Use the resources below to answer the following questions:

• Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet (nasa.gov)
• 15 Global Climate Change – An Introduction to Geology (opengeology.org)

1. What is the difference between weather and climate?
2. What is the main source of heat on the surface of Earth?
3. All heat that Earth receives from the sun is retained. T/F
4. Heat received by Earth is retained in the following locations.
5. Describe the greenhouse effect.
6. List the four greenhouse gases that are primarily responsible for the warming climate.
7. In the CO₂ graph shown at the above link, how far back do the atmospheric CO₂ records go?
8. Before the last one hundred years, what was the highest atmospheric CO₂ concentration measured?
9. How long ago was this highest atmospheric CO₂ concentration measured?
10. What is the current atmospheric CO₂ concentration?
11. The above graph shows that CO₂ concentrations had risen from extremely low values to extremely high values in the past.  Over what time span did these increases happen?
12. Isotopes of carbon can help determine whether the recent CO₂ increase in the atmosphere is due to natural or anthropogenic causes. T/F
13. How were scientists able to reconstruct atmospheric CO₂ concentration history for the past 800,000 years?
14. Based on the scientific evidence, what is the probability that human activities caused the recent rapid rise in CO₂ concentrations?
15. According to what we know, how does atmospheric CO₂ impact global temperatures?

Let us explore the role of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the warming of the planet.  Use the following links to answer the following questions:

• Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer | US EPA
• Greenhouse gases emissions by country (worlddata.info)
• The largest countries (worlddata.info)
• CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Our World in Data

16. Rank the top three GHG emitted globally by their percent.
17. Rank the top three GHG emitted in the US by their percent.
18. Greenhouse warming potential (GWP) is the relative warming potential of GHG gases. Rank the following GHG with the GWP.
19. What are the natural sources of GHG?
20. What are the anthropogenic (human-caused) sources of GHG?
21. Which of the following fuel sources emit GHG?
22. What are the other main sources of anthropogenic GHG emissions?
23. Rank the global emission of GHG by the economic sectors.
24. Rank the US emission of GHG by the economic sectors.
25. List the top three countries in total cumulative GHG emissions (in CO₂ equivalents). (Toggle the headers in the third link above)
26. List the top three countries by their population.
27. Calculate the per capita GHG emissions in each of these countries. (Divide cumulative GHG emissions by total population to obtain tons per capita.)
28. Using the IPAT equation explain why one of these countries has higher per capita GHG emissions, despite a lower population.
29. Using the IPAT equation it can be predicted that the other two countries will match the US’s per capita emissions in the future. T/F
30. Explain this answer.
31. According to Bill Gates data, how many billion tons of GHG gases are being emitted annually?
32. What equation did Bill Gates use to explain how GHG emissions are increasing?
33. According to Bill Gates, which part of this equation is crucial in reducing GHG emissions?
34. Explain how implementing this change will help reduce total GHG emissions.

Visit the link below and calculate your carbon footprint. Use the information from your home, not your college residence.  Use your best judgment for entering the required information. Also, click on the ways you could reduce emissions. Once you completed entering the data, click on “View Your Report” and enter the following information.

• Carbon Footprint Calculator | Climate Change | US EPA
• The 2 Degrees Institute – additional information about our carbon footprint

35. What are the three main sources of CO₂ emissions in this calculator?
36. What was the biggest contributor to CO₂ emissions in your household?
37. How much CO₂ (in lbs.) does the average household emit in the US?
38. How did your household energy use compare with the US average?
39. Which modification in your household energy use had the biggest impact on the carbon footprint?
40. Rank the following sources for an average North American’s carbon footprint.