Warming notes

Objectives

Explain how humans affect the atmosphere

Provide evidence for climate change

Describe consequences associated with ozone depletion and climate change

Question

How does a changing climate affect humans?

Ozone layer

From Earth Science, what do you remember about the ozone layer?

Where is it?

What does it do?

Ozone layer

Ozone Layer: A layer of ozone gas located in the Stratosphere

Which layer of the atmosphere is the stratosphere?

Ozone gas absorbs UV radiation

You can think of the ozone layer as the Earth’s sunscreen

Ozone layer

Molecules called CFCs destroy ozone

CFCs were once used as propellants, in coolants, and in making plastic

Ozone layer

Who has heard of the hole in the ozone layer? What do you know about it?

Every spring CFC concentrations become high in the atmosphere over the Arctic

The CFCs destroy ozone causing a hole in the ozone above the Arctic

Ozone layer

What do you think would be the effect of less ozone in the atmosphere?

Increased skin cancer

Eye damage

Harms amphibians and their eggs

Too much UV can harm plants

Ozone layer

In 1987 the use of CFCs was banned

Since then concentrations of CFCs in the atmosphere have been falling

Global Warming

What do you know about global warming?

What do you think is real?

What do you think is hype?

Here is what we know

These things have been observed and recorded

The last 2 decades are the warmest on record

The polar ice caps are getting smaller

Sea levels are rising

Storms are becoming more frequent

Here is what we know

So, what are humans doing that is causing the globe to warm?

Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gases prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere

Humans burning things (especially fossil fuels)releases greenhouse gases

Effects

What are the effects of a warmer planet?

EffectsMore frequent, more intense storms

Extinction of some animals

Other animals moving into new areas

Increased droughts

Loss of land to a rising sea

Can you think of any others?

Consider this ...

Effects

Here is a dramatic, but funny take on global warming

Effects

We must make a distinction

Damaging the ozone layer and global warming are not the same thing

How are they different?

Loss of ozone leads to more UV radiation

The addition of greenhouse gases traps heat

UV radiation doesn’t cause heat

Project

Get into your groups and work on your project