Unit Four

1. Unit Four “Global Climate Change”

2. Climate and Weather • Recall that climate is the yearly measure of temperature and precipitation • Recall that weather is the daily measure of temperature and precipitation • Recall the sun is the source of life and of weather patterns • In addition to the sun, the atmosphere and the ocean add to the development of weather patterns

3. Climate System

4. Greenhouse Gases • Greenhouse gases exist naturally in the atmosphere, and serve to retain some of the heat that originates from the sun • Greenhouse gases retain some heat from the sun, which enables the global temperatures to remain hospitable to life • The problem in reference to greenhouse gases is when there is an unnatural accumulation of these gases due to human activities

5. Greenhouse Gases • In the last century, especially with the addition of the automobile that uses an internal combustion engine, there has been an increase in CO2 (one of the greenhouse gases) • This has lead scientists to do extensive research to determine the impact…. The result is the theory of Global Warming • Examples of greenhouse gases include: • CO2 , H2O , O3 , CH4 , and N2O ***Greenhouse Gases absorb and radiate heat

6. Research Methods re: Global Warming • Proxy Indicators – pollen from sediment cores and air bubbles from ice cores can reveal greenhouse gas levels from the earth’s past • Computer modeling of weather patterns • Air sampling – most effective if done several times a day, 365 days of the year, in many locations around the world

7. Global Warming Predictions • IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change • Established in 1988 by U.N. and utilizes the services of an international panel of atmospheric scientists, climate experts, and governmental officials • Established Kyoto Protocol in 1997 to combat the increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. U.S.A. still has not signed this agreement to voluntarily reduce its emissions

8. Global Warming Predictions • Predictions • Sea level rise and loss of coastal areas • Intrusion of salt water into aquifers due to sea level rise • Increase in erosion • Drought in areas normally accustom to ample amounts of precipitation • Increase in the destructiveness of hurricanes • Infectious disease outbreaks and sanitation problems

9. Is Global Warming really a threat? • The debate is ongoing as to the significance of the threat, or whether green house gases pose any threat at all to global temperatures • It has become apparent in recent years that politics have entered this scientific debate thereby handicapping the fact-based research being undertaken by various scientists

10. Politics versus Science Any science should be conducted to learn factual information about how things (biotic and abiotic) function Unfortunately, often times, both internal and external pressures cause scientists to misreport data (study mentioned in Unit 1) Scientists are pressured by employers, whether the employer is a private company or a government body, to conclude their data supports the agenda of said entity

11. Politics versus Science http://capitalpress.blogspot.com/2009/06/did-epa-suppress-internal-global.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124597505076157449.html http://www.friendsofscience.org/ http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ http://www.worldwildlife.org/climate/ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html#

12. Recent Global Warming Revelations It appears expert climate scientists have been dishonest as to how they presented their data as it relates to Global Warming They also have been preventing research that does not agree with their point of view from being published (process known as “peer review”) http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/hadley_hacked#63657 http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/06/13/the-ipcc-consensus-on-climate-change-was-phoney-says-ipcc-insider/ http://www.theblaze.com/stories/will-a-ucla-prof-lose-his-job-for-sticking-to-science-over-politics/ http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/paper_its_ok_to_lie_about_climate_change.html

13. Who’s right (on the right track)? Depending on the source, the conclusion is different Review both sides of the Global Warming debate (any issue), do your own research (if possible), then make an informed conclusion….. The conclusion can be “not enough factual information to make a definitive decision at this time” Regardless of the outcome of the global warming debate, society should do its best to moderate consumption/usage of any and all resources