Themes
- Climate Change (Global Warming)
- Global Warming and Weather
- Politics of Global Warming
Climate Change
Today, we were asked, what is climate change and what do we perceive climate change to be?
There are several different topics that contribute towards climate change such as our ice core records, fossil fuels, global warming, greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide. All of which are key issues in the topic of climate change.
There is some confusion to what it actually means and today I learned that the word ‘climate’ is the average weather at a given point and time of year, particularly over a long period of time such as 30 years. Where we expect the weather to change a lot from day to day, the climate should remain relatively constant and when it is not constant, this is better known as climate change.
In today’s lecture with Andrew, we identified ways to collect evidence of climate change. This can be done through:
- weather recordings
- ice cores
- rocks and fossils
- analysis of pollen and trees
It was also made clear to us today that there is evidence to suggest that at other times the world’s ice cover was a lot greater than it is today.
Global Warming and Weather
Climate change is believed to greatly contribute to Global Warming which in turn is having a negative effect on the planet. Agriculturally, crops are being wiped out in low-lying areas that suffer from flooding as well as significant amounts of agricultural land on the edge of deserts becoming unusable due to desertification. It has been identified that the sea levels are at an increase and coastal land is at risk, especially land on deltas which is then causing more stress on sea defenses.
It is essential to understand the importance of our climate system as it determines the weather, affects long-term decisions by humans and also affects trends in plants and animals.
Due to the increase in temperatures caused by Global Warming, this is contributing towards the ‘Greenhouse Effect’ whereby heat is trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere.
Today’s lecture made me more aware of the ongoing impact climate change and global warming is having on our planet. It is something that is progressively becoming worse and although there are no set facts, we must prepare for more changes that are yet to come.
In the practical workshop with Andrew, we carried out a few different experiments. Two experiments which I found interesting and contained key learning points were where we firstly created a cloud within a jar and secondly, tested the density of water evaporation when it was hot and cold.
When creating a cloud, we used a small glass jar and filled it with around an inch of water ensuring the outside of the jar was covered by black paper. A match was then lit and the flame burned for as long as we could hold it before dropping it into the water. Quickly, we covered the top of the jar with ice and slowly a cloud began to form. This was significant as this occurs when hot air meets cold air. The second experiment involved us filling up two cups with some pebbles, one with cold water and one with hot water. The cold water contained blue food colouring and the hot water contained red food colouring. We then placed both cups into a tank of water and the blue water remained in the cup however the red water evaporated due to hot air rising and the density being lower which was the key aspect of learning in this activity.
To further my knowledge in these areas, I aim to read the additional materials that we have been provided by Louise and Andrew. By doing so, this will help me engage in further tasks and activities that I will be given which in turn allows me to link my study tasks with what I have gained in lectures and this will create an opportunity for me to understand these themes better.
