclonic storms can cause extensive damage
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Cyclonic storms- dictated by the coriolis effect
Hurricanes- storms with large areas
Tornadoes- considered cyclonic storms, swirling funnel clouds (warm cold air colliding)
15.3 Natural climate variability
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Milankovich cycles drive long-term climate changes (a) changes in the elliptical shape of
the earth's orbit, (b) shifting tilt of the axis, and (c) wobble of the earth.
Ice cores contain CO2 & oxygen isotopes used to reconstruct past temperatures &
atmospheric composition
El nino ex: ocean atmosphere change
Milankovitch cycles-main drivers show earth’s climate change over millions years
(Milutin Milankovitch 1st describe 1920s)
Earth’s elliptical orbit & shortens & stretches in 100,000 year cycle, axis tilt 40,000 year
cycle
Ice cores tell us about climate history
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Provides long climate records, air bubbles trapped in glacier ice provides info. The time
snow fell
Atmospheric concentrations CO2
Observe isotopes of oxygen
Reconstruct temperature over time & plot them
Ex : EPICA- European project for ice coring in Antarctica
Temp. flip warm to cold or vice versa over period rather than centuries
El Niño is an ocean–atmosphere cycle El Niño-Peruvian fisherman 1st name irregular cycles, weakening upwelling currents &
warming water lead to disappearance of anchovy fishery, historic floods
 La Niña- extremes such as coastal waters become extremely cool (Together cycle El
Niño Southern Oscillation(ENSO), brings hot dry weather
 Northern jet streams causes heavy storms to shift towards the mid-western states that is
how ENSO affects us
 Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO)-involves vast pools warm water moves back fort across
north pacific (NP) every 30years
 1977-1997 surface H2O temp. middle western part NP cool compared western U.S. warm
15.4 ANTHROPOGENIC CLIMATE CHANGE
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Keeling curve documents change CO2 concentration
Major greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, N2O, and fluorine gases
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Greenhouse gases absorb earth energies or else it would radiate to space
Models help understand climate change because the inability to run multiple test on
climate change
Scientist believes anthropogenic (human-caused) global climate change most important
environmental issue of our times.
Svante Arrhenius, received a Nobel Prize Chemistry, predict CO2 released coal burning
cause global warming
1st data showing human impacts on atmospheric CO2 from observatory top of Mauna
Loa volcano in Hawaii, established in 1957
The IPCC assesses data for policymakers
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1988 brought scientists and
government representatives from 130 countries review scientific evidence causes and
effects climate change
Major greenhouse gases include CO2, CH4, and N2O H2O effective blocking or absorbing long-wavelength energy
 Carbon dioxide most important greenhouse gas because unlimited, lasts decades to
centuries in atmosphere, effective capturing long-wave energy.
 Causes CO2 burning fossil fuels & deforestation
 China lead in CO2 emission b/c cement
 Carbon dioxide 1st important greenhouse gas
 Methane (CH4) from agriculture and other sources second most important greenhouse gas
(natural gas produced from animals)
 Nitrous oxide (N2O), our third most important greenhouse gas
 Transportation, coal-burning power plants two key sectors addressed in efforts slow climate
change
Positive feedbacks accelerate change Tipping points sudden change occurs, are critical factors in climate change (ice melt gas
build up)
 Negative feedbacks increased ocean evaporation could intensify snowfall at high
latitudes, restoring some of the high-albedo snow surfaces.
How do we know that recent change is caused by humans?
 Model can have all the predictions needed about info. Wished to be known
 May not be accurate but that’s as close scientist can get
15.5 WHAT EFFECTS ARE WE SEEING?
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Polar regions & continental interiors are warming rapidly
loss of glaciers & intensified drought
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public confusion climate change
Effects include warming, drying, and habitat change people cause polar bear endangered b/c loss of ice
 loss glaciers worrisome Bolivia, Chile, Nepal, and other regions that depend on
meltwater for drinking and irrigation
 Harsh climates force organism to migrate early in the year, ex: alter marine communities
& stronger storms
Climate change will cost far more than prevention 2006 Sir Nicholas Stern, former chief economist World Bank, issued study behalf
British government on costs global climate change (urged people climate change serious
needs response), no regrets
 Stern key elements combating climate change: (1) emissions trade promote cost-effective
emissions reductions; (2) technology sharing double research investment clean-energy
technology & increase spread technology developing countries; (3)reduction
deforestation, highly cost-effective reduce emissions; (4)helping poorer countries adapt
to climate change.
Rising sea levels will flood many cities 87,000 homes U.S. in danger coastal erosion & flooding next 50years
Why do we still debate climate evidence?
 Interest, lack knowledge, ignorance
 Reduction emission gas must abandon current way life, not what we have but the
resources
 Changes that took 1,000 to 5,000 years end ice ages now occurring on the scale of a
human lifetime
15.6 ENVISIONING SOLUTIONS
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Carbon trading make climate mitigation attractive
About seven 1-Gt “wedges” needed stabilize climate
Regional initiatives show great promise
Most celebrated control climate change Kyoto Protocol, 1997 Kyoto, Japan, agreement
countries voluntarily set own targets reduce emissions of CO2, CH4, & N2O, and
fluorine gases.
Largest business in America join, four environmental groups call strong national
legislation achieve reductions in greenhouse gases, corporations include Alcoa, BP
America, Caterpillar, DuPont, General Electric
nongovernmental organizations Environmental Defense, the Pew Center, the Natural
Resources Defense Council, & the World Resources Institute.
Stabilization wedges could work now stabilize wedges current available technology, stabilize carbon emission, cutting 7
gigatons in 50yrs
Alternative practices can be important CO2 main focus methane also important although small
 Humans avoid consumption of beef can reduce methane\
States Take the Lead on Climate Change U.S. states & more than 500 cities taken steps promote renewable energy & reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
Regional initiatives show commitment to slowing climate change Carbon neutral - combination of wind and geothermal energy, carbon capture on farms,
& other strategies (New Zealand's prime minister, Helen Clark, pledged her country
2025)
 Steve Schneider calls this “no regrets” policy— don't need to stabilize our climate, many
of these steps save money, conserve resources, & have other environmental benefits
 Irish statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke said, “Nobody made a greater mistake
than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”
Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions Use less electric energy you have now to reduce emissions & do things not required
energy but your own