NAME: Stephen Mitas (9 Miguel) CLIMATE CHANGE: ICT SEARCH

1. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/greenhouse.html a) Provide a definition of: i) The Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, for example) trap energy from the sun. ii) The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect It is an effect which is caused by humans, by emitting gases from cars, factories and machinery.

b) DON'T DO THIS UNTIL THE END! Games section-Climate Change Knowledge Game 2. http://www.earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/greenhouse Watch the animation of the greenhouse effect. Write 6 key points that emerge from this. The earth receives energy (radiation) from the sun. This energy is electromagnetic The earth sucks up the solar energy, it releases it back into the atmosphere, some of which goes back into space. Some of the IR radiation then bounces back towards earth however this time as heat. The main gases contributing to the greenhouse are methane, carbon dioxide and water. Due to increasing emissions of carbon dioxide by humans the greenhouse effect has increased dramatically. 3. http://www.climatehotmap.org-be careful, there could be some bias in this due to the organizations that put this together. This site is called 'Global Warming-Early Warning Signs. a) What is meant by the term 'Fingerprints?' Give a number of examples. Fingerprints are the visual result of climate change, things we can see happening at present. Some examples of these are glaciers melting, Antarctica and artic warming and Heat waves.

b) What is meant by the term 'Harbingers?' Give a number of examples. Harbingers are the impacts which are expected to be seen or worsen due to climate change. Some of these changes are early spring arrival, spreading disease and coral reef bleaching. c) Study the map that shows these Fingerprints and Harbingers. List a number of specific global examples that are provided to suggest that Global Warming is actually occurring. (Minimum of 10 and ensure that some are from Oceania). N.S.W, Australia- Wettest August ever recorded, 1998 they occurred on August 15-17, a storm dumped nearly 30.5 cm of rain on Sydney. Australia- 2002 Warmest April on record. Glacier National Park, Montana- All glaciers in the park will be gone by 2070 if retreat continues at its current rate. Edmonton, Canada- Warmest summer on record, 1998. Temperatures were more than 3oC higher than the 116-year average. Indonesia- Malaria spreads to high elevations. Malaria was detected for the first time as high as 2,103 m in the highlands of Irian Jaya in 1997. Bermuda- Dying mangroves. Rising sea level is leading to saltwater inundation of coastal mangrove forests. New Zealand- The average elevation for glaciers in the Southern Alps has shifted upslope by more than 91.4 m over the past century. Andes Mountains, Columbia- Disease-carrying mosquitoes spreading. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that can carry dengue and yellow fever viruses were previously limited to 1,006 m but recently appeared at 2,195 m. Argentina- 3.7 million acres (1.5 million hectares) burned in La Pampa province, sustained by record temperatures and persistent drought. Annual average temperature in Argentina has increased by nearly 1.8?F (1?C) over the last century. Caucasus Mountains, Russia- alf of all glacial ice disappeared in the past 100 years.

4. Arguments against Climate Change. This whole issue of Climate Change has been hotly debated by scientists, environmentalists, politicians, economists and the like for many years. There are individuals that believe that with so much evidence pointing to climatic change, which is beyond dispute. Others argue that what is happening in the world today is just another global cycle that has occurred before. Find evidence/arguments to support both sides of the argument. Don't use the previous website, but see what else you can find. It could be climatic data, statistics or other pieces of evidence: eg melting of polar ice caps. Google for this information or consult some of the additional links at the end of this activity Fill in the table Evidence for Climate Change Australian average temperatures have increased 0.9C since 1950, with significant regional variations. The frequency of hot days and nights has increased and the frequency of cold days and nights has declined. Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century. In the last decade, however, the rate of rise nearly doubled. Levels of Carbon Dioxide are higher today than at anytime in past 650,000 years. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have shrunk in both area and mass. (Antarctica lost about 152 cubic kilometers of ice between 2002 and 2005.) Many species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving to higher elevations or closer to the poles. Evidence against Climate Change The earths climate over centuries has risen and dropped the same is happening now. The earths temperature is decreasing, therefore global warming isnt happening. In 1975 there was a catastrophe about new ice age, the same is happening today with global warming. Sea level rise exaggerated, surveys were conducted on certain islands and no change was noticed. The computers we are using are not reliable.

5. Find a diagram that best illustrates climate change. Attach it to your work.

6. Additional links http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/change http://www.cmar.csiro.au