Chapter 20

Climate Change and

Ozone Depletion
 Chapter Overview Questions
¾ How have the earth’s temperature and
climate changed in the past?
¾ How might the earth’s temperature change in
the future?
¾ What factors influence the earth’s average
temperature?
¾ What are some possible beneficial and
harmful effects of a warmer earth?
Chapter Overview Questions (cont’d)
¾ How can we slow projected increases in the
earth’s temperature or adapt to such
changes?
¾ How have human activities depleted ozone in
the stratosphere, and why should we care?
Core Case Study: Studying a Volcano
to Understand Climate Change
¾ NASA scientist
correctly predicted
that the 1991
Philippines explosion
would cool the
average temperature
of the earth by 0.5Co
over a 15 month
period and then return
to normal by 1995.
Figure 20-1
Core Case Study: Studying a Volcano
to Understand Climate Change
¾ The NASA model was correct.
z The success convince scientists and policy
makers that climate model projections should be
taken seriously.
z Other climate models have shown that global
temperatures are likely to rise several degrees
during this century.
 PAST CLIMATE AND THE
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
¾ Over the past 900,000 years, the troposphere
has experienced prolonged periods of global
cooling and global warming.
¾ For the past 1,000 years, temperatures have
remained fairly stable but began to rise
during the last century.
PAST CLIMATE AND THE
GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Figure 20-2
Average surface temperature (°C)
Average temperature over past 900,000 years

Thousands of years ago

Fig. 20-2a, p. 465

Average surface temperature (°C)

Average temperature over past 130 years

Year

Fig. 20-2b, p. 465

 Temperature change over past 22,000 years
Temperature change (C°)

Agriculture established

End of
last ice
age Average temperature over past
10,000 years = 15°C (59°F)

Years ago

Fig. 20-2c, p. 465

 Temperature change over past 1,000 years
Temperature change (C°)

Year

Fig. 20-2d, p. 465

 How Do We Know What
Temperatures Were in the Past?
¾ Scientists analyze
tiny air bubbles
trapped in ice cores
learn about past:
z troposphere
composition.
z temperature trends.
z greenhouse gas
concentrations.
z solar, snowfall, and
forest fire activity.
Figure 20-3
 How Do We Know What
Temperatures Were in the Past?
¾ In 2005, an ice core
showed that CO2
levels in the
troposphere are the
highest they have
been in 650,000
years.

Figure 20-4
 Concentration of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere (ppm)

change
Temperature
Carbon dioxide

last ice age

End of

Thousands of years before present

Variation of temperature (C°)

from current level
Fig. 20-4, p. 466
 The Natural Greenhouse Effect
¾ Three major factors shape the earth’s
climate:
z The sun.
z Greenhouse effect that warms the earth’s lower
troposphere and surface because of the
presence of greenhouse gases.
z Oceans store CO2 and heat, evaporate and
receive water, move stored heat to other parts of
the world.
z Natural cooling process through water vapor in
the troposphere (heat rises).
 Major Greenhouse Gases

¾ The major greenhouse gases in the lower

atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide.
z These gases have always been present in the
earth’s troposphere in varying concentrations.
z Fluctuations in these gases, plus changes in
solar output are the major factors causing the
changes in tropospheric temperature over the
past 400,000 years.
 Major Greenhouse
Gases
¾ Increases in average
concentrations of three
greenhouse gases in the
troposphere between 1860
and 2004, mostly due to
fossil fuel burning,
deforestation, and
agriculture.

Figure 20-5
Fig. 20-5a, p. 467
Fig. 20-5b, p. 467
Fig. 20-5c, p. 467
 CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN
ACTIVITIES
¾ Evidence that the earth’s troposphere is
warming, mostly because of human actions:
z The 20th century was the hottest century in the
past 1000 years.
z Since 1900, the earth’s average tropospheric
temperature has risen 0.6 C°.
z Over the past 50 years, Arctic temperatures have
risen almost twice as fast as those in the rest of
the world.
z Glaciers and floating sea ice are melting and
shrinking at increasing rates.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN
ACTIVITIES
z Warmer temperatures in Alaska, Russia, and the
Arctic are melting permafrost releasing more CO2
and CH4 into the troposphere.
z During the last century, the world’s sea level rose
by 10-20 cm, mostly due to runoff from melting
and land-based ice and the expansion of ocean
water as temperatures rise.
 The Scientific Consensus about
Future Climate Change
¾ There is strong evidence that human
activities will play an important role in
changing the earth’s climate during this
century.
z Coupled General Circulation Models (CGCMs)
couple, or combine, the effects of the
atmosphere and the oceans on climate.
CGCM of the Earth’s Climate
¾ Simplified
model of major
processes that
interact to
determine the
average
temperature
and greenhouse
gas content of
the
troposphere.
Figure 20-6
 Sun

Troposphere

Cooling
from
Green- increase Heat and
Aerosols CO2 CO2 emissions Heat and
house Warming removal from land CO2 removal CO2
gases from by plants clearing, emissions
decrease and fires, and decay
soil
organisms
Ice and snow cover
Shallow ocean

Land and soil biotoa

Long-term
Natural and human emissions storage

Deep ocean

Fig. 20-6, p. 469

 Sun

Troposphere

CO2 removal
Greenhouse by plants and
Cooling soil organisms
gases Heat and
from
increase CO2 emissions CO2 removal
Warming from land
from cleaning, fires,
Aerosols Heat and
decrease and decay
CO2 emissions

Ice and snow cover

Shallow ocean
Land and soil biotoa

Long-term
storage

Natural and human emissions

Deep ocean

Stepped Art
Fig. 20-6, p. 469
The Scientific Consensus about
Future Climate Change
¾ Measured and
projected changes
in the average
temperature of the
atmosphere.

Figure 20-7
Fig. 20-7, p. 470
Why Should We Be Concerned about
a Warmer Earth?
¾ A rapid increase in the temperature of the
troposphere during this century would give us
little time to deal with its harmful effects.
¾ As a prevention strategy scientists urge to cut
global CO2 emissions in half over the next 50
years.
z This could prevent changes in the earth’s climate
system that would last for tens of thousands of
years.
 FACTORS AFFECTING THE
EARTH’S TEMPERATURE
¾ Some factors can amplify (positive feedback)
and some can dampen (negative feedback)
projected global warming.
¾ There is uncertainty about how much CO2
and heat the oceans can remove from the
troposphere and how long the heat and CO2
might remain there.
¾ Warmer temperatures create more clouds
that could warm or cool the troposphere.
 Effects of Higher
CO2 Levels on Photosynthesis
¾ Increased CO2 in the troposphere can
increase plant photosynthesis (PS) but:
z The increase in PS would slow as the plants
reach maturity.
z Carbon stored by the plants would be returned to
the atmosphere as CO2 when the plants die.
z Increased PS decreases the amount of carbon
stored in the soil.
z Tree growth may temporarily slow CO2 emissions
in the S. Hemisphere but is likely to increase CO2
emissions in the N. Hemisphere.
 FACTORS AFFECTING THE
EARTH’S TEMPERATURE
¾ Aerosol and soot pollutants produced by
human activities can warm or cool the
atmosphere, but such effects will decrease
with any decline in outdoor air pollution.
¾ Warmer air can release methane gas stored
in bogs, wetlands, and tundra soils and
accelerate global warming.
 EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING
¾ A warmer climate would have beneficial and
harmful effects but poor nations in the tropics
would suffer the most.
¾ Some of the world’s floating ice and land-
based glaciers are slowly melting and are
helping warm the troposphere by reflecting
less sunlight back into space.
 EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

¾ Between 1979 and 2005, average Arctic sea

ice dropped 20% (as shown in blue hues
above).
Figure 20-8
Russia

*
North Greenland
pole

Alaska (U.S.)

Canada

Fig. 20-8, p. 474

Rising Sea Levels
¾ During this century
rising seas levels
are projected to
flood low-lying urban
areas, coastal
estuaries, wetlands,
coral reefs, and
barrier islands and
beaches.

Figure 20-10
 High Projection
New Orleans,
Shanghai, and
Mean Sea-Level Rises (centimeters) other low-lying
cities largely
underwater

Medium
Projection
More than a third of
U.S. wetlands underwater

Low Projection

Year Fig. 20-10, p. 475

 Rising Sea Levels

¾ Changes in average sea level over the past

250,000 years based on data from ocean
cores.
Figure 20-9
 Height above or below
present sea level (meters)

Today’s sea level

Years before present

Present

Height above or below

present sea level (feet)
Fig. 20-9, p. 475
Rising Sea Levels

¾ If seas levels
rise by 9-88cm
during this
century, most of
the Maldives
islands and their
coral reefs will
be flooded.

Figure 20-11
 Changing Ocean Currents

¾ Global warming could alter ocean currents

and cause both excessive warming and
severe cooling. Figure 20-12
Warm, shallow
current

Cold, salty,
deep current

Fig. 20-12, p. 476

 EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING
¾ A warmer troposphere can decrease the
ability of the ocean to remove and store CO2
by decreasing the nutrient supply for
phytoplankton and increasing the acidity of
ocean water.
¾ Global warming will lead to prolonged heat
waves and droughts in some areas and
prolonged heavy rains and increased flooding
in other areas.
Effects on Biodiversity:
Winners and Losers
¾ Possible effects of
global warming on
the geographic
range of beech
trees based on
ecological evidence
and computer
models.

Figure 20-13
Beech

Future
range
Overlap

Present
range

Fig. 20-13, p. 478

 EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING
¾ In a warmer world, agricultural productivity
may increase in some areas and decrease in
others.
¾ Crop and fish production in some areas could
be reduced by rising sea levels that would
flood river deltas.
¾ Global warming will increase deaths from:
z Heat and disruption of food supply.
z Spread of tropical diseases to temperate regions.
z Increase the number of environmental refugees.
DEALING WITH GLOBAL WARMING
¾ Climate change is such a difficult problem to
deal with because:
z The problem is global.
z The effects will last a long time.
z The problem is a long-term political issue.
z The harmful and beneficial impacts of climate
change are not spread evenly.
z Many actions that might reduce the threat are
controversial because they can impact
economies and lifestyles.
DEALING WITH GLOBAL WARMING
¾ Two ways to deal with global warming:
z Mitigation that reduces greenhouse gas
emissions.
z Adaptation, where we recognize that some
warming is unavoidable and devise strategies to
reduce its harmful effects.
 Solutions
Global Warming
Prevention Cleanup

Cut fossil fuel use (especially Remove CO2 from smoke stack
coal) and vehicle emissions
Shift from coal to
natural gas Store (sequester)
CO2 by planting trees
Improve energy efficiency
Sequester CO2 deep underground
Shift to renewable energy
resources
Sequester CO2 in soil by using
Transfer energy efficiency and no-till cultivation
renewable energy technologies and taking cropland out
to developing countries of production
Reduce deforestation Sequester CO2 in the deep ocean
Use more sustainable
agriculture and forestry Repair leaky natural gas pipelines
and facilities
Limit urban sprawl
Reduce poverty Use animal feeds that reduce CH4
emissions by belching cows
Slow population growth
Fig. 20-14, p. 481
 Solutions: Reducing the Threat
¾ We can improve energy efficiency, rely more
on carbon-free renewable energy resources,
and find ways to keep much of the CO2 we
produce out of the troposphere.
Removing and Storing CO2
¾ Methods for
removing CO2
from the
atmosphere or
from
smokestacks and
storing
(sequestering) it.

Figure 20-15
Spent oil reservoir is
used for Crop field
Tanker delivers Coal
CO2 from plant power
Oil rig to rig plant Tree plantation

CO2 is pumped
down from rig Abandoned
for deep ocean oil field Crop field
disposal Switchgrass
CO2 deposit CO2 is
pumped down to
reservoir through
abandoned oil field
Spent oil reservoir is
used for CO2 deposit

= CO2 pumping
= CO2 deposit

Fig. 20-15, p. 482

DEALING WITH GLOBAL WARMING
¾ Governments can tax greenhouse gas
emissions and energy use, increase
subsidies and tax breaks for saving energy,
and decrease subsidies and tax breaks for
fossil fuels.
¾ A crash program to slow and adapt to global
warming now is very likely to cost less than
waiting and having to deal with its harmful
effects later.
WHAT IS BEING DONE TO REDUCE
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS?

¾ Getting countries to agree on reducing their

greenhouse emissions is difficult.
¾ A 2006 poll showed that 83% of Americans
want more leadership from federal
government on dealing with global warming.
International Climate Negotiations:
The Kyoto Protocol
z Treaty on global warming which first phase went
into effect January, 2005 with 189 countries
participating.
z It requires 38 participating developed countries to
cut their emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O to
5.2% below their 1990 levels by 2012.
z Developing countries were excluded.
• The U.S. did not sign, but California and Maine are
participating.
• U.S. did not sign because developing countries such
as China, India and Brazil were excluded.
 Moving Beyond the Kyoto Protocol
¾ Countries could work together to develop a
new international approach to slowing global
warming.
z The Kyoto Protocol will have little effect on future
global warming without support and action by the
U.S., China, and India.
 Actions by Some Countries, States,
and Businesses
¾ In 2005, the EU proposed a plan to reduce
CO2 levels by 1/3rd by 2020.
¾ California has adopted a goal of reducing its
greenhouse gas emission to 1990 levels by
2020, and 80% below by 2050.
¾ Global companies (BP, IBM, Toyota) have
established targets to reduce their
greenhouse emissions 10-65% to 1990 levels
by 2010.
 What Can You Do?
Reducing CO2 Emissions

• Drive a fuel-efficient car, walk, bike, carpool,

and use mass transit
• Use energy-efficient windows
• Use energy-efficient appliances and lights
• Heavily insulate your house and seal all drafts
• Reduce garbage by recycling and reuse
• Insulate your hot water heater
• Use compact fluorescent bulbs
• Plant trees to shade your house during summer
• Set water heater no higher than 49°C (120°F)
• Wash laundry in warm or cold water
• Use low-flow shower head
• Buy products from companies that are trying to reduce
their impact on climate
• Demand that the government make climate
change an urgent priority
Fig. 20-16, p. 485
 Develop crops that
need less water
Waste less water
Connect wildlife
reserves with corridors Move people away
from low-lying
coastal areas

Move hazardous material Stockpile 1- to 5-year

storage tanks away supply of key foods
from coast Prohibit new construction
on low-lying coastal areas
or build houses on stilts

Expand existing
wildlife reserves
toward poles

Fig. 20-17, p. 485

 OZONE DEPLETION IN THE
STRATOSPHERE
¾ Less ozone in the stratosphere allows for
more harmful UV radiation to reach the
earth’s surface.
z The ozone layer keeps about 95% of the sun’s
harmful UV radiation from reaching the earth’s
surface.
z Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) have lowered the
average concentrations of ozone in the
stratosphere.
z In 1988 CFCs were no longer manufactured.
Ultraviolet light hits a chlorofluorocarbon
(CFC) molecule, such as CFCl3, breaking
off a chlorine atom and
leaving CFCl2.
Sun
Cl
Once free, the chlorine atom is off
to attack another ozone molecule
UV radiation and begin the cycle again.

A free oxygen atom pulls

The chlorine atom attacks the oxygen atom off
an ozone (O3) molecule, the chlorine monoxide
pulling an oxygen atom off molecule to form O2.
it and leaving an oxygen
molecule (O2).

The chlorine atom

Summary of Reactions and the oxygen atom
CCl3F + UV Cl + CCl2F join to form a chlorine
Cl + O3 ClO + O2 Repeated monoxide molecule
Cl + O Cl + O2 many times (ClO).
Fig. 20-18, p. 486
Ultraviolet light hits a chlorofluorocarbon
(CFC) molecule, such as CFCl3, breaking
off a chlorine atom and leaving CFCl2. Once free, the chlorine
Sun atom is off to attack
Cl Cl another ozone molecule
C and begin the cycle again.
Cl
F UV radiation

Cl
Cl
O
O

The chlorine atom attacks an A free oxygen atom pulls

ozone (O3) molecule, pulling Cl the oxygen atom off
an oxygen atom off it and the chlorine monoxide Cl
O
leaving an oxygen O O molecule to form O2. O
molecule (O2).
O
Cl
The chlorine atom and O
the oxygen atom join to
form a chlorine monoxide O Stepped Art
molecule (ClO). O
Fig. 20-18, p. 486
OZONE DEPLETION IN THE
STRATOSPHERE
¾ During four
months of each
year up to half of
the ozone in the
stratosphere over
Antarctica and a
smaller amount
over the Artic is
depleted.

Figure 20-19
 OZONE DEPLETION IN THE
STRATOSPHERE

¾ Since 1976, in Antarctica, ozone levels have markedly

decreased during October and November.

Figure 20-20
 OZONE DEPLETION IN THE
STRATOSPHERE
¾ Ozone thinning: caused by CFCs and other
ozone depleting chemicals (ODCs).
z Increased UV radiation reaching the earth’s
surface from ozone depletion in the stratosphere
is harmful to human health, crops, forests,
animals, and materials such as plastic and
paints.
 Natural Capital Degradation
Effects of Ozone Depletion

Human Health
• Worse sunburn
• More eye cataracts
• More skin cancers
• Immune system suppression
Food and Forests
• Reduced yields for some crops
• Reduced seafood supplies from reduced phytoplankton
• Decreased forest productivity for UV-sensitive tree species
Wildlife
• Increased eye cataracts in some species
• Decreased population of aquatic species sensitive to UV radiation
• Reduced population of surface phytoplankton
• Disrupted aquatic food webs from reduced phytoplankton
Air Pollution and Materials
• Increased acid deposition
• Increased photochemical smog
• Degradation of outdoor paints and plastics
Fig. 20-21, p. 488
Global Warming
• Accelerated warming because of decreased ocean uptake of CO2 from
atmosphere by phytoplankton and CFCs acting as greenhouse gases
Case Study: Skin Cancer

¾ Structure of
the human
skin and
relationship
between
radiation
and skin
cancer.

Figure 20-22
This long-wavelength This shorter-wavelength (high-energy) form
(low-energy) form of UV of UV radiation causes sunburn, premature
radiation causes aging of Ultraviolet
the skin, tanning, and A Ultraviolet aging, and wrinkling. It is largely responsible
sometimes sunburn. It B for basal and squamous cell carcinomas
penetrates deeply and and plays a role in malignant melanoma.
may contribute to skin
cancer.
Thin layer of Hair
dead cells
Squamous
cells Epidermis
Basal layer
Sweat
Melanocyte gland
cells
Basal cell Dermis

Blood
vessels

Squamous Cell Basal Cell Melanoma

Carcinoma Carcinoma Fig. 20-22, p. 489
PROTECTING THE OZONE LAYER

¾ To reduce ozone
depletion, we
must stop
producing all
ozone-depleting
chemicals.

Figure 20-23
 What Can You Do?

Reducing Exposure to UV Radiation

• Stay out of the sun, especially between 10 A.M. and 3 P.M.

• Do not use tanning parlors or sunlamps.

• When in the sun, wear protective clothing and sun–

glasses that protect against UV-A and UV-B radiation.

• Be aware that overcast skies do not protect you.

• Do not expose yourself to the sun if you are taking

antibiotics or birth control pills.

• Use a sunscreen with a protection factor of 15 or 30

anytime you are in the sun if you have light skin.

• Examine your skin and scalp at least once a month for

moles or warts that change in size, shape, or color or
sores that keep oozing, bleeding, and crusting over. If
you observe any of these signs, consult a doctor
immediately.
Fig. 20-23, p. 490