Possible Effects of a Warmer World

• Misconceptions:– Why worry about a few degrees?– Local weather vs. global climate

• Predictions:1. Climate “Out of Balance”

• CO2 (more released from plants)

• Temperature (some warmer, some cooler)• Precipitation (drought vs. flooding)• Weather Extremes

Possible Effects of a Warmer World

2. Polar Regions– Large Polar Temp Change– Melting Ice (floating vs. land-based/sea level rise)– Decrease Albedo– Thaw Permafrost– Alter Biomes

3. Climate Shift (1°=100km/150m)– Can species adapt quickly enough?

– Die-offs release more CO2

Solutions to Climate Change

1. Do nothing

2. Research more, then act

3. Act now

Dealing with Climate ChangeDealing with Climate Change

Human Activities

Government Regulations

Marketplace

Removing CO2

Human Solutions

• Cut fossil fuel use• Improve energy efficiency• Transfer technology to developing

countries• Shift to renewable energy use• Reduce deforestation• Use sustainable agriculture• Slow population growth

US Government Regulation

• Reduce subsidies for coal & oil use• Encourage shift to natural gas use and energy

efficient technologies• Emphasize methane reduction• Agree to meet global GHG standards• Carbon and energy taxes• Fund transfer of technology• Increase nuclear power use• Establish policies/global funding for ZPG

Marketplace

• Competition for companies– reducing carbon emissions– develop more efficient technology

Removing CO2

• Sequestering Carbon– Plant trees– Capture and pump

deep underground– Inject into deep ocean

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

• History:– Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)

• CFC-11 (trichlorofluoromethane, CCl3F)

• CFC-12 (dichlorodifluoromethane, CCl2F2)

– Uses• AC coolants (freons)• Aerosol cans• Cleaners• Plastics

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

• What’s the problem?– Release of CFCs into atmosphere– Insoluble in water– CFC breakdown O3 breakdown– Lag-time 10-20 years– Residence time = 75-100yrs– 1 CFC destroys 100,000 O3

Formation

Destruction

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

• Why worry? (effects of depleted ozone)– Increased exposure to UV

radiation• Increased skin cancer• Increased cataracts• Immune system suppression• More photochecmical smog in

troposhere• Lower crop yields• Decreased forest and aquatic

productivity

Protecting Stratospheric Ozone

• Stop producing CFCs

• Find substitutes– HFC (hydrofluorocarbons)– Hydrocarbons– Ammonia– Water/steam– Terpenes– Helium

Protecting Stratospheric Ozone

• Montreal Protocol (1987)– CFC phase-out by

2010– Developed fund

developing countrieshttp://www.multilateralfund.org/

– CFC production has dropped 90%

Links

• NASA Ozone Research Page– http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html