Topics:

Environmental Impacts (The world is warming due to the fact that less of the sun's radiation
can be reflected back out into space caused by the greenhouse effect.)
1. Oceans(acidification)
http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/ocean-temperature.html
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html
http://theterramarproject.org/thedailycatch/climate-change-forcing-fish-migration/
http://risingsea.net/papers/wetlands-loss.html
Our oceans cover 71 percent of the planet and controls most of the weather patterns in the
world. As the ocean warms ,which are warming faster than any other place on the earth, our
weather and whole climate in general will change along with the ocean.
a. Then the ocean is absorbing most of this heat/radiation and
warming the ocean faster than air
b. Coral Bleaching is happening for multiple reasons, with the
warmth of the ocean zooxanthellae is dying or the outside of the coral's tissue.
Shellfish shells are becoming a lot weaker
c. Fish migration is pushing fish towards colder water in the summer
displacing where fish usually live and thrive. Lots are dying because mussels and
crab cant keep up with the rapid warming.
d. Wetlands are being drowned by rising sea levels and eliminating
that habitat/ ecosystem. This can also make the coast more vulnerable to
flooding and erosion

2. Extreme Weather
http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/threats-to-wildlife/global-warming/global-warming-is-causing-extremeweather.aspx
https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/weather-climate
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/23/global-warming-isnow-slowing-down-the-circulation-of-the-oceans-with-potentially-dire-consequences/
Extreme weather is directly related to ocean currents and how the global temperature is rising.
SUper storms are becoming more and more often because the temperature is rising shifting
ocean currents into more polarized cycles.
a. Eight of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since
1998
b. Warming temperatures in the tropical islands/ east can increase
wind speeds by 13%
c. Rainfall rates can increase 10-31 percent or the next century
because warmer air will evaporate more water
d. Bigger snow falls will happening and it will melt faster depending
on ocean currents once the water is warmed
e. These extreme weather events are going to become more likely
until they are happening every month or week.

3. Drought/agriculture
https://www.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply
a. Droughts are increasing due to the fact that more water is being
evaporated from the land and not being replaced fast enough creating an overall
dry landscape.
b. The CO2 emissions can actually help crop yields and more water
yields in special areas. This balance is very fine though and once we hit a point
of too much CO2 (which is close) and extreme storms then Instead of helping,
agriculture will disappear
4. Forests/fires
http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/threats-to-wildlife/global-warming/global-warming-is-causing-extremeweather/wildfires.aspx
a. The Forests are becoming drier due to less precipitation leaving
them vulnerable to forest fires
b. Beatles are able to spread more rapidly because the winter
season is shorter allowing the beatles to survive and thrive more, killing more
trees and becoming more and more likely to start a massive forest fire
c. Lightning strikes are becoming more likely because thunderstorms
are more severe 12 to 30 percent increase in strikes by mid-century
5. Clean Air
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/climate-change-air
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide_in_Earth%27s_atmosphere
a. Proliferating pollen( As the temperature rises plants are producing
more pollen making allergy season worse/longer and visibility worse.
b. Ozone or Nitrous oxides are increasing (Smog) by a hotter climate
in cities. These gasses can create a Sun burn effect in your lung
c. Mold will be able to spread easier because of a hotter humid
temperature and more areas to spread because of super storms.
d. CO2 in the atmosphere has passed the 400ppm and is still
increasing and wont stop if we stop all co2 emissions right now
e. Methane is coming out of the ground and leaking into the
atmosphere which can not be absorbed or disappear in any timely manner like
Co2 .

Renewable Energy
1. Wind and Solar Energy
a. 2% is solar energy in the united states
b. Night time can hurt as well as cloud, prolonged storm
c. Batterys are an ugly side of solar and you cant do it without them.
(lead-acid batterys) New tesla home battery (lithium ion)
d. Capture rate is only roughly 20 percent of the sun. Efficiency will
become more and more useful
e. 7% is wind energy in the united states

f. Although the energy is green it has it's downsides of production

stages which are inefficient and can create more pollution than a standard
energy plant
g. Precious metals are needed to make solar cells and wind turbines
which means intense mining (this mining is bad but not ass bad as a coal mine)
h. These sources of energy don't produce energy all the time so they
have a low capacity factor percentage ( 25% by solar , 36% by wind)
2. Support for new energy possibility
a. Wave energy capture is being worked on to collect energy from
the movement of the ocean.
b. Biomass can be a good source of energy if forests are managed
and the correct wood is used.
c. Biomass downside is it can become out of control fast once you
start to run out of your fuel source.
d. Nuclear power has a small downside of nuclear waste which can
be buried or stored until it is no longer radioactive.
e. Small amounts of uranium are used to create immense amount of
power
f. Hydroelectric power is very efficient if there is enough water above
in the reservoir systems
g. With climate change in full effect, hydroelectric power will start to
disappear (reservoirs)
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