Unit C Background Information
Completion requirements
Unit C: Environmental Chemistry |
Learning Targets |
Background Information
The unit “Weather” in Science 5 examined how air movement combined with human activity leads to the depletion of the ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, and global climate change. Watch "25 Facts About Earth's Atmosphere" video for a quick
review of these concepts, plus some facts you may not already know.
By understanding how temperature and pressure changes lead to air movement and, in turn, the movement of whole weather systems, you could begin to make predictions of how weather would affect the world. "Air
Masses and Weather Fronts" will help you to review this.
The Grade Five Weather unit introduced you to the "secret ingredients" in Earth's atmosphere that enable trapping of heat and greenhouse gases. There are many greenhouse gases, but most important are water vapour, methane, and carbon dioxide.
This is where humans run into climate problems. Because of modern industry, transportation, and the need for energy, humans burn much fossil fuel (oil, gasoline, natural gas). When those fuels are burned, carbon dioxide is released into
the atmosphere. By putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we make the atmosphere better at trapping heat; this is known as the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Careful measurements of temperatures during the last 150 years show that the Earth is warming. The increase in worldwide global average temperature is known as global climate change. There is great concern that the increasing amounts of greenhouse gases we are putting in the atmosphere are causing global climate change.
Careful measurements of temperatures during the last 150 years show that the Earth is warming. The increase in worldwide global average temperature is known as global climate change. There is great concern that the increasing amounts of greenhouse gases we are putting in the atmosphere are causing global climate change.
The rising levels of carbon dioxide have many people trying to reduce
their carbon footprints.
Anything that you do in your life that puts carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, such as using a gasoline-powered lawnmower or using electricity that came from a coal-fired power plant, increases your carbon footprint. Knowing this, some people try to change their lives to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, some people and governments try to protect forests and plant more trees because trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
For review of Carbon Footprints, watch "Carbon Footprints", "The Simple Show Explains the Carbon Footprint" and "10 Easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint".
Anything that you do in your life that puts carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, such as using a gasoline-powered lawnmower or using electricity that came from a coal-fired power plant, increases your carbon footprint. Knowing this, some people try to change their lives to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, some people and governments try to protect forests and plant more trees because trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
For review of Carbon Footprints, watch "Carbon Footprints", "The Simple Show Explains the Carbon Footprint" and "10 Easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint".
Some very important questions must be answered once you agree that global climate change is occurring, that carbon dioxide is increasing, and that greenhouse gases contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect:
The Science 7 unit "Interactions and Ecosystems” expanded your knowledge of carbon footprints by examining your lifestyle through the process of calculating your ecological footprint. Understanding the delicate relationships among the world’s climate and increasing populations, habitat destruction, and human activities is an important component of the unit. Review these concepts by watching "Population growth and climate change", "Climate Change - The Causes", and "What YOU Can Do About Climate Change?".
- If Earth is warming, what will happen to climate around the world?
- If Earth is warming, is that a bad thing?
- If we want to decrease greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, what can we do?
The Science 7 unit "Interactions and Ecosystems” expanded your knowledge of carbon footprints by examining your lifestyle through the process of calculating your ecological footprint. Understanding the delicate relationships among the world’s climate and increasing populations, habitat destruction, and human activities is an important component of the unit. Review these concepts by watching "Population growth and climate change", "Climate Change - The Causes", and "What YOU Can Do About Climate Change?".