Climate Change Lecture

Does the earth gain energy?

-We derive our energy from fossil fuels: coal, oil, gas...not renewable

The sun is an open system in regard to energy. We should derive our energy from the sun.

1. Must we change?--Yes
2. Can we change?

Atmosphere: Sphere of gases over our head, stops at the boundary of outer space. Has a number of layers but the most relevant ones are the troposphere (very thin and where we live, the atmosphere we actively live in) and the stratosphere (gases that are trapped above the troposphere which allow for the transfer of gases through the earth's system but also provides a boundary that addresses the issue of temperature).

Climate Change:
Earth allows enough heat to escape back into space to maintain temperatures. As gases like C02 increase, the boundary between space and the atmosphere thickens.

We are dumping 110 million tons of man made global warming pollution into the atmosphere every 24 hours!
-In the troposphere this affects our ability to breathe and causes cancer..generates a lot of heat!

The Biggest Sources of Greenhouses Gases:
Air transport, oil production, coal plants, coal mining, fertilization, land transport, industrial processes, thawing permafrost, industrial agriculture, landfills

The largest source of global warming pollution is the burning of Fossil Fuels!!!

Anomaly: unexpected deviation from the norm (getting hotter/colder than normal)

The hottest year EVER measured was 2016!!--climate change is caused by human activities

Heat of the ocean has exponentially increased..
Consequences: Bleaching out and killing coral reefs, taking away the habitat for much of the ocean life, storms (intensifies over a warmer ocean)

Water Cycle: Precipitation, Water returns to the sea, Evaporation--goes around in a constant cycle.
The same extra heat that evaporates more water from the ocean, causing bigger downpours and floods...pulls moisture even more quickly from the soil, causing longer and deeper droughts.

Hotter years typically have more fires--ex: May 3rd, 2016: Canada

October 13th, 2014-U.S. Department of Defense: Climate change "will likely lead to food and water shortages, pandemic disease, disputes over refugees and..natural disasters in regions across the globe."

"Climate Change is a Medical Emergency."

We now risk losing up to 50% of all land-based species in this century.


This lecture on Climate Change was very informative and I learned a lot of information I never thought I knew about! The presentation was very detailed and showed interesting and very relevant pictures. I enjoyed seeing all of the Hurricane Harvey pictures since it is such a new, widespread topic of our country. Presentations and lectures like these can inform us more about all of the world's issues and what we can do to help in any way possible.