- Without doing any research, brainstorm for 5 minutes everything you know about the term “climate change” and write down your thoughts. Answer each of the following as best you can. Note: You will not be penalized for your thoughts – Question 1 is a completion score (5 points)
a. What is climate change?
b. What causes climate change? Do humans affect climate change?
c. How is the climate changing? Warmer, colder, what?
d. What does carbon dioxide have to do with climate change?
e. What might the consequences if climate changes either significantly warmer or colder? - After you have answered question 1, research climate change on the internet, using two or more reliable internet sources. Then, write your revisions to your knowledge about climate change. Cite your sources from which you get information. (10 points)
a. What is climate change?
b. What causes climate change? Do humans affect climate change?
c. How is the climate changing? Warmer, colder, what?
d. What does carbon dioxide have to do with climate change?
e. What might the consequences if climate changes either significantly warmer or colder? - When discussing geochemical cycles there’s the concept of a limiting nutrient. Discuss the relevance of the limiting nutrient in the context of this article. (3 points)
- What is the limiting nutrient in the Pacific Ocean where the article describes the event? How do you know? (2 points)
- Using your own words, explain step-by-step how dumping iron into the ocean is expected to reduce global warming. (3 points)
- Who are the Haida? What do they have to do with the experiment? (2 points)
- After completing some internet research, in your own words describe “cap and trade” and “emissions trading”. Cite your source(s). What do the two terms have to do with the article? (4 points)
- Make a list of at least four “pros” and four “cons” to geoengineering as discussed in the article. (4 points)
- What do you think? Should Mr. George have conducted his experiment? Why or why not? (2 points)
- As best you can, write a persuasive argument for the side contrary to your own opinion, as you stated in question 8. (3 points)
- This article was written on Oct 18, 2012. What recent developments have there been since then? (2 points)
Solution:
Question 1
- As the name suggests, climate change is the overall change in climatic patterns of a region due to both natural and human causes. For instance, it can result to increased or lowered temperatures in a given region.
- Climate change is caused by both natural and human activities. To a large extent, humans affect climate change through their activities such as farming, mining, and consumption of some goods, which result to increased greenhouse gases.
- Based on what I have learnt, for instance through news, the climate is changing by being warmer. I have heard several times that the icebergs are melting at an alarming rate due to overall increased global temperatures.
- Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and according to what I have learnt, these types of gases tend to “hold” heat from the sun. Therefore, increased carbon dioxide means that more heat will be “held” up in the atmosphere and result to climate change in form of increased temperatures.
- If climate change would happen by becoming warmer, it would melt the icebergs and result to rise in sea level and flooding because there would be more rain due to increased evaporation rate. If it becomes colder, I think the opposite would happen, sea level would drop and the amount of rain would be lower because of decreased rate of evaporation.
Question 2
- According to NASA (2020a) climate change is a long term change in the average weather patterns that defines local, regional and global climates….Please click here to download at $10