The following website, developed by MIT, summarizes the existence of human-caused climate change. The website helps to discuss complex topics such as climate change uncertainty and provides information on risk management and future action. Here, we will be focusing on climate science and climate change, the first two chapters. Visit the MIT website.
1. Scroll down the homepage to see different modules. Your screen should look like this.
2. Select ‘Climate Science’ and read through the history. Further, it discusses the greenhouse effect and the existence of climate change based upon increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.
Question: How did ‘climate science’ come to be? Who are the most influential contributors mentioned?
Question : Provide a brief explanation of the greenhouse effect.
Question : What are some of the ways in which CO2 concentrations have increased?
Question : What are ways in which prehistoric records of past temperatures have been collected?
3. Once you have read through all of the information under ‘Climate Science’, there is a button at the bottom of your screen that brings you to ‘Climate Change’. Your screen should now look like this.
4. Read through the ‘Climate Change’ chapter and answer the following questions.
Question: What are Relative Concentration Pathways (RCPs)? What are the different RCPs utilized in climate science?
Question: What are the three cycles which influence natural climate changes?
Question: How has the temperature changed in the Arctic? What should temperature look like if only natural climate changes occurred?
Question: Why are observed carbon dioxide levels ‘unnatural’? How did levels change at the start of the Industrial revolution?
Question: Why are climate change predictions uncertain?
Question: What will happen if nothing is done to stop emission increases?