VICTOR'S JOURNAL ON CLIMATE EFFECTS
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INTRODUCTION
Let us start by asking ourselves a question about threats to biodiversity, what are they? To start with, let me mention it to you that every activity we do locally, has got the ability to bring global impact. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
EVIDENCE FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
Since scientists cannot go back in time to directly measure climatic variables, such as average temperature and precipitation, they must instead indirectly measure temperature. To do this, scientists rely on historical evidence of Earth’s past climate.
Antarctic ice cores are a key example of such evidence. These ice cores are samples of polar ice obtained by means of drills that reach thousands of meters into ice sheets or high mountain glaciers. Viewing the ice cores is like traveling backwards through time; the deeper the sample, the earlier the time period. Trapped within the ice are bubbles of air and other biological evidence that can reveal temperature and carbon dioxide data. Antarctic ice cores have been collected and analyzed to indirectly estimate the temperature of the Earth over the past 400,000 years (Figure 44.26a). The 0 °C on this graph refers to the long-term average. Temperatures that are greater than 0 °C exceed Earth’s long-term average temperature. Conversely, temperatures that are less than 0 °C are less than Earth’s average temperature. This figure shows that there have been periodic cycles of increasing and decreasing temperature.
Before the late 1800s, the Earth has been as much as 9 °C cooler and about 3 °C warmer. Note that the graph in Figure 44.26b shows that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has also risen and fallen in periodic cycles; note the relationship between carbon dioxide concentration and temperature. Figure 44.26b shows that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have historically cycled between 180 and 300 parts per million (ppm) by volume. (Rye, et al., 2016. Climate and the Effects of Global Climate Change. P. 44.5).
GREENHOUSE GASES
These are gases or pollutants we produce locally. It could a gas cooker we have, a car we drive or trees we burn. All these activities releases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They might be activities we do in our small town, but they would bring a global impact. I wouldn't say, we stop driving, how could we move. I always pray that government would come, work together and come up with solutions that would be even accessible to the poor. Some of the Solutions we see are too expensive, that's why climate solutions look impossible. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
We most of the time think, whenever we hear about greenhouse gas, as just carbon. Yes, it is part of it, but we also have water vapor (H2O); Methane (CH4); Ozone (O3) and Nitrous oxide (NO). I would love to however focus on carbon dioxide in this journal. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
Fossil fuels, are one of the major contributors of carbon dioxide. It has been observed that, they contain a large amount of carbon dioxide in them. Yes, heat is important. They produce heat as they burn. But we can not run from the truth that, as they burn, they produce carbon dioxide as a by product, which finds it's way up to the atmosphere. This is one of the reasons why there is more amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
HOW DOES THE GREEN HOUSE EFFECTS ACTUALLY WORK?
We know there is direct energy that we get from the sun. This energy reach us and our environment as "short wave radiation". Some of it, is absorbed into the earth while some reflects back to the space through longer waves called "Longer wave radiation" also known as "Infrared radiation", which is "heat energy". So, when the energy from the sun hit the surface of the Earth, some reflects back as heat energy. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
Figure 44.29 The effect of global warming can be seen in the continuing retreat of Grinnel Glacier. The mean annual temperature in the park has increased 1.33 °C since 1900. The loss of a glacier results in the loss of summer meltwaters, sharply reducing seasonal water supplies and severely affecting local ecosystems. (credit: modification of work by USGS) OpenStax -Photo However, greenhouse gas has the ability to hinder heat energy from reflecting back to the space. It acts like a blanket, which sends that heat energy from the sun wanting to escape back to the space, back to the Earth. The more we send carbon dioxide through burning fossil fuels and other activities, the more it traps energy and make it as closer to us as possible. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
WHY IS IT CALLED GREENHOUSE GAS?
It actually works like a house, with lot of flowers inside and with glass that would allow energy from the sun to find it's way to the house. This energy makes the house wormer and helps plant to grow, as some is reflected back to the atmosphere. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
Greenhouse gas is important, but more than needed means trouble. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, has increased compared to thousand years ago. It has been observed that, in the past, there was rising and dropping of carbon, but this time, there is an abnormal rising of carbon dioxide. Getting back to our house, if all heat get trapped into the house, what would happen to the plant and other things in the house. The heat would cook them all and nothing could survive. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
There are some agencies that are concerned about climate problem. One of them is, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change or IPCC. They have estimated that, the global temperature on earth, is going to rise from 1.1° to 2.9° Celsius during this century. Think of it in this way, you enter into your house and all of the sudden, you turn your thermostat to 180°, how comfortable would you be? The room would be hotter than you could adapt. If you like Ice cubes in your soda, like me, they would all melt. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
More heat on earth would affect ice places like Greenland and high mountains. If their ice melt, water would find it's way straight into the Ocean. Antarctica, the most coldest, would have it's Ice melt and could contribute lot of water to the Ocean. It would be probably, 4.6 Meters or 13-20 feet more water in the Ocean worldwide. I would love to make it clear that, this could take thousand of years, but could happen due to our current activities. That amount of water would be enough to wipe out Maldives completely into the water. Low land areas of Netherlands, would be completely disappear and would have some serious problems. (California Academy of Sciences, 2014).
What about biodiversity? All low lines would disappear together with their species living in them. Apart from that, the worming itself would be a problem. We know animals are able to survive in their adapted, used environments. Uncomfortable heat, would wipe some species that could fail to adopt quickly to some climate changes. Some organisms can move to cooler places, what about about the Forest? It would be completely wiped out and more carbon would rise.
For more on climate change, copy and paste the following link in your browser: https://knowing2makeknown.blogspot.com/2022/08/re-unit-8-discussion-post-by-victor.html
REFERENCE
California Academy of Sciences. (2014, June 30). How does climate change affect biodiversity? [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/XFmovUAWQUQ
Rye, C.,Wise, R., Jurukovski, V., DeSaix, J., Choi, J. & Avissar, Y. (2016). Climate and the Effects of Global Climate Change. https://openstax.org/books/biology/pages/44-5-climate-and-the-effects-of-global-climate-change
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