The Science of Global Warming
Description Scientists say the planet is warming because of human activities, namely the greenhouse effect from carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere when burning fossil fuels. But, how do we know? How do scientists know? Background: On pages 425-431, your textbook provides a brief introduction to climate change and the negative effects of global warming on natural and human systems. This essay exercise is designed to take you deeper into the science behind climate change. You will be asked to draw on authoritative sources to answer the basic questions surrounding climate change. Instructions: This exercise requires you to answer a series of questions related to global warming using internet sources. You might want to start by simply typing the exact question into your favorite search engine and reading through credible sites. Internet sources that are generally more reliable on science include educational institutions (i.e. “edu” in the web address), federal government organizations and agencies (i.e. “gov” in the web address), and scientific societies. The National Academy of Sciences (nas.edu with journal pnas.org) or relevant scientific societies for a particular discipline are recommended (for example, the American Chemical Society, acs.org, for chemistry). For climate science, you may also want to consider scientific reports from international organizations such as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ipcc.ch), World Meteorological Organization (wmo.int), or the United Nations (un.org). Peer-reviewed scientific journal articles are a good source of info but are not required for this exercise because they too technical for most undergraduate students. Answers: Instead of one large essay, this assignment will require a series of smaller essays. Answer each question in the space provided with at least 1-2 full paragraphs*. Your responses should demonstrate a thoughtful synthesis of your research. Direct quotes will not be accepted. *Excluding Question 2, which is a yes/no question. Sources: To substantiate your answers, you will indicate the specific web links used. Full citations are not required. If you are referencing a long document like this report, provide the page number(s), or figure title/number where you got your information. If you are referencing a short webpage you do not need to include a page, paragraph, or figure number. Example: 1. Describe the process of photo synthesis. Answer: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet. Duis sagittis ipsum. Praesent mauris. Fusce nec tellus sed augue semper porta. Mauris massa. Vestibulum lacinia arcu eget nulla. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Curabitur sodales ligula in libero. Sed dignissim lacinia nunc. Curabitur tortor. Pellentesque nibh. Aenean quam. In scelerisque sem at dolor. Maecenas mattis. Sed convallis tristique sem. Proin ut ligula vel nunc egestas porttitor. Morbi lectus risus, iaculis vel, suscipit quis, luctus non, massa. Fusce ac turpis quis ligula lacinia aliquet. Mauris ipsum. Source(s): • https://www.webpagefx.com/tools/lorem-ipsum-generator/loremipsum/paragraphs; Page 2 (if no page # you can say, “Middle of page”) • https://www.lipsum.com/; Figure 2 Questions: 1. What makes a greenhouse gas a greenhouse gas? Answer: Source(s): 2. Is carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas? Answer: Source(s): 3. Is the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increasing? How do we know? Answer: Source(s): 4. Is CO2 increasing because of human activities? Answer: Source(s): 5. Is global average temperature increasing? How do we know? Answer: Source(s):
