!. What is “Global Warming?”

2. What is “Climate Change?”

3. What is the Greenhouse Effect?

4. List the significant greenhouse gases. Which ones are increasing due to human activity (anthropogenic greenhouse gases)?

5. Do all the anthropogenic GH gases have the same warming potential?  Rank them from least to most.

6. What is the current atmospheric concentration of CO₂ in ppm?

By what % has the atmospheric concentration of CO₂ changed since the 1600’s?

7. What are the two human activities that are contributing to most of the increase in CO₂?

8. What are the sources of the extra methane (CH₄), nitrous oxides (N₂O), and CFCs ?

9. How do aerosols complicate the modeling of and predictions concerning global warming?

What are the aerosols that are important, and what are there sources?

10. What is the role of the oceans in regard to CO₂ concentration? What is happening to them as a result?

11. How are ice cores used to examine the relationship between [CO₂] and global temperature?

12. What proxy indicators relate atmospheric [CO₂] to global temperature over long periods of time?

13. What is the IPCC?  What is their conclusion regarding human activities and climate change?

14. Know the physical indicators (evidence) of change discussed in class.

15. Know the biological indicators (evidence) of change discussed in class.

16. Know the important projected impacts on the environment and society discussed in class.

17. Why does melting snow and ice result in a positive feedback loop that will worsen global warming?

18. Why is the melting and disappearance of mountain glaciers and important environmental issue?

19. Why is the projected increase in sea level probably too conservative?

20. What is the difference between mitigation and adaptation as a response?

21. Electricity generation accounts for what % of US CO₂ emissions?

What are some of the suggested mitigations?

22. Transportation accounts for what % of US CO₂ emissions?

What are some of the suggested mitigations?

23. Since 1997, when the Kyoto Protocal was introduced to reduce worldwide CO₂ emissions, how has the total rate of emissions changed?

24. If the world reduced CO₂ emissions by 80% by 2050, what impact will that have on global warming?

25. Ultimately, in order to stabilize climate and CO2 levels, how low does net CO₂ emission have to go?