BIO 141 1st Edition Lecture 11 Outline of Last Lecture II. Climate ChangeIII. AtmosphereIV. Planet TemperatureV. GlaciersVI. AlbedoOutline of Current Lecture VII. AlbedoVIII. MethaneIX. Fossil FuelsX. BiofuelsCurrent LectureAlbedo- Heat is a very important part of weather- How much Sun light is brought to us and is being reflected- Cloudy nights are going to be warmer because the clouds are trapping the heat- Water can absorb the most energy- Clouds absorbs energy and send it back down- Water is a more worrisome gas than CO2- Plants and concrete are going to use a lot of CO2- Methane doesn’t stay long in the atmosphere, but has a significant effect on the atmosphere if a lot is releasedThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Methane: 25 x CO2- Methane is a product of anaerobic decay- Methane is common in wetlands, lake bottoms, etc.- Until recently, huge quantities of methane are trapped beneath frozen tundra (permafrost) and Artic ice- Another positive feedback loop to accelerate warmingFossils Fuels- Originated from the anaerobic decomposition of once living things- Carboniferous Period ~360-290 million years agoClimate Change Effects- Accelerated species extinctions, from polar bears to corals- Ocean level rise- Displacement of people- Increased flooding, drought (forest fires), tornadoes, severity of hurricanesBiofuels- They are carbon-based (wood, vegetable oil, animal fat)- Not new, we’ve been using them for as long as we’ve been around
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