Vishal Thoutam

03/06/2023
Period 6
8.1: Climate Change
8.1.1
Greenhouse gases: Gases in the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation
Ex. carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs) and ozone

8.1.2
Over the last century, burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of
atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This increase happens because the coal or oil burning process
combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. Deforestation and overpopulation are also other
causes of greenhouse gas emissions from humans.

8.1.3
Certain gases in the atmosphere absorb energy, slowing or preventing the loss of heat to space. Those
gases are known as “greenhouse gases.” They act like a blanket, making the earth warmer than it would
otherwise be. This process, commonly known as the “greenhouse effect,” is natural and necessary to
support life.

8.1.4
It is difficult to predict the size of the emissions of greenhouse gases in the coming decades as this can
be influenced by political decisions and technological advancements. Many of the effects of global
warming have been well documented and observations from real life are consistent with predictions.
The main challenge with predictions and projections is that we have models which are not yet perfect in
their representation of the climate system, and observations used to constrain these models still have
considerable uncertainties or do not have sufficiently long records.