Climate Change Environmental Science Fundamentals 3

Question 1

How does deforestation in tropical regions contribute to climate change beyond simply removing carbon-absorbing trees?

Accepted Answer

Burning cleared vegetation releases stored carbon and reduces regional rainfall patterns

Answer

Tropical deforestation releases the carbon stored in trees through burning or decomposition and disrupts regional water cycles, reducing evapotranspiration that drives rainfall and can turn forests into savanna.

Question 2

Which metric best describes a country's total contribution to atmospheric warming over time, accounting for historical emissions?

Accepted Answer

Cumulative greenhouse gas emissions

Answer

Cumulative emissions are the most relevant metric because CO₂ persists in the atmosphere for centuries, meaning historical emissions from industrialized nations have contributed disproportionately to current warming.

Question 3

What is 'blue carbon' in the context of climate mitigation?

Accepted Answer

Carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes

Answer

Blue carbon ecosystems—mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes—sequester carbon at rates up to 10 times higher per area than terrestrial forests, making their conservation critical for climate mitigation.

Question 4

Why is the Arctic warming approximately four times faster than the global average?

Accepted Answer

The ice-albedo feedback loop amplifies warming as reflective ice is replaced by dark ocean

Answer

As white, reflective sea ice melts, it exposes dark ocean water that absorbs far more solar energy, creating a feedback loop where warming causes more melting, which causes more warming—this is Arctic amplification.

Question 5

What does 'net-zero emissions' mean in climate policy?

Accepted Answer

The amount of greenhouse gases emitted is balanced by the amount removed from the atmosphere

Answer

Net-zero means that any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are offset by equivalent carbon removal through natural sinks or technological methods, resulting in no net addition to atmospheric concentrations.

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Environmental Science Fundamentals 3