Science G10

Climate Change
Class 17

Agenda
1. Take up Class 15 Homework
2. Take up Test
3. Lesson 17
• Feedback Loops
• Long and Short Term Changes to Climate
• Greenhouse Effect
• Evidence of Climate Change
• Impact of Climate Change
• Climate Change Action Plan

1
Feedback Loops
• Positive Feedback Loop is a
cycle in which the effect
increases the original cause;
More CO2
CO2 traps
released
thermal
can enhance small changes from carbon
sinks
energy

in climate systems
• Negative Feedback Loop is a Global temperature
cycle in which the effect increases

decreases the original cause

Albedo Effect
• Albedo is a measure of reflectivity; ratio of the
solar radiation reflected by a surface to the total
incoming solar radiation
• Measured using pyranometers or lightmeters
• Higher value/percentage indicates higher reflectivity

2
 Albedo Effect Albedo Effect
(Warming) (Cooling)

Less radiation More radiation

is reflected is reflected
Ice melts Ice forms
(lower (higher
albedo) albedo)

Temperature Temperature
increases decreases

Changes to Climate: Long-Term

1) Continental Drift is the movement of large plates
of the Earth’s crust causing changes to ocean
currents and wind patterns

Continental drift changed the distribution of land around the globe leading to changes in climate. Northern
hemisphere contains more land and less water leading to colder winters and warmer summers.

3
 2) Milankovitch Cycles (Ice-Age Cycles)

Earth cycled
between ice age
and interglacial
periods in the
last 400 000
years.

• Interglacial periods occur every 100 000 years

• Last ice age was 20 000 years ago
• Depends on: 1) Eccentricity 2) Obliquity 3) Precession

Eccentricity Obliquity Precession

Definition Shape of Orbit Tilt Wobble
Earth’s orbit around the Sun Earth tilts from 22.1° to 24.5° As Earth rotates, it wobbles
fluctuates between circular on its axis. slightly upon its axis due to
Description to elliptical due to the the tidal forces caused by the
gravitational pull of Jupiter gravitational forces of the
and Saturn. Sun and Moon.
Cycle 100 000 years 41 000 years 26 000 years
Ice-Age
Circular orbit Smaller tilt
Period
Interglacial
Elliptical orbit Larger tilt
Period

4
 • Combination of
the cycles leads to
the ice-age cycles
• Events that allow
more solar energy
to reach Earth,
lead to interglacial
periods
• Enhanced by
positive feedback
loops

Changes to Climate: Short-Term

1) Volcanic Eruptions
spew dust, rocks, and
gases into the
atmosphere causing
increased reflection of
the Sun’s energy back
into space
• Leads to a short-lived Mount Pinatubo, Philippines erupted in June 1991 and
released sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. Caused a
global cooling period global cooling of the Earth’s surface for two years.

5
 2) El Nino occurs every 3-7
years when the prevailing
winds weaken, bringing
warm, moist air to the west
coast of South America
• Brings dryer and warmer than
usual weather to Canada
• Leads to less upwellings
• Upwellings bring cold,
nutrient-rich water to the
surface for phytoplankton
under normal conditions
• El Nino weakens or stops
upwellings leading to less
marine life

3) La Nina occurs when the prevailing winds are

stronger than normal, pushing more warm water
towards Asia
• Leads to cooler, wetter conditions in Canada
• Upwellings increase bringing cold, nutrient-rich water
to the surface

6
The Greenhouse Effect
• The Greenhouse Effect is a
natural process whereby gases
and clouds absorb infrared
radiation emitted from the Earth’s
surface and radiate it in all
directions
• Keeps average global temperature
at 15°C instead of -18°C
• Allows the survival of plants and
animals

• Greenhouse gases including

CO2, CH4, N2O, O3 and H2O
absorb infrared radiation
• Greenhouse gases consist of
three or more atoms, which
can absorb infrared energy
• Infrared energy causes the
chemical bonds to bend and
vibrate, which re-radiates
energy back out
• N2 and O2 do not absorb
infrared radiation and do not
contribute to the greenhouse
effect

7
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Nitrous oxide Fluorinated gases
7% 3%

• Comprises 0.0385% of Earth’s

Methane
10%

atmosphere but it is the most

abundant greenhouse gas Carbon dioxide
80%

• CO2 levels were at 0.0280%

before the Industrial Revolution
Natural Sources Anthropogenic Sources
• Volcanic eruptions • Burning of fossil fuels for Other
Buildings energy Electricity
and Heating
• Cellular respiration transportation, heating, 6%
Transporation
10%
25%

• Forest fires electricity, industry 14%

Agriculture,
• Deforestation for urban Industry Forestry
24%
21%
development or
agriculture

Carbon Cycle

• Carbon sink is a
reservoir that
absorbs CO2 and
stores carbon in
another form (i.e.
forest, ocean)
• Carbon source is
a contributor of
CO2 (i.e. volcano,
industry)

8
Methane (CH4)
• Comprises 0.01785% of Earth’s
atmosphere but can absorb 28
times more thermal energy
than one molecule of CO2
• Pre-industrial levels: 0.00700%
of Earth’s atmosphere
Natural Sources Anthropogenic Sources 5% CH4 out

• Plant • Landfills
decomposition • Farming and livestock
• Animal digestion • Coal mining
• Natural gas extraction
• Sewage treatment

Nitrous Oxides (N2O)

• Comprises 0.00321% of Earth’s
atmosphere but can absorb 265
times more thermal energy
than one molecule of CO2
• Pre-industrial levels: 0.00270%
of Earth’s atmosphere
Natural Sources Anthropogenic Sources
• Bacteria in soil and • Livestock feed and waste
water • Nitrogen containing
fertilizers
• Fossil fuel use

9
 • Since the Industrial
Revolution (1750),
atmospheric
concentration of the
greenhouse gases
has increased due to
human activities
• Leads to overall
increase in global
temperatures

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Canada

• Individual Canadians
release more greenhouse
gases than most people in
the world
• Ontario is the second
largest provincial
producer of greenhouse Transportation
Industry

gases
28%
35%

• Most GHGs are released Buildings Electricity

24% 2%

from transportation and Agriculture

Waste 8%
industrial processes 3%

Greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario by sector, 2018.

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2020)

10
Evidence of Climate Change
1) Rising Temperatures
• Earth’s temperature
has risen by 0.08°C per
decade since 1880
• Ten warmest years on
record have occurred
since 2005
Blue = cooler than average
Red = warmer than average

NOAA Climate.gov graph based on data from the

National Centers for Environmental Information

2) Melting Glaciers, Ice

Sheets, and Sea Ice
• Disappearance of
glaciers can lead to
water shortages in
certain countries
• Ice sheets in Antarctica
and Greenland are
shrinking
• Sea ice is disappearing
• Arctic could be ice-free
during the summer by
2035

11
 3) Rising Sea Levels
• Sea levels have risen 21-24 cm
since 1880 and the rise is
accelerating
• Rise is due to melt water from
glaciers, ice sheets, and the
thermal expansion of water
• By 2100, global sea levels will
rise another 30 cm if no actions
are taken
• Leads to increased incidents of
flooding and structural damages
Left – Bangladesh currently; Right – Bangladesh in the year 2100
if no actions are taken to combat climate change and global
temperatures are 3°C above average.

4) Severe Weather Patterns

• Intense weather events like
heat waves, and hurricanes
are more common

5) Changes in Precipitation Storm count in the Atlantic Basin. Number of events have

Patterns
increased since 2000. Source: National Hurricane Center

• Northern hemisphere will

receive more rain than snow
• South Africa, Mediterranean,
southern parts of Asia are
becoming drier

12
6) Changing Seasons
• In Canada, spring is arriving
earlier, winters are shorter,
and the number of freezing
days is declining
7) Changes in Ecosystems
• Changing seasons affect the
time when flowers bloom
and when pollinators emerge
• Leads to misalignment
between species that may Corydalis ambigua blooms once snow melts. With
global temperatures increasing, the flower blooms
rely on each other earlier than the emergence of the bumblebee
leading to less pollination.

Impact of Climate Change in Ontario

Positive Impacts Negative Impacts
• Warmer winters with fewer extremely • Warmer summers with more heat waves
Temperature
cold days and less snow
• Some areas will experience heavy rainfalls
Precipitation
• Some areas will experience dryness
• Great Lakes may drop in lake levels but • More algae growth and invasive species
Lake levels
may be countered by increased rainfall • Fish that live in cold water may migrate
Ecosystems • Ecoregions will move northward
• Increased numbers of disease-carrying
Disease and organisms
Illness • More people suffering from heat-related and
respiratory illnesses
Agriculture • Longer growing seasons • Increased use of herbicides
Electricity • Decreased energy use due to warmer • Increased energy use due to more air
Use winters conditioning for warmer summers

13
• By 2095, Ontario’s winters might match those in
Pennsylvania and summers might match northern Virginia
• Amount of boreal forests will shrink across Canada and may
become a carbon source rather than a carbon sink

Impact of Climate Change Globally

Do you observe climate change

in your own community?

When reading about world

news, are the events related to
climate change?

14
Special Concern for the Arctic
• Climate change in the Arctic can have
major impacts for the rest of the
world
• Albedo decreases leading to more
absorption of the Sun’s energy and a
warming positive feedback loop
• Release of CO2 from the melting of the
permafrost leading to increased levels of
greenhouse gases
• Sea level rises will cause flooding in
coastal communities
• Thermohaline circulation may be
disrupted affecting the climate in many
countries
• Biodiversity will decrease affecting the
overall food web on land and in water

Action or No Action?
Scenario A: Human use some
clean energy sources but
continue to depend mainly on
fossil fuels
• Earth’s temperature would
increase by 4°C by 2100

Scenario B: Humans quickly

switch to clean energy
sources and conserve energy
• Earth’s temperature would
increase by 2°C by 2100

15
 Taking Action: Canada and the World
1992: Rio de 1997-2005: 2009:
1995: COP1 2015: Paris 2021: COP26
Janeiro Earth Kyoto Copenhagen
(Berlin) Agreement (Glasgow)
Summit Protocol Accord

First large meeting of First Conference of Kyoto Protocol was a Nonbinding document 196 countries agree to • Reduce coal use
world leaders to Parties (COP). legally binding treaty for countries. the Paris Agreement. and fossil fuel
discuss climate change. • Established a for developed • Global • Countries choose subsidies
Adopted the United process for countries. temperature their own targets and • Global GHG
Nations Framework countries to take • Reduce emissions should not must submit their emissions need to
Convention on Climate action by an average of increase by 2°C Nationally be reduced to
Change (UNFCC). • Called for legally 5% below 1990 above pre- Determined 45% by 2030 and
• Acknowledged binding standards levels industrial levels Contributions (NDCs) net zero by 2050
human activities and emissions • Established a every 5 years • Keep global
contribute to limits to be set by system to monitor • No enforcements to temperatures rise
climate change international law each country’s meet those targets below 1.5°C
• Recognized climate progress • Keep global
change is of global temperatures rise
concern below 2°C (1.5°C is
preferred)

Canada’s Action Plan

• Reduce emissions by 40-45%
below 2005 levels by 2030
• Achieve net-zero by 2050
• $100 billion plan toward climate
action and clean growth:
Improve the Providing clean, Supporting
energy efficiency affordable Establishing businesses to
of homes and transportation and carbon pricing transition to clean
buildings power technology

Investing in
Planting trees and Partnering with
climate change
conserving natural Indigenous
adaptation and
ecosystems peoples
infrastructure For more details:
https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/eccc/documents/pdf/canad
a-climate-actions-healthy-environment-healthy-economy.pdf

16
Sector Actions
• Use electric vehicles
Transportation • Increased use of public transportation
• Practice more fuel-efficient driving
• Retrofit old buildings
• Purchase energy efficient products 1
Energy • Use clean energy sources
• Introduce rebates or tax incentives for insulation or 2
energy efficiency
• Restore polluted land to become carbon sinks 3
• Implement ways to reduce methane emissions in 4
Agriculture
farming
• Use less nitrogen fertilizer
1) Annual energy consumption of the
• Collect methane from landfills model in kWh
2) Energy consumption indicator, which
Waste • Compose organic waste
compares this model with the least
management • Reduce consumption of unnecessary materials and most efficient models in the same
• Reuse and recycle class
3) Type and capacity of models that make
• Plant more trees up this class
Forests
• Reduce deforestation 4) The model number

What I Learned Today:

❑ Albedo Effect
❑ Milankovitch Cycles
❑ El Nino and La Nina
❑ Greenhouse Effect and Gases
❑ Impact of Climate Change

Due next class: Class 16-17 Homework

17