Introduction Env 305 Assignment
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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Course
305
Subject
Geography
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
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3
Uploaded by DeanMoon13043
ENV 305
Professor Thurston
09/20/2022
It is believed that Earth’s climate has been in flux since its inception, but it is difficult if not impossible to deny that human activity has had a profound influence on global heating over
the past century. The burning of fossil fuels at unprecedented rates, the likes of which the planet has never experienced, has created a shift in our world that many fear is leading towards
a future riddled with natural disasters, famine, air and water pollution, and mass extinction. Although the statistics are concerning and at times, bleak, scientists (along with supportive climate activists) have encouraged the world to hold onto hope, as there is still time to create a meaningful change in this trajectory, if we act quickly. Although there is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence supporting the notion that human activity has contributed to global climate change, many people remain divided on the topic. This divide among the public (many of whom are voting citizens) has led to numerous obstacles that remain in place against the changes necessary to reduce global emissions and the collective human contribution to climate change. How can we begin to remove stigma and fear around such a politically charged topic, and what can be done to create space where open, constructive dialogue can take place?
Questions I Plan to Address:
How are weather and climate different? How do they relate to one another? What is a climate model?
What is the climate change? If climate change occurs naturally and fluctuates over time, then how do we know human activity is contributing to it now?
What is the evidence of global climate change being caused by human activity? How has climate change impacted the world and what is predicted to happen in the future?
Why is climate change important to care about?
What changes can we make on an individual level to create change, regionally and globally? How will changes towards sustainability benefit people, the economy, and the world?
For the key terms listed, I plan to differentiate weather from climate by explaining that weather
refers to atmospheric conditions on a short time scale, such as a rainstorm, that is experienced day to day. Climate
, on the other hand, refers to the average weather/atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. For example, on a mid-January day in Minnesota, the climate record of this region indicates that there will most likely be snow on the ground and that temperatures in this region during the month of January will be low. Climate refers to the statistical probability that any day of the year will likely be similar to the same day in previous or future years. (Kitchen, 2014)
Climate models
are helpful in understanding how the shifts and exchanges of mass and energy between the different parts of Earth’s climate system may impact future climate conditions. Climate scientists use these models to better understand Earth’s current climate and also to project the future of global climate change. (Kitchen, 2014)
References
Kitchen, D. (2014). Chapters 1 - 3. In Climate change: Turning knowledge into action
(pp. 4–
20). essay, Pearson.
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