Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change

What You Will Learn

In this chapter, you will learn how to…
• identify the tools used to
measure past and present
climate change
• investigate how scientists
predict future climate
• describe Canada’s contribution
to climate change

Why It Matters
How humans react to the changes
in climate will affect the lives of
future generations. However, we
have to give up some conveniences
in order to make global changes and
avert potential climatic disasters.

Skills You Will Use

In this chapter, you will learn how to…
• analyze different sources of
scientific data for evidence of
climate change
• assess the effectiveness of
programs and initiatives to address
the issue of climate change
• investigate cause-and-effect
relationships related to
climate change

In 2005, hundreds of people gathered in Montréal, Québec,

to protest government policies regarding climate change and
to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change. In this
chapter, you will learn how to evaluate climate data, how
individuals and governments have joined forces to address
issues related to climate change, and how you can reduce
your own contribution to climate change.

348 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Activity 9–1
Who Is Responsible for Responding
to Climate Change?
The island nation of Kiribati is expected to be completely submerged
before 2020 as a result of rising sea level. Because humans may have
played a role in the rise of the sea level, how much should the global
community be responsible for the effects on low-lying nations?

Hawaii
Mexico
K
Kiribati equator Kiribati’s capital
and largest city,
South Tarawa

Pacific
P ifi
fi Ocean
O
Australia The island nation of Kiribati lies in the
Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and
Australia. Although the 32 islands
Antarctica that make up the nation of Kiribati are
spread over an area of 3 500 000 km2,
their total land area is smaller than
the island of Hawaii.

Procedure
1. Form groups of four people.
a. One person will role-play an islander from Kiribati. This person
will try to negotiate details related to a new home to which the
10 000 islanders can move.
b. The other three group members will role-play government officials
from Australia, Canada, and the United States. None of these nations
wants to imply that they are responsible for the situation in Kiribati.

2. Take turns trying to negotiate a deal for resettling the people

of Kiribati. Each person should have three chances to speak.

3. After everyone has spoken three times, write out your position on
what should happen to the people of Kiribati and who should help.

Question
1. The people affected most by changing climate are often those who
have contributed the least to that change. What is our responsibility
to help these people deal with the situation that we helped create?
Explain your answer.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 349

Study Toolkit
These strategies will help you use this textbook to develop your understanding of science concepts and skills.
To find out more about these and other strategies, refer to the Study Toolkit Overview, which begins on page 560.

Organizing Your Learning Word Study

Identifying Cause and Effect Creating a Word Map

A cause-and-effect map can help you identify causal A word map can help you grasp the meaning of a new
relationships. For example, examine this passage and word or concept.
the cause-and-effect map below it:
Most climate scientists agree that an increase in Definition
Facts/
(in your
greenhouse gases is the largest single cause of current Characteristics
own words)
climate change. The main human causes of this increase the long-term Target Word includes
are activities that produce air pollution and activities pattern of or Concept temperature,
weather winds,
that reduce the ability of natural cycles to absorb conditions climate precipitation,
greenhouse gases (such as cutting down forests). in a region and other factors

activities that
Examples OR illustration Related Words
produce air pollution

The Canadian Arctic has a cold

climate change,
increase in current climate with little precipitation
climatic, climate zone
greenhouse gases climate change and low temperatures.

activities that reduce the Use the Strategy

ability of natural cycles to
absorb greenhouse gases As you read this chapter, create a word map for
paleoclimatologist. Compare your completed map with
a partner’s map. If your partner has any information
Use the Strategy
that helps you understand the word better, add it to
Read the second paragraph under “Reducing Your
your word map.
Carbon Footprint” on page 374. Make a cause-and-
effect map to show causal relationships.

Reading Effectively

Identifying the Main Ideas and Details

The title, headings, and subheadings of a chapter can Overall Main Idea:
help you identify and organize the main ideas and Dynamics of Climate Change
details, as shown in the example on the right.
Three influences on climate change:
Use the Strategy t
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two subheadings. Two biogeochemical cycles that affect climate:
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350 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

 Key Terms
paleoclimatologist
ice core
9.1 Discovering Past Climates isotope
sedimentary rock
People have been recording weather data for only a few hundred years. fossil
To learn about what Earth’s climate was like more than a few centuries
ago, scientists must get creative. People who study past climates are called
paleoclimatologists. These scientists are interested in how Earth’s climate paleoclimatologist a
system formed and has changed throughout Earth’s history. scientist who studies past
climates on Earth

What Tree Rings Reveal About Past Climates

If you want to know what the weather was like 150 years ago, you could
get the answer from an old tree. As trees grow, rings of new growth form
within the trunk. Tree growth is affected by temperature and rainfall. The
amount that a tree grows each season is indicated by the size and colour
of the annual rings, which you can see in the cross section of the tree
trunk in Figure 9.1.
A wide tree ring indicates wet and cool weather, which allows trees
to grow rapidly. A thin ring is produced in dry and hot conditions, when
tree growth is slower. A dark ring marks growth during late summer, and
a light-coloured ring indicates growth during spring. Tree rings can also
provide evidence of floods, droughts, insect attacks, and lightning strikes.
Living trees hold records of climate dating back no more than a few
hundred years. Tree trunks from archaeological sites allow scientists to
determine what climate was like a few thousand years ago.

Figure 9.1 Each cross section of a tree trunk

shown here reveals dozens of rings. A tree
grows an additional ring every year.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 351

 Ice Cores—Records of Past Climates
One of the most important sources of evidence used by paleoclimatologists
lies buried deep in polar and glacial ice. The great ice sheets that cover most
of Greenland and Antarctica have built up over hundreds of thousands of
winters. Like tree rings, layers of snow and ice accumulate year after year.
ice core a long cylinder of
To uncover evidence of past climate conditions, scientists use a special drill,
ice obtained by drilling into
a glacier
shown in Figure 9.2A, that penetrates deep into the layers to extract long,
cylinder-shaped samples called ice cores, as shown in Figure 9.2B.
The extent of the climate record obtained by drilling depends on the
depth of the ice core. The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica
(EPICA) obtained climate records from Antarctic ice that date back nearly
800 000 years. Drilling was completed in December 2004, reaching a
final drilling depth of 3270 m. Data from this project are being compared
with data from earlier research on ice cores extracted in Greenland by the
Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP). The comparison of ice from these
two sites provides a more complete picture of natural climate variability
around the globe than scientists have had before.

Activity 9–2
Analyzing Tree Rings
How can trees tell us about climate? In this activity,
you will analyze tree growth rings for evidence of
temperature changes and precipitation patterns.

Materials
• ruler
• pencil
• paper or notebook
• tree stump (sawn off) or other cross section of a tree

Procedure The rings of a tree represent the growing

1. Find the innermost ring of the tree. This is the oldest conditions for each year of the tree’s life.
ring. Counting the rings from there to the edge of Questions
the tree stump gives you the tree’s age. How old is 1. How did the length of the growing seasons change
your tree? as the tree aged? What was your evidence for
2. Measure and record the thickness of several rings near this inference?
the centre and near the outer edge of your tree stump. 2. Compare your tree’s growth pattern with those of two
3. Record as many distinctive growth patterns or other other students. Do you think the lives of your trees
markings as you can. For example, do you see three overlapped? Explain your answer.
thick, dark rings in a row? Or a thin ring, a thin black 3. Investigate the climate and major events (such as
line representing a forest fire, and a thick, black line? fires and insects that infest trees) over some of the
4. Wash your hands after this activity. lifetime of your tree. What relationships can you find
between the tree rings and what happened when the
tree was growing?

352 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

 A B

Figure 9.2 Scientists use A a

Evidence of Past Climates Obtained from Ice Cores special drill to obtain B ice cores.
A drill can penetrate to a depth of
The ice that makes up ice cores is deposited annually when the summer 50 to 70 m in one day. This depth
melt is not enough to get rid of the previous winter’s snow. The formation is equivalent to about 200 years
of glacial ice requires only a few hours of strong sunshine to cause the of ice build-up.
snow to form an airtight crust, even at –20°C or colder. Ice cores hold
four types of clues frozen in time: the types of particles trapped in the ice,
the size and shape of ice crystals, the composition of trapped air, and the
composition of the water in the ice. Each clue remains trapped as a frozen
record, until the ice melts.
Dust, ashes, salts, plant pollen,
1. Dissolved and particulate matter in the ice
and other matter drifting in the air are brought to Earth’s surface when it
rains or snows. Frozen samples of these materials give clues about events
and conditions, such as volcanic eruptions, meteorite impacts, forest fires,
and vegetation cover. Suggested Investigation
Data Analysis Investigation
Ice can occur in many forms—from
2. Physical characteristics of the ice 9-A, Understanding Ice-Core
snowflakes and hail to glaciers and pack ice. In each form, the ice is made Data, on page 382
up of crystals of frozen water that can vary greatly in size and shape.
The physical characteristics of the ice crystals indicate the conditions of
temperature and humidity at the time the ice crystals formed.
3. The composition of trapped air bubbles When water freezes, tiny air
bubbles in the water may become trapped inside the ice. These pockets
of air remain unchanged in the ice, providing time capsules of the
atmospheric composition on the day when the ice formed. Analysis of
the air locked inside ice cores at different depths gives scientists a record
of changes in the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases over
hundreds of thousands of years.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 353

 4. The composition of the ice Water (H2O) contains varying proportions of
isotope any of two or
more forms of an element
hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. Isotopes are different atoms of a particular
that have the same number element that have the same number of protons but a different number
of protons but a different of neutrons. For example, oxygen (O) has three naturally occurring
number of neutrons (for isotopes, oxygen-16 (16O), oxygen-17 (17O), and oxygen-18 (18O). When
example, deuterium is an
water contains “heavy” oxygen-18, the molecular weight of the water is
isotope of hydrogen)
heavier than the weight of water that contains oxygen-16. The difference
in molecular weight affects the physical properties of the water, including
the freezing point. Water that contains oxygen-18 freezes at a higher
temperature than water that contains oxygen-16 does. In addition, water
that contains oxygen-16 evaporates more quickly than water that contains
oxygen-18 does.
The relative concentration of isotopes in different layers of ice indicates
the temperature at the time the ice formed. Polar ice that forms when
global temperature is high contains a higher percentage of oxygen-18.
When global temperature is low, polar ice that forms contains a lower
Figure 9.3 The amount of
different oxygen isotopes in
percentage of oxygen-18. This relationship is shown in Figure 9.3. Thus,
ice layers depends on global different concentrations of isotopes in different layers of ice allow scientists
temperature changes. to reconstruct temperature changes over many years.

Earth is warm
Clouds become rich in 16O.

More 16O-rich water evaporates

from the oceans.

Water returns to the

ocean as run-off.

Oceans are not enriched in 18O, as 16O

Ocean
returns to the oceans as run-off, which
maintains the balance of 18O to 16O.

Earth is cold Clouds become rich in 16O.

More 16O-rich water evaporates

from the oceans.

Water is stored in
ice sheet
ice and does not
return to the ocean.

Oceans become enriched in 18O

Ocean
because a higher percentage of 16O
is stored in ice sheets.

354 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

How Scientists Determine Patterns of Past Climate Change
Chemical analyses of ice cores can be used to identify patterns of past
climate change. For example, Figure 9.4 shows carbon dioxide data that
were gathered by studying the gas bubbles in ice cores. The data indicate
that concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have risen and
fallen in a series of cycles over the past 650 000 years.
To estimate atmospheric temperatures in the past, scientists measure
concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in the ice from which the
carbon dioxide data were obtained. The ratio of heavy water to light water
in an ice core is directly related to temperature. According to the graph,
carbon dioxide concentrations and temperatures are closely related. Does
this connection prove that rising levels of carbon dioxide cause global
warming? Or could global warming be caused by other factors that also
lead to increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide? To answer these
questions, scientists use computer models to determine how different
variables determine different patterns of climate change.
Figure 9.4 Changes in carbon
Relationship Between Temperature and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Levels
dioxide concentration and
temperatures can be graphed
based on data from ice cores
300 4 and sediment cores. The red line

Temperature change (˚C) from present

represents temperature, and
2
the blue line indicates carbon
280
dioxide levels.
Carbon dioxide (ppm)

0
260

-2
240
-4

220
-6

200
-8

180 -10
400 000 300 000 200 000 100 000
Time (years before present)
Temperature
Carbon dioxide

Learning Check
1. How do paleoclimatologists use tree rings to study climate?

2. What four types of evidence do ice cores provide?

3. Based on the evidence provided in Figure 9.4, do you think

increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes global
warming? Explain your answer.
4. Draw a cause-and-effect map to summarize how oxygen
isotopes in ice are related to global temperature.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 355

 Evidence of Past Climates from Sedimentary Rock
The oldest ice on Earth is less than one million years old. To obtain evidence
sedimentary rock a type
of rock that is formed by the
of climates older than this, paleoclimatologists examine rocks. Every year,
deposition of sediment billions of tonnes of sediment (fragments of rock) wash from the land and
accumulate in thick layers on ocean floors and lake beds. The hard parts of
small sea creatures (such as diatoms, algae, and foraminifera) and pollen
from flowering plants are preserved in these sediments. Over long periods
of time, this deposited material becomes compressed and hardened into
sedimentary rock, such as that shown in Figure 9.5.
Figure 9.5 Sedimentary rock
results from the build-up of
layers of sediment over long
periods of time. Particles in each
sedimentary layer hold clues to
past climates.

What Sediment Cores from Lakes and Oceans Reveal

A sediment core is shown in Figure 9.6. Scientists analyze the composition
of the sediments to learn about climate conditions in the past. In some
cases, the type of pollen from flowering plants provides a clue about
global temperatures by indicating what plants were most common at a
certain time in the past. Scientists also study the chemical composition of
the microscopic organisms in sediment cores from lakes and oceans. Like
ice, the shells of living things contain different isotopes of oxygen. The
oxygen isotopes can help paleoclimatologists infer the temperature of the
water in which the organisms lived.
Information from Sedimentary Layers in Glacial Lakes
In some locations, sediment records in lakes reflect regularly repeating
Figure 9.6 Scientists study the annual changes in sediment deposition. Annual sedimentary layers are
variations in chemical composition
of sediment cores to estimate
called varves. Sedimentary layers in many glacial lakes provide a record
past climate patterns. of the seasonal changes in deposition that happen every year. In the
summer months, thick deposits of coarse, light-coloured sediments form
as meltwater washes sediment into the lakes. In the winter, when little
new sediment is entering the lake, fine, dark-coloured sediments settle to
the bottom of the lake. This pattern of light and dark layers can be used
to measure the amount of sediment and the type of sediment that was
deposited each year. In turn, paleoclimatologists can use this information
to estimate rainfall and temperature patterns over a long period of time.

356 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Evidence of Past Climates from Fossils
and Preserved Organisms
The remains or traces of living things, called fossils, also provide valuable
fossil the traces or remains
clues when paleoclimatologists reconstruct past climates. Fossils form when of a once-living organism
some part of an organism does not decay after the organism’s death. The
sediment formed by the remains of micro-organisms can be analyzed to
obtain information about the composition of the oceans and atmosphere at
the time the organisms lived.
Large fossils are also useful to paleoclimatologists. In some cases,
bones, teeth, shells, and other hard parts of living things become fossils.
In other cases, whole organisms are trapped in amber or are frozen in ice
or permafrost. Even footprints, imprints of leaves, and fossilized dung
provide information about the organisms that once lived in a region.

What Paleoclimatologists Can Learn by Studying Fossils

The types and abundance of fossilized remains in each rock layer help
scientists reconstruct the environment at the time the layer formed—
including the climate. Because plants and animals are uniquely adapted to
the environments in which they live, studying these fossils gives scientists
Figure 9.7 This fossil is the
clues about what environments were like thousands to millions of years remains of a fern from Earth’s
ago. For example, alligators and palm trees are adapted to life in tropical Cretaceous Period, which lasted
regions. If fossils of alligators and palm trees were found on an Arctic from 145.5 million years ago to
island, scientists could infer that those Arctic islands once had a warm 65.5 million years ago. This type
of fern grew in a warm, moist
climate. An example of this use of fossils is shown in Figure 9.7.
tropical climate that was very
Some fossils can provide very specific details about climates. When different from the ice-covered
scientists study a fossilized coral reef, the amount and type of fish fossils continent of Antarctica on which
tell the scientists much about the temperature and the depth of the water, this fossil was found.
because different species of fish survive in very specific water depths
and temperatures.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 357

 How Scientists Infer the Rate of Climate Change
The methods described in this section help scientists track climate change.
Sense of But how long do these changes take to appear, and how long do they last?
The oldest known As you learned in Chapter 7, factors that affect climate act on different
sedimentary rock in the time scales. Tectonic plate movement takes millions of years. Orbital
world was discovered in changes take several tens of thousands of years. Volcanic activity affects
2001 by a team of Canadian
Earth’s atmosphere within a day, and the effects can last for several years.
scientists on the eastern
shore of Hudson Bay in
Sedimentary rocks, fossils, and ice cores indicate that climate has
northern Québec. The rock changed radically several times throughout Earth’s history, as shown in
sample is 3.75 billion years Figure 9.8. In some cases, climate change took thousands to millions of
old. That rock is about four years. However, evidence suggests that climate also changed abruptly
fifths the age of Earth itself.
several times in the past. For example, some ice cores taken from
Greenland show increases in average temperature of up to 6°C in a few
decades or less.
Scientists are still debating whether climate change is affected more by
slow, gradual changes or by sudden, catastrophic changes. This question is
at the centre of the controversy about whether humans can cause Earth’s
climate to change significantly. Recent evidence suggests that the climate
shift that caused the last glacial period to end 11 000 years ago may have
taken as few as three years to happen, even though the glaciers themselves
took thousands of years to melt. A variety of evidence indicates that
other ice ages in Earth’s history resulted from slow, accumulated changes
in the Earth system. However, most climatologists agree that humans
are affecting the composition of Earth’s atmosphere. This influence may
increase or decrease the rate at which climate change progresses.

Global Temperature Changes Throughout Earth's History

Carboniferous
Precambrian

Pleistocene
Cretaceous
Ordovician

Devonian
Cambrian

Permian

Tertiary
Triassic

Jurassic
Silurian

Today
Average Global Temperature

22˚C
cool
warm

17˚C

12˚C
570 440 290 210 145 65 1.6
Time (millions of years ago) and Geologic Period

Figure 9.8 Evidence from sedimentary rocks and fossils indicates that before the most
recent ice age, Earth experienced several major cooling periods.

358 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Section 9.1 Review

Section Summary
• Paleoclimatologists reconstruct past climates by • Scientists use chemical analyses of sediment
using the evidence that climate leaves behind in cores from lakes and oceans to reconstruct
tree rings, ice, sedimentary rock, and fossils. past conditions of the atmosphere and the
• Tree rings can provide evidence about growing hydrosphere.
conditions, such as temperature and precipitation, • Rocks can provide information about the
during the lifetime of the tree. conditions that existed when they formed.
• Ice cores can provide information about • Fossils are remains of living things. Their
global temperature and the composition of the distribution and characteristics provide clues
atmosphere for thousands of years in the past. about the climate at the time the organisms lived.

Review Questions
K/U 1. List four sources of evidence about past climates.

K/U 2. How do particles frozen in polar and glacial ice help

paleoclimatologists reconstruct past climates?
K/U 3. Use the information in Figure 9.3 to write a brief paragraph that
explains how global temperature affects the ratio of oxygen-18
and oxygen-16 in the oceans and in glacial ice.
T/I 4. The diagram on this page shows a series of varves from a glacial
lake. Dark layers indicate the winter deposition and light layers
indicate summer deposition. How might you explain the
difference in the thickness of layers in years 8 and 9?
T/I 5. Describe how the methods scientists use to Varves from a Glacial Lake
study sediment cores to find out about past in the Connecticut Valley, Vermont, U.S.A.
climate conditions are similar to the methods 12
they use when studying ice cores. 10

A 6. What would finding fossils of tropical fish in 11

9
sedimentary rock tell you about the climate 10
conditions at the time that the rock formed? 8
Thickness of Layers (cm)

9
C 7. Use a Venn diagram to compare information 8 7
Number of Years

provided from tree rings to information 7

6
provided from ice-core samples.
6 5
K/U 8. How can scientists produce graphs of
atmospheric carbon dioxide levels for 5 4
thousands of years in the past, when people 4
3
have only been able to measure these levels 3
for the last few decades? 2
2
1
1

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 359

 Key Terms
monitor
geostationary
climate model 9.2 Monitoring and Modelling
general circulation model Climate Change
(GCM)
forcing agent
Are oceans getting warmer? Are sea levels rising? To answer questions such
as these, scientists need to collect accurate data over a long period of time.
Making a consistent, long-term series of observations and measurements
monitor to measure is known as monitoring. Monitoring is the only way to identify climate
conditions systematically and trends, such as an increase in average global temperature, reliably.
repeatedly in order to track
As well as having a long-term set of data, people who monitor climate
changes
change also need to know how the data were obtained. The way in which
data are collected, and even the type of instruments used, can affect the
reliability of the answers derived from the data. One method of obtaining
data related to weather and ocean conditions is shown in Figure 9.9.

Improving Technology, Improving Data

Measurements of atmospheric temperature, humidity, precipitation,
and other weather data have been collected for 200 years or more. These
measurements provide a valuable baseline from which to measure
changing weather patterns. However, records from meteorological
stations may be somewhat misleading when used to study climate change.
Most data were collected where such measurements were convenient, and
observations may not have been performed or recorded systematically.
Our scientific understanding of climate took a huge leap forward with the
invention of technologies that can measure atmospheric changes from
high above Earth’s surface.

Figure 9.9 Scientists use buoys to monitor meteorologic

and oceanographic data. A series of buoys collects data
from across the oceans and radios information back to a
central location for analysis.

360 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Using Radar to Gather Weather and Climate Data
Meteorologists and climate scientists use radar data to forecast the
weather and to estimate global average climate factors, such as humidity
and precipitation. Radar systems take measurements by emitting short
pulses of microwaves. The microwaves are reflected by water droplets and ice
crystals in the atmosphere, as shown in Figure 9.10. Computers analyze the
returning microwaves and generate an image of the clouds or precipitation
based on the analysis. Because the microwave pulses spread out as they move
away from the radar station, the radar images are more clear and accurate
for areas closer to the radar station. Weather radar is used to track storms,
because it can measure conditions that might wreck a weather balloon.

rain drops

pulse of
microwaves

Figure 9.10 A radar instrument transmits short pulses of microwaves that move
through the air until they strike an object, such as a raindrop or a snowflake. The
object reflects some of the waves back to the radar instrument, thus communicating
information about conditions in the atmosphere..

Climate Data from Weather Satellites

The ultimate step in monitoring Earth’s climate came with the
development of satellites that can measure climatic conditions over the
entire planet. Records of Earth’s temperature were first obtained from
satellites in 1978. Today, hundreds of satellites orbiting Earth measure
many different components of our climate system with great accuracy.
Two types of satellite are used to monitor climate:
• Geostationary satellites These satellites orbit Earth at the same speed as
geostationary describing a
Earth rotates. Because of this similarity of speed, they remain above the
satellite that travels around
same point on Earth at all times, appearing stationary to an observer on Earth’s equator at a speed
the ground. As a result, the satellites constantly monitor changes over one that matches the speed
particular area of the planet. of Earth’s rotation so that
the satellite remains in the
• Polar orbiting satellites These satellites move north and south over the
same position relative to
poles as Earth turns beneath them. One complete orbit takes just over Earth’s surface
2 h. This type of satellite can monitor the entire planet in about 6 h.
Although satellites have been measuring variables related to Earth’s
atmosphere since the 1970s, most satellites have been designed for
weather forecasting. Climate studies need measurements of subtle trends
and changes that can take years to appear. This requirement led to the
development of a new generation of instruments that are designed to help
answer some of the unsolved questions about climate change.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 361

 The Earth Observing System (EOS)
In 1997, Canada, the United States, and Japan combined resources
Study Toolkit to launch the first of a series of satellites intended to make long-term
Identifying the Main Idea observations of Earth’s changing atmosphere, oceans, land, and ecosystems.
and Details The headings This monitoring program is known as the Earth Observing System (EOS).
in this section can be used to By the end of 2008, more than 20 specialized satellites were in orbit as part
organize information about of this program. Some of these satellites are illustrated in Figure 9.11 and
weather satellites. Make
the functions of four of these satellites are summarized below.
an outline to organize the
main ideas and details about Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) This satellite measures the speed and
the satellites in the Earth
direction of winds near the surface of the oceans in all types of weather.
Observing System.
Scientists are using QuikSCAT to find out how winds and water interact
to produce El Niño. The satellite also monitors changes in rainforest
vegetation and changes in sea ice cover over the polar regions.
Terra This satellite carries five remote sensors to monitor heat emission
and reflection from Earth, cloud cover, and pollution in the troposphere.
Terra started collecting data in February 2000 and is designed to operate
for more than 15 years.
Figure 9.11 As satellite Aura Named for the Latin word for air, Aura carries four instruments to
technology improved, older monitor atmospheric chemistry and concentrations of greenhouse gases.
weather and climate satellites This satellite, shown in Figure 9.12, measures ozone, water vapour, CFCs,
were replaced with new satellites
methane, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen compounds. One significant
that can perform more functions
and collect more detailed data indicator of climate change monitored by Aura is fluctuations in the size
compared to older technologies. of the Antarctic ozone hole.

Landsat 7
QuickSCAT

Aqua

Terra

TOPEX/Poseidon

SORCE
TRMM

SeaWiFS
SAGE III/
METEOR-3M

ICESat
Aura

362 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Aqua Named for the Latin word for water, this satellite carries six
instruments designed to study precipitation, evaporation, and the cycling
of water. Aqua is shown in Figure 9.13. One of its instruments is the
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, or AIRS. It uses cutting-edge technology
to accurately measure the amounts of water vapour and greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere.
Measurements taken by AIRS over several years will give scientists
their most precise picture to date of how water vapour is distributed
over the planet in time and space. This information will help determine
if global warming is causing the water cycle to accelerate. If Earth’s
water is moving through this cycle more quickly, more water vapour
and clouds will appear in the atmosphere, and more precipitation will
fall from the atmosphere at any particular time. Would an increase in
global cloud cover lead to further warming, or to cooling, or to neither?
Many unanswered questions can be resolved by analyzing new data from
this satellite.

Figure 9.12 The Aura spacecraft monitors Figure 9.13 Every day, the Aqua satellite collects an
the Antarctic ozone hole. amount of data equivalent to the data from more than
300 000 weather balloons.

Learning Check
1. Why is monitoring weather important in understanding
climate change?
2. Use the illustration in Figure 9.10 to create a flowchart that
explains how radar is used to monitor weather and climate.
3. What major benefit results from monitoring weather by
using satellites?
4. How is the mission of the Terra satellite different from the
mission of the Aqua satellite?

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 363

 Modelling Climates and Climate Change
Gathering accurate data is only the first step in understanding climate
change. Equally important is the way in which the data are interpreted.
To analyze and interpret data, scientists commonly use models, or
representations of objects or systems. Examples of models include maps,
miniatures, mathematical formulas, and computer programs.
climate model a Because of the size and complexity of Earth’s climate system, scientists
mathematical or computer are unable to construct a physical model planet in their lab that would act
program that describes, like Earth. Therefore, scientists have to use observations of past climates
simulates, and predicts
and input the data into computers. Then, they use this information to see
the interactions of the
atmosphere, oceans, land which climate features the model predicts well and which ones it does not.
surface, and ice of Earth to Climate models are computer programs designed to analyze climate
simulate past, present, and data and project how climate may change in the future. Data entered
future climate conditions into a model include basic measurements such as global temperatures,
general circulation polar ice cover, and carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.
model (GCM) a complex
Mathematical formulas are applied to these figures based on studies of
computer program that uses
mathematical equations how different parts of the climate system interact.
to describe the physical Climate models used today link data about the atmosphere and oceans
processes of the atmosphere together into general circulation models (GCMs), which are also known
and to manipulate the as global climate models. An example of a GCM is shown in Figure 9.14.
variables that affect how the
These three-dimensional models represent how currents of water and air
natural climate system works
interact and move around the planet over specified periods of time.

Horizontal grid
(Latitude and Longitude)

Vertical grid
(Height and
Atmospheric Pressure)

Some Variables Simulated in a Climate Model

from Earth’s surface

Precipitation
Solar radiation

Heat radiation

Snow Rain

Figure 9.14 A simple GCM divides the entire

Heat Water planet into three-dimensional grids that stretch
from the ocean floor to the outer edge of the
atmosphere. Scientists enter data on winds,
Sea ice temperature, humidity, and other factors for each
Continent Ocean grid of the model. Equations create interactions
among neighbouring grids that simulate how the
natural climate system operates.

364 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Activity 9–3
Pennies from Heaven
How does a computer model simulate interactions Rules
between the components of the climate system? In this 1. If a square has three or fewer pennies on it, remove
activity, you will simulate a simple system by using pennies a penny from each adjacent square.
and a couple of rules for how they interact.
2. If a square has four pennies on it, remove a penny from
any adjacent square that has five or more pennies.
Materials
3. If a square has five pennies on it and the top one is
• about 200 pennies or other small markers tails up, do not remove any pennies except for those
• large surface, such as a table called for by the other rules. If a square has five
pennies on it and the top one is heads up, move the
Procedure top penny to an adjacent square.
1. On a piece of paper, create a square grid that has five 4. If a square has six pennies on it, move one penny to an
rows and five columns. adjacent square that has four or fewer pennies on it.

2. Place a stack of three to eight pennies on each square 5. If a square has seven or more pennies on it, move a
penny to each adjacent square.
in the grid. The pennies simulate water vapour, and
the model shows how water enters and exits Earth’s
atmosphere.

3. Make a note of how many pennies are in each square of

your grid. Label this diagram “Initial Conditions.” Questions
1. In which cells of your grid was water vapour content
4. Move the pennies according to the rules on the right.
highest and lowest? Explain your answer.
After each round, record how many pennies are in each
place in the grid. Repeat this step three times. 2. How would you change this model to better simulate
the movement of water vapour in the atmosphere?

Limitations and Sources of Uncertainty in Climate Models

In December 1961, a scientist named Edward Lorenz ran a weather and
climate simulation on his computer. He then input the same data into
another computer and got completely different results. He discovered
the difference was that one computer carried calculations to six decimal
places, while the other one carried them to only three decimal places. The
differences in rounding were significant when solving some equations.
Improved accuracy in data and in models has produced “virtual
climates” that closely match observations of climate in the real world.
Despite scientists’ growing understanding of the climate system, however,
uncertainties remain. Uncertainties can result from several sources.
The precision of the measurements taken of the variables in the system is
one source. Three other sources of uncertainty in climate models include:
1. sophistication of the model
2. quality and quantity of the data, and
3. complexity of the variables.

Each of these sources of uncertainty is discussed on the next page.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 365

Figure 9.15 Clouds are a 1. Sophistication of the Model Computers can simulate solutions to the
challenge for scientists who equations that define the model, but the solutions are only approximations.
develop climate models. Clouds
can cool the planet by preventing
As you can see in the GCM in Figure 9.14, each cell of the grid is very
solar radiation from reaching large. Neither the weather nor the climate in one of these cells is the same
Earth’s surface. They also prevent everywhere in that cell. In typical grids, cells can be more than 100 km
the escape of thermal energy along each edge. Therefore, any interactions that might affect the climate,
radiated by Earth’s surface, which
such as places where carbon dioxide is added or stored, have to be
heats the planet.
approximated inside each cell. Every interaction in that 10 000 km2 area
has to be reduced to a single average value, which is assumed to be true
throughout that cell.
2. Quality and Quantity of Data A computer model is only as good as the

Study Toolkit
data entered into it. The quality and quantity of data vary for different
Identifying Cause and
components of Earth’s climate system. For example, direct measurements
Effect General circulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere began about the middle of the 20th
models use equations to century. Reliable records of other greenhouse gases were not collected
simulate cause-and-effect until later in the 20th century, and accurate measurements of solar
relationships in the climate
radiation have been recorded only since the 1980s. As you learned at the
system. Use a cause-and-
effect map to describe how
beginning of this section, developments in technology have improved the
the quality and quantity of quality of data, but some factors in the climate system are more difficult to
data affect a climate model. measure than others are.
3. Complexity of Variables Another area of uncertainty concerns how
sensitive the climate system is to different factors. For example, we know
that greenhouse gases affect temperature, but scientists disagree over
how much and how quickly different greenhouse gases may raise global
temperature. Scientists also debate the overall effect of complex factors,
such as clouds. Clouds, such as the ones in Figure 9.15, reflect sunlight
back into space and help cool the planet. On the other hand, they also
increase the amount of infrared radiation emitted from the atmosphere to
Earth’s surface, which helps warm the planet. Changes in cloud cover are
one of the main uncertainties in predicting future climate change.

366 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Comparing the Accuracy of Climate Models
Suppose you have two models that give different predictions of how climate
may change in the future. How can you decide which model is more
accurate? One way is to test whether the models can accurately “predict”
changes that have already occurred. For example, you can enter climate data
from 400 000 to 100 000 years ago, based on ice cores and other evidence.
Then, have each model analyze these data and project the climate
from 100 000 years ago to the present. The more closely the computer
prediction matches the actual measurements from the past 100 000 years,
the more confidence you can have in the accuracy of the computer model.
Climate Models Indicate Probabilities, Not Certainty
Another way to assess the reliability of a climate model is to give several
different models the same test and then compare the results. For example,
Figure 9.16 shows the results of a test of 19 different climate models. Each
model was used to predict the increase in global temperature that would
occur if carbon dioxide concentrations increased by 1 percent per year
over 80 years. Notice how there is less agreement among the predictions
as they move further into the future.
Tests like this one remind us that science cannot make predictions
about the future with absolute certainty. Climate models provide
probabilities based on our current state of knowledge. All of the model
results in Figure 9.16 agree that temperature will increase. However,
they differ about the amount of the increase over time. As models and
measurements improve, uncertainties can be reduced and disagreements
among scientists may be resolved.
Figure 9.16 This graph shows
Projected Global Warming
the responses of 19 different
4 climate models to the same
ARPEGE/OPA2 GFDL_R15_a
BMRCa GFDL_R30_c test of climate change. Each
CCSR/NIES GISS2 acronym in the key represents a
CCSR/NIES2 GOALS different computer model. The
CGCM1 HadCM2
models predict how temperature
3 CSIRO Mk2 HadCM3
CSM 1.0 IPSL-CM2
will increase after 80 years of
Global Temperature Change (˚C)

DOE PCM MRI1 increasing carbon dioxide levels.

ECHAM3/LSG MRI2
ECHAM4/OPYC Mean

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Years from Start of Experiment

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 367

 Climate Forcing Agents
Anything that alters Earth’s energy balance and “forces” the climate to
forcing agent any change is known as a forcing agent. Different agents have been responsible
substance or process that
for climate change at different times throughout Earth’s history.
alters the global energy
balance and causes climate A continuing debate about climate change involves how much of the
to change change being observed today is due to natural causes and how much is
anthropogenic. Figure 9.17 shows how several different forcing agents
have contributed to climate change since the 1700s. Although many
factors affect the climate in different ways, this model indicates that an
increase in greenhouse gases has had a greater impact on current global
warming than any other single forcing agent.
Simulating Multiple Factors to Improve Computer Models
Another factor in evaluating models is determining whether all possible
answers to the question have been explored. For example, global sea level
is rising by about 3 mm each year. Part of this increase comes from the
Figure 9.17 The graph in A
melting of glaciers and polar icecaps, and part comes from the expansion
estimates how various forcing
agents, such as contrails, have of ocean water through warming. But calculations showed that one third
affected global climate from of the measured increase cannot be explained by these two factors alone.
1750 to the present. Contrails, Dr. Richard Peltier, of the University of Toronto’s Centre for Global
B, are condensed water trails Change Science, suggested that the extra water may result from the drying
left by airplanes. Bars above the
line indicate agents that produce
out of continents or from a higher rate of melting ice in Antarctica than
warming. Bars below the line scientists had previously measured. In addition, the melting of ice sheets
show agents that produce cooling. after the last glacial maximum resulted in uplift of land that was once
The height of each bar indicates weighed down by the heavy ice. When all of these additional factors
how much impact each agent has
were simulated in a computer model, most of Dr. Peltier’s predictions
on average global temperature.
The bottom of the graph explains
were supported. The better scientists’ predictions are, the better
how well scientists understand recommendations they can make to help reduce the effects of human
the effects of each forcing agent. activities on the climate system.

A Impact of Forcing Agents on Global Temperature B

Forcing Agent
Warmer

Air
travel-induced
contrails
Effect on Global Temperature

tropospheric fossil fuel burning

C02 ozone
halocarbons
N2O
CH4
0
stratospheric biomass
ozone sulphate burning
aerosois
fossil fuel burning
Cooler

high high high high medium medium low very very very
low low low

Level of Scientific Understanding

368 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Section 9.2 Review

Section Summary
• Dozens of satellites monitor Earth’s climate, currents of water and air interact and move
to provide scientists with data to analyze changes around the planet over specified periods of time.
in the Earth system and to project changes in • The predictions of climate models are not 100
climate. Each satellite focuses on a different aspect percent accurate because of imprecision in the
of climate and weather. data and difficulties in the calculations.
• Scientists predict future climates by using • The major climate models agree on approximately
computer simulations of Earth. how much some factors such as greenhouse
• General circulation models (GCMs) are gases contribute to climate change. However, the
three-dimensional models that represent how effects of other factors, such as clouds, are not as
well understood.

Review Questions
K/U 1. What weather features does radar measure?

A 2. The graph on the right shows Projected Global Warming Scenarios for Seven Computer Models
projected temperature changes
Models
made by several computer models.
A1B
Temperature Change (˚C)

What are the largest and smallest 4 A1T

temperature changes predicted by A1F1
3 A2
these models? Why might the
B1
models have such widely B2
2 IS92a
differing projections?
C 3. What are four sources of uncertainty 1

in climate models today? Organize

0
the four sources of uncertainty by 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080
using a graphic organizer of your Year

choice. Study Toolkit 4, on pages

565–566, contains instructions for using graphic organizers.
K/U 4. Describe two tests that can be used to determine the reliability
of computer models.
T/I 5. Look at Figure 9.17A. How does burning fossil fuels cause both
warming and cooling of average global temperature?
T/I 6. Given that scientists do not completely understand all of the
complexities of climate change, how can they make inferences
about what the future climate of Earth will be like?
T/I 7. Why can no climate model ever be 100 percent accurate in
predicting the future?
K/U 8. Explain how Dr. Richard Peltier’s work shows the importance
of analyzing several forcing agents when determining cause
and effect in climate change.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 369

 Key Terms
bias
carbon footprint
carbon offset 9.3 Taking Action to Slow Climate Change
Scientists do not know how rapidly climate change may occur or how
much damage it may cause to ecosystems and human society. However,
we do know that human activities affect the climate, and our best choice
for the future is to reduce those effects. We can do this as individuals, as a
nation, and as an international community.
A changing climate will bring changes in our technologies and
personal habits. It will affect the political and economic structures that
define our world. For example, a warmer Arctic will have less sea ice.
This change will open up sea routes for year-round shipping. The newly
available routes may change international trade agreements and influence
treaties about fishing grounds and shipping routes.
The first step in taking action to slow climate change is to educate
ourselves and each other about factors that cause climate change,
including human activities. We must learn to evaluate our everyday
activities and determine which activities we can take to slow climate
change. It is important to be realistic about the effect that our behaviours
have, but a little change can make a big difference. For example, hanging
clothes out to dry, as shown in Figure 9.18, instead of using an electric
clothes dryer prevents the release of 310 kg of carbon dioxide per year.
Other small lifestyle changes that can slow climate change include
recycling materials, walking or biking instead of driving, and installing
low-flow showerheads and toilets in your home.

Figure 9.18 Small lifestyle changes,

such as drying clothes on a line
instead of using an electric clothes
dryer, can result in large reductions in
your contribution to climate change.

370 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Educating Yourself About Climate Change
“Scientists Disagree Over Global Warming.” “Future Climate Uncertain.”
You may have seen headlines like these on web sites or in newspapers and
magazines, or heard similar claims in the media. Both statements are true.
However, non-scientists and scientists often interpret disagreements and
uncertainties in different ways.
New data about climate change are added to our knowledge every year.
As part of the scientific process, hypotheses are revised and re-tested as new
information becomes available. As more and more evidence is published,
the scientific community reaches a general agreement or consensus.
Outside of the scientific community, people also have disagreements
and uncertainties. People are more likely to disagree over topics that are
complex. Although data and hypotheses provide evidence on these topics,
people also make decisions based on their beliefs and values.
Making Decisions About Climate Change
The combination of satellites and computers now allows anyone who
has access to the Internet to view environmental changes for themselves.
Internet sites and their tools allow you to gather information about
hurricanes, floods, deserts, sea ice, air pollution, deforestation and
reforestation, dust storms, crop growth, forest fires, and many other
conditions on Earth. However, understanding the relationship between
climate change and human activities is complex. Not all scientists,
governments, politicians, or individuals agree on how the scientific data
should be interpreted.
The interpretation of scientific and nonscientific information guides
how decisions are made at home, at school, in businesses, and at all levels
of government. Many different organizations are suggesting many different
solutions to a variety of different climate-change issues. How we evaluate the
advantages and disadvantages of these solutions is almost as complicated as
understanding climate change itself.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 371

 Detecting Bias in Information About Climate Change
Magazines and other news sources commonly use dramatic photos and
startling headlines to advertise articles about climate change. These photos
and headlines are designed to elicit emotional responses from readers and
influence opinions. When you read about climate change, it is important
to evaluate the fairness and accuracy of the information presented.
Information from different sources commonly contains bias. Bias is
bias a tendency toward a
particular perspective or
a tendency toward a particular perspective or point of view that prevents
point of view that prevents objective assessment of a topic. Biased sources generally present only the
objective assessment of information that supports one point of view. The process of detecting
a topic and evaluating bias in scientific reports on climate change is not easy. The
following questions can help you evaluate sources of information for bias.
• Is the information in a respected scientific journal that is reviewed by
professional scientists?
• What is the source of the information? For example, is it based on
Study Toolkit
research at a university, a government department, or a private
Creating a Word Map The
illustrations and examples in
corporation or institute?
a word map can help clarify • Does the author of the source have an agenda? For example, is a report
the definition of a term. trying to raise support for a political party or organization, to influence
Create a word map for bias.
behaviour, or to sell a product or service?
• Does the report misrepresent information or interpret it in a way that is
not supported by evidence?

372 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
Most climatologists agree that an increase in greenhouse gases is the
Suggested Investigation
largest single cause of current climate change. The main human causes of
Real World Investigation 9-B,
this increase are activities that produce air pollution and activities (such Evaluating the “Food Miles”
as cutting down forests) that reduce the ability of natural cycles to absorb Initiative, on page 384
greenhouse gases.
Fossil fuels are burned to produce electricity and heat, to power our
vehicles for transportation, and to manufacture and transport consumer carbon footprint the effect
that human activities have
goods. The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the air, which
on the environment in terms
may lead to climate change. Our net contribution to climate change varies of the amount of greenhouse
from person to person, business to business, and country to country. To help gases produced, measured in
compare different degrees of impact, researchers developed the concept of a units of carbon dioxide
carbon footprint. A carbon footprint measures the amount of greenhouse
gases produced in units of carbon dioxide. For example, you can calculate
how many tonnes of carbon dioxide production you are responsible for
in your daily life through such activities as driving or travelling by plane,
cooking food, and buying manufactured goods, as shown in Figure 9.19. Figure 9.19 Canada emits over
630 million tonnes of carbon
All of these activities involve burning fossil fuels. Many web sites have
dioxide per year. Therefore,
carbon footprint calculators that let you find out how the carbon footprint every Canadian is responsible for
of your household compares with that of other families. releasing an average of about
19.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide
annually. That amount is about
public home heating 30 times more than the amount
services and cooking emitted by the average person
12% 15% in India.

business electricity
3% 12%

private transport
10%

recreation
and leisure public transport
14% 3%

household
(buildings and
furnishings)
9% air travel
6%
manufacturing
7%
food and drink
clothes and
5%
personal effects
4%

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 373

 Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
People who are skeptical about anthropogenic climate change argue that
carbon offset a means the carbon footprint is a misleading or unhelpful concept. Some skeptics
of reducing or avoiding
argue that the influence average individuals have on climate is less
greenhouse gas emissions by
purchasing credits to reduce significant than the influence that governments and corporations have.
your carbon footprint They also claim that the calculations of carbon footprints are very crude
and inaccurate. However, the combined actions of every person on Earth
equal a significant portion of the human contribution to climate change.
Therefore, responsibility on the individual level plays an important role in
reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
You can reduce your carbon footprint by choosing activities that
reduce or eliminate the need to burn fossil fuels. Simple ways to reduce
your carbon footprint include unplugging your mobile phone charger
when it’s not in use, drinking tap water instead of bottled water when
possible, and taking shorter showers to use less heated water. As
Figure 9.20 shows, making a difference doesn’t have to be difficult.
You may also choose to purchase carbon offsets to minimize
your carbon footprint. Carbon offsets are credits that an individual or
organization can purchase to compensate for performing a different carbon-
dioxide emitting activity. For example, someone who has travelled by
airplane may offset the carbon emissions caused by that flight by donating
money to a tree-planting program. Other activities that are supported by
the purchase of carbon offsets include development of alternative sources of
energy, recycling programs, and methane capture from landfills.

Learning Check
1. Why is it important to educate yourself about climate change?

2. According to Figure 9.19, what three actions contribute most to

the carbon footprint of the average Canadian?
3. What are the two main strategies for reducing your
carbon footprint?
4. Create a table that has two columns and several rows. In the
left-hand column, list daily actions that emit greenhouse gases.
In the right-hand column, list potential actions that would help
you reduce your carbon footprint.

Figure 9.20 The more things you buy and throw away, the
more you add to your carbon footprint. Carrying a reusable
shopping bag instead of using new plastic carrier bags
every time you stop at the grocery store can save 5 kg of
carbon dioxide per year.

374 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Advocating for Actions to Slow Climate Change
Advocating for awareness and action is another powerful way to affect
climate change. For example, as an advocate, you can help educate others
and influence how governments and individuals respond to the issue of
climate change. The following actions can help you be an effective advocate:
1. identify and join groups or individuals who champion actions that
you support
2. learn about the processes by which governments and advocacy groups
enact and influence environmental laws
3. set an example by reducing your carbon footprint

4. write letters to corporations and government representatives to

encourage them to support initiatives to slow climate change

Activity 9–4
Talking the Talk, Walking the Walk
How much of a difference can a little lifestyle change make Procedure
in terms of global warming? In this activity, you will choose 1. Choose one of the following actions: washing only full
one action that you can take to slow climate change. loads of laundry instead of partial loads, drying clothes
on a clothesline instead of in an electric dryer, using
Materials reusable shopping bags instead of single-use plastic
• Computer with Internet access bags, using a power strip to eliminate standby power
for electrical devices that are not in use, and listening
to the radio instead of watching television.
Seemingly small actions, like 2. Using the Internet and other sources, identify the daily
plugging electrical devices and annual carbon savings that result from performing
into a power strip that is
each action.
turned off when the devices
are not in use, can have a big 3. Create a plan for making each action part of your daily
impact on climate change. life. How would your lifestyle have to change in order to
implement each action?

4. Choose one action and perform the action for one week.

Questions
1. Calculate the amount of carbon dioxide you prevented
from entering the atmosphere by performing that one
action for one week.

2. Choose a different action and make a commitment to

performing that action every day for a year. Explain
which action you chose and why you chose that action.

3. Based on the information provided in Figure 9.19,

what percentage of your total carbon footprint could
you reduce by performing this action?

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 375

Figure 9.21 The larger the
land area of a country appears
in this distorted map, the more
greenhouse gases are emitted by
that country.

Global Contributions to Climate Change

The map in Figure 9.21 shows the global warming potential (GWP) of the
greenhouse gases emitted by different areas of the world in 2002. Europe,
Japan, the United States, and China are disproportionately large because
their populations are large and the average lifestyle in those locations
expends large amounts of energy. Producing this energy emits much more
gas per person and creates more types of greenhouse gases.
On the map, Africa appears smaller than its land area or population
would suggest because poverty prevents most people who live there
from using electricity or performing activities that would emit
greenhouse gases. However, some developing countries contribute to the
anthropogenic greenhouse effect by clearing their forests, which removes
trees that help absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Recent studies
also indicate that soot, or black carbon, from small cooking stoves in
developing countries may be a major contributor to global climate change.
In fact, black carbon may be responsible for 18 percent of Earth’s warming
and as much as half of Arctic warming. Converting to newer stoves that
do not release as much soot may have a major positive influence in terms
of slowing climate change.

Figure 9.22 Key Stages in the International Response to Climate Change

1979 1987
The first World Climate Conference was organized by The Montréal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the
the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Scientists Ozone Layer was established by the United Nations to
expressed concern that continued human activities may phase out production of substances believed to be
cause significant climate change. responsible for creating the ozone hole.

1979 1989

1985 1988
The United Nations set up the The WMO and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) established
Advisory Group on Greenhouse the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This panel includes
Gases (AGGG) to assess the climate and policy experts from about 130 countries. The IPCC regularly
implications of climate change. reports on
~ the available scientific information on climate change
~ the environmental, social, and economic effects of climate change
~ effective strategies to combat climate change

376 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

International Initiatives to Combat Climate Change
The impacts of climate change vary from country to country, depending
on location, population, and way of life. However, the climate system is
global. Winds and ocean currents do not stop at national borders. Effective
solutions to climate change must involve a great deal of international
cooperation. Figure 9.22 summarizes the important steps that have
occurred in international cooperation in dealing with climate change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
In 1988, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World
Meteorologic Organization formed the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is composed of hundreds of
scientists from all over the globe. The goals of this panel are to assess the
role of human activities in producing climate change and to recommend
ways to respond.
The IPCC regularly reports on the available scientific information
on climate change; the environmental, social, and economic effects
of climate change; and effective strategies to combat climate change.
The IPCC also regularly organizes conferences and summits in which
delegates from participating governments and organizations, such as
Chief Bill Erasmus shown in Figure 9.23, meet to discuss new scientific
data and policies. Figure 9.23 In December
2008, Chief Bill Erasmus of the
The Kyoto Protocol Dene nation in northern Canada
In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was developed. This international treaty was attended the United Nations
produced as a result of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, and Climate Change Conference in
Poland. Erasmus wanted to raise
acts as a legally binding commitment between nations. The industrialized awareness of the effects of
nations that signed the treaty agreed to reduce their collective emissions climate change on Canada’s native
of four greenhouse gases and two halocarbons by 5.2 percent compared species and Aboriginal peoples.
to the emissions of those gases in 1990. By 2008, 183 nations and the
European Union had signed the agreement. At that time, the United States
was the only developed country that had not ratified the agreement.

1992
An international treaty called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
was produced at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. Its aim was to stabilize greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere by imposing limits on emissions from individual nations.

1999 2009

1997 2007
The Kyoto Protocol was an update of the UNFCCC that commits participating The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007
nations to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to levels specified concluded that the global climate is warming and that most
for each country. The Kyoto Protocol has been signed and approved by of the increase in average global temperature since the
181 countries and the European Union. Together, these countries produce mid-20th century was due to an increase in anthropogenic
only 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Participating countries greenhouse gas concentrations. It predicted future increases
must meet their commitments by December 2012 or face penalties. in heat waves and rainfall, and a rise in sea levels.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 377

 Educating and Empowering Consumers
Governments also help individuals combat climate change by passing
laws or regulations and by educating consumers to make choices that
benefit the environment. Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE)
has implemented a program called the ecoEnergy Efficiency Initiative.
One ecoEnergy program provides financial incentives to homeowners
and businesses to retrofit older buildings to make them more energy
efficient. It also provides helpful tips to the public on buying, driving,
and maintaining vehicles to save fuel. In addition, Ontario’s Drive Clean
program requires all Ontario cars to pass strict emissions inspections.
Imagine that your family wants to buy new light bulbs that use
less energy. The task of choosing is made easier by the international
ENERGY STAR® symbol, as shown in Figure 9.24. The symbol is
found on many different energy-efficient products, from CFLs or LED
Figure 9.24 This logo on a light bulbs to furnaces, refrigerators, and other major appliances. The
product indicates that the ENERGY STAR® symbol indicates that a product meets specifications
product meets high standards of for reduced energy consumption, which helps lower production of
energy efficiency.
greenhouse gas emissions.

TSE Case Study

STSE
S
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, and Upgrade
Canada’s federal government promotes the ENERGY STAR® Reducing energy use indirectly reduces greenhouse gas
program, which helps consumers make smart, energy- emissions and it saves money for the consumer. The federal,
efficient decisions about items they purchase. The ENERGY provincial, and municipal governments offer grants and
STAR® symbol makes identifying products that exceed incentives for the purchase of ENERGY STAR® qualified
Canadian federal standards for energy efficiency easy products. For example, the Province of Ontario has a
for consumers. The program, run by the Office of Energy point-of-sale retail sales tax exemption for qualifying
Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada, helps consumers energy-efficient products.
choose the most energy-efficient products. However, encouraging consumers to buy new products
and throw away the old ones seems to contradict other
environmentally friendly messages, including “reduce,
re-use, and recycle.”
Replacing inefficient products with high-efficiency
products is a popular way to conserve energy and benefit the
environment. However, this action uses up resources and
energy to make these new products. As well, the
inefficient products are difficult to dispose of and they
cannot be recycled into efficient products. Disposal of
inefficient products is a concern because Canada has
a limited amount of space in which to dump
garbage, especially large appliances.

When consumers replace their old appliances with new

energy-efficient appliances, the consumers save energy
and money. However, many old appliances end up in
landfills, like the refrigerators piled in this dump.

378 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Economic Initiatives to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Governments must find ways to support both economic growth and
climate change initiatives. How do politicians encourage individuals Study Toolkit
and corporations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the Identifying Cause and
growth of new “eco-friendly” industries? The following two responses Effect Cap-and-trade
have been developed: systems are designed to
reduce the amount of carbon
Cap-and-Trade Systems In a cap-and-trade system, an authoritative body, compounds being emitted by
most commonly a government, establishes a ceiling (or cap) on how much industry. Use a cause-and-
carbon may be produced. Corporations that produce less carbon than effect map to explain how a
cap-and-trade system works.
their limit may sell or trade their credits to corporations that produce
more carbon than their limit. Over time, the caps are gradually lowered.
Carbon-Tax Systems In a carbon-tax system, the government levies a tax
on either the source of carbon compounds or the emission of greenhouse
gases. Under this policy, the price of anything that depends on carbon
fuels goes up. As a result, consumers have an incentive to spend their
money on alternatives that do not produce carbon emissions. Without
the carbon tax, these alternatives are usually more expensive than their
carbon-producing counterparts.

Your Turn 3. Research an energy-efficiency program from a

1. Consider the ENERGY STAR® program from the different region of the world. Write a brief newspaper
viewpoints of an appliance recycler, an appliance article that explains how this program compares to
manufacturer, and a consumer. Write a statement Canada’s ENERGY STAR® program. Make sure your
that describes how each of these interested parties article identifies at least three costs and three benefits
might evaluate the costs and benefits of the of the other country’s energy conservation program.
ENERGY STAR® program.

2. Make a list of four energy-using products or appliances Residential Clothes Washer

in your home. Identify whether they are ENERGY Lifetime Operating Costs
STAR® products. For each item, research how much
energy cost
energy it consumes in a month (use an energy water cost
700
Lifetime Operating Costs (Dollars)

calculator, available on-line). Compare your item with

another similar model. Look at the price, the energy
600
consumption, and the typical lifespan of the product
(time until it needs replacement). Do you think your 500
home is energy efficient? Support your answer with the
400
results of your research.
300

200

100
The purchase price of products that meet the
ENERGY STAR® standards may be higher than the 0
ENERGY STAR® Regular
price of competing products. However, the amount
Clothes Washer Clothes Washer
of money saved on utility bills adds up quickly.
Type of Appliance

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 379

Making a Difference
While in high school, Jasmeet Sidhu realized that students at other schools must have
knowledge they could share about how to start environmental projects. To help student
environmentalists collaborate, she created a forum called PEYA (Peel Environmental
Youth Alliance). PEYA has grown to more than 400 members in schools throughout
Ontario’s Peel Region.
In 2008, Jasmeet blogged for the Toronto Star from the United Nations Climate
Conference in Poland. For Jasmeet, communicating complex scientific and political issues
clearly to the public is important. She plans to work as a journalist and is studying peace
and conflict studies at the University of Toronto. Jasmeet has been named one of Canada’s
Top 20 Under 20 and one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.
How could you communicate your ideas about climate change in a way that could
help make a difference?

Lowering Greenhouse Emissions by

Using Alternative Sources of Energy
Approximately 18 percent of the greenhouse gases produced by Canada
Canada’s Electrical Power
Generation by Method result from the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Probably the
Nuclear
best long-term way to reduce the production of greenhouse gases is to
Fossil 12% develop sources of energy that produce fewer greenhouse gases or none at
fuels all. Canadians already use many of these power sources, including wind,
Hydroelectric
28% solar, biomass, hydroelectric, tidal, and nuclear power. Figure 9.25 shows
Wind
58% the methods by which Canada’s energy is generated.
1%
Converting the existing power-generation infrastructure to a more
Other climate-friendly system, such as the wind farm shown in Figure 9.26,
1% will take many years and cost a large amount in both dollars and carbon
Figure 9.25 Most of Canada’s
emissions. However, individuals don’t need to wait for major power
electrical energy is provided companies to switch to alternative energy. Geothermal heating and
by methods that release few cooling systems are available for most homes, and single-home
greenhouse gases, but more solar and wind power systems can provide all of the energy
progress can be made.
needed for many standard households. By switching to these
local systems, individuals can reduce the total amount of
fossil fuels that are burned for electrical generation. As
a result, Canada’s total carbon footprint, and therefore
Canada’s contribution to climate change, can be reduced.

Figure 9.26 Wind farms, such as this

one in Alberta, provide electricity for
more than 680 000 Canadian homes.

380 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Section 9.3 Review

Section Summary
• Educating yourself about the facts related to the • You can reduce your carbon footprint by
issue of climate change is important in making performing actions that lower your dependence
informed decisions about how your actions affect on burning fossil fuels and by purchasing
climate change. carbon offsets.
• Everybody has a carbon footprint, which means • Governments and international panels are trying
that everyone’s actions influence the amount of to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by passing
greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. laws, by educating consumers, and by using
As a result, everybody is responsible for reducing economic means to combat climate change.
greenhouse gas emissions.

Review Questions
T/I 1. Why is the source of information important for identifying
bias in information?
A 2. How does modern technology affect how people make
decisions about climate change?
K/U 3. What is the difference between a carbon offset and a
carbon footprint?
K/U 4. List three actions you can take to reduce your
carbon footprint. Carbon Facts
Product size 1 Cheeseburger (130 g)
A 5. The chart on the right shows the “carbon facts” for a
Amount Per Serving
cheeseburger. If a person reduced the number of
cheeseburgers he or she eats by one burger per week, Kilograms CO2 240 Kilograms CH4 120

how many fewer kilograms of carbon dioxide and of Total C: Energy Sources 243 g
methane would his or her actions emit in one year? Transportation
Fossil Fuel (Diesel) 120 g
K/U 6. What is the IPCC, and what does it do?
Fossil Fuel (Gasoline) 48 g
K/U 7. Identify three major milestones in the international Electricity Production
Fossil Fuel (Natural Gas) 75 g
response to climate change. Fossil Fuel (Coal) 0g

C 8. Which system, carbon tax or cap-and-trade, would Total C: Non-Energy Sources 2840 g CO2E
you recommend for use in Canada? Explain your Cattle digestion 81.0 g
answer by comparing the advantages and Manure 26.8 g
disadvantages of these programs. Other 5.2 g

Sustainable Production Rating D+

Overall Carbon Code: ORANGE

This chart shows the carbon emissions

that result from the production of a
single cheeseburger.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 381

 Data Analysis Investigation 9-A
Skill Check Understanding Ice-Core Data
Initiating and Planning
As you learned in Section 9.1, the relative amounts of isotopes of
✓ Performing and Recording oxygen and hydrogen in ice can indicate global temperature in the
✓ Analyzing and Interpreting past. In this investigation, you will investigate how the composition of
ice can provide scientists with data about ancient temperatures.
✓ Communicating
Question

Materials
How can analyzing data about oxygen isotopes in ice provide
information about past climate?
• calculator
Organize the Data
Math Skills Follow these steps to learn how scientists convert information about
Go to Math Skills
Toolkit 3 for oxygen isotopes into information about temperature.
information about
how to organize 1. Construct a graph. Label the x-axis “Time (years before present),”
your data into a graph and use the range of 0 years to 20 000 years, with an interval of
2000 years. Label the y-axis “18O:16O Ratio (parts per thousand),”
and use the range of –30 to –45, with an interval of 1. Title the
graph “Changes in 18O:16O Ratio Over Time.”
2. The data in the table below show the ratio of 18O to 16O at eleven
points in time. Plot these data on your graph.

Changes in the Oxygen-18 to Oxygen-16 Ratio in Ice Cores

from 0 to 20 000 Years Ago

Time Ratio of 18O:16O Time Ratio of 18O:16O

(years before (parts per (years before (parts per
present) thousand) present) thousand)

0 –35.19 12 000 –41.38

2000 –35.03 14 000 –39.71

4000 –35.07 16 000 –42.18

6000 –34.96 18 000 –41.69

8000 –34.13 20 000 –43.87

10 000 –35.29

3. a. What was the average ratio of 18O:16O over the last 20 000 years?
b. Identify years in which the ratio of 18O:16O was above average
and the ratio was below average.
c. Compare your graph to the graph of global average temperature
below. Does an above-average ratio of 18O:16O represent a
warmer-than-average global temperature or cooler-than-
average global temperature? (Hint: remember that you are
working with negative numbers.)

382 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Analyze and Interpret 4. The atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration
Now that you have seen how scientists use 18O : 16O in 2009 was 388 ppm, and the concentration
ratios to identify warm and cold periods, use that of methane was 1745 ppb. Calculate the rate
information to evaluate the graphs on this page. of change in carbon dioxide and methane
1. How many warm periods and how many concentrations over the last 20 000 years.
cold periods occurred between 0 and 20 000
years ago? Conclude and Communicate
5. How do the ice-core data support the idea that
2. How has the average global temperature
changing concentrations of greenhouse gases are
changed since about 20 000 years ago?
related to global temperature?
Changes in Global Average Temperature,
20 000 years ago to Present 6. How accurate do you think the concentrations
of oxygen isotopes, methane, and carbon
4
Temperature Change (˚C)

2 dioxide in ice cores are as a record of

0 temperature? Explain your answer.
-2
-4 7. Create a flowchart that demonstrates how
-6
-8 changes in global temperature can be recorded
-10 in ice layers.
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Time (thousands of years ago)
Extend Your Inquiry and Research Skills
3. How closely does the plot of carbon dioxide 8. Inquiry Design a model that shows how
concentration resemble that of methane scientists use oxygen isotopes to learn about
concentration? of temperature? Describe past climates.
any patterns you see. 9. Research The current average temperature
Carbon Dioxide Concentration in Ice Cores,
at Vostok, Antarctica, is –60°C. Research the
20 000 years ago to Present estimated temperature of Vostok 20 000 years
ago based on ice-core and sediment-core data.
CO2 Concentration

250
Is Vostok colder or warmer today than it was
20 000 years ago?
(ppm)

200

150
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Time (thousands of years ago)

Methane Concentration in Ice Cores,

20 000 years ago to Present
Concentration (ppb)

700
Methane

600
500
400
300
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Time (thousands of years ago)

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 383

 Real World Investigation 9-B
Skill Check Evaluating the “Food Miles” Initiative
Initiating and Planning
A study in the United Kingdom called the “Food Miles” Initiative
Performing and Recording gathered information about the CO2 emissions associated with food
✓ Analyzing and Interpreting choices. Use the data to investigate the validity of the slogan “think
globally, buy locally.”
✓ Communicating
Question

Materials
Are locally-grown items or transported items better for the environment?
• calculator
Organize the Data
1. Imagine that you are shopping in a supermarket in the United
Kingdom. You have four items on your shopping list: apples,
onions, tomatoes, and lamb. You want to choose the more
environmentally friendly option.
2. Calculate the total carbon footprint of each item in the table below.

Analyze and Interpret

1. Compare the carbon footprint of each item by source. To lower
your carbon footprint, which source would you choose for each?
2. What might account for the difference in the emissions related to
produce from tropical and temperate sources?

Conclude and Communicate

3. What would you say to advocates of the “think globally, buy
locally” initiative about purchasing food from distant sources?
Comparison of Carbon Emissions
Extend Your Inquiry and Research Skills
for Production, Storage, and
Transport of Grocery Items 4. Research Research other information that would help you choose
in a United Kingdom Supermarket between the different sources of grocery items.

CO2 Emissions During Production CO2 Emissions from Storage and/or

Food Source
(kg CO2/tonne product) Transport (kg CO2/tonne product)

Apples New Zealand 60.1 124.9

United Kingdom 186.0 85.8

Onions New Zealand 58.9 125.6

United Kingdom 42.3 127.8

Tomatoes Spain 519.0 111.0

United Kingdom 2394.0 0.0

Lamb New Zealand 563.2 129.4

United Kingdom 2894.1 0.0

384 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Chapter 9 Summary

9.1 Discovering Past Climates

Key Concepts
• Paleoclimatologists reconstruct past climates by using • Scientists use chemical analyses of
the evidence that climate leaves behind in tree rings, ice, sediment cores from lakes and oceans
sedimentary rock, and fossils. to reconstruct past conditions of the
• Tree rings can provide evidence about growing conditions, atmosphere and the hydrosphere.
such as temperature and precipitation, during the lifetime • Rocks can provide information about the conditions that
of the tree. existed when they formed.
• Ice cores can provide information about global temperature • Fossils are remains of living things. Their distribution and
and the composition of the atmosphere thousands of characteristics provide clues about the climate at the time
years in the past. the organisms lived.

9.2 Monitoring and Modelling Climate Change

Key Concepts
• Dozens of satellites monitor Earth’s climate to provide • The predictions of climate models are
scientists with data to analyze changes in the Earth not 100 percent accurate because of
system and to project changes in climate. Each satellite imprecision in the data and difficulties in
focuses on a different aspect of climate and weather. the calculations.
• Scientists predict future climates by using computer • The major climate models agree on approximately how
simulations of Earth. much some factors such as greenhouse gases contribute
• General circulation models (GCMs) are three-dimensional to climate change. However, the effects of other factors,
models that represent how currents of water and air such as clouds, are not as well understood.
interact and move around the planet over specified
periods of time.

9.3 Taking Action to Slow Climate Change

Key Concepts
• Educating yourself about the facts related to the issue of • You can reduce your carbon footprint
climate change is important in making informed decisions by performing actions that lower your
about how your actions affect climate change. dependence on burning fossil fuels and by
• Everybody has a carbon footprint, which means that purchasing carbon offsets.
everyone’s actions influence the amount of greenhouse • Governments and international panels are trying to reduce
gases emitted into the atmosphere. As a result, everybody greenhouse gas emissions by passing laws, by educating
is responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. consumers, and by using economic means to combat
climate change.

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 385

Chapter 9 Review
Knowledge and Understanding K/U
Make Your Own Summary 10. Identify four types of evidence that help
Summarize the key concepts of this chapter using scientists construct a history of climate change.
a graphic organizer. The Chapter Summary on the
previous page will help you identify key concepts. 11. The diagram below shows two satellites. Which
Refer to Study Toolkit 4 on pages 565–566 to help satellite is a polar orbiting satellite and which is
you decide which graphic organizer to use. a geostationary satellite? Explain your answer.

Reviewing Key Terms

Match each key term listed below to its definition.
a. paleoclimatologist f. general circulation
(9.1) model (9.2)
b. isotope (9.1) g. carbon offset (9.3) A

c. ice core (9.1) h. carbon footprint B

(9.3)
d. geostationary (9.2)
i. bias (9.3)
e. monitor (9.2)

1. refers to a satellite that remains in the same

position above Earth
12. How have satellites changed the ability of
2. a computer model that simulates the global
scientists to monitor global climate?
climate system
13. What is a general circulation model (GCM),
3. a tendency toward a particular point of view
and how is it useful to climate scientists?
that prevents objective assessment of a topic
14. How do scientists refine their climate models?
4. a long cylinder of ice obtained by drilling
into a glacier ®
15. How does the ENERGY STAR program affect
climate change?
5. a way to measure the amount of carbon
produced by a person’s activities 16. Identify two laws that international governing
bodies have enacted to address the causes or
6. a form of an element that has a different
effects of climate change.
number of neutrons than other atoms of
that element 17. Compare how a cap-and-trade system works
with how a carbon-tax system works.
7. to measure something systematically
and repeatedly 18. What factors are slowing down a global
switch to alternative energy sources? How
8. actions or purchased credits that reduce the
are governments working to help overcome
amount of carbon that individuals emit
those factors?
9. a scientist who studies the history of Earth’s
climate system 19. How does measuring the mass of water from
long ago tell scientists about the temperatures
in that era?

386 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Thinking and Investigation T/I illustrates how general circulation models
20. Explain why the sources of weather and climate (GCMs) incorporate both natural and
data are important in assessing whether the anthropogenic factors when predicting future
climate has changed. climate changes.

21. Imagine that you are developing a computer 26. Climate change affects living things
model to simulate climate. Identify the natural and natural systems in a variety of
and anthropogenic variables you would include ways. Draw a negative feedback loop that
in your model. demonstrates how reducing your carbon
footprint may have an effect on global warming.
22. What energy source provides most of the
electrical energy in Canada? Give this source 27. People have the responsibility to
of energy a grade (A, B, C, D, or F) relative to assess their impact on climate change
its effect on the concentration of greenhouse and to identify effective courses of action to
gases in Earth’s atmosphere, and justify the reduce this impact. Write a brief paragraph that
grade you gave. explains the importance of Canada’s
participation in the Kyoto Protocol.
23. The table below describes the relative carbon
footprints of ten nations. What ranking does 28. Earth’s climate is dynamic and is the
Canada have? How does Canada’s contribution result of interacting systems and
to climate change compare to that of the United processes. Create a poster presentation that
States? Why do you think Canada is ranked this explains how a person’s carbon footprint can be
way relative to the other nations on the list? minimized by using carbon offsets.
Top Ten Carbon-Emitting Nations on Earth 2008
Application A
C02 emissions 29. What source of evidence would be most useful
Country Ranking (millions of tonnes)
for determining the climate of Ontario over the
United States 1 5957.00
past 4000 years?
China 2 5323.00
30. In Japan, the blossoming of the cherry trees is
Russia 3 1696.00 a special day, and records showing the dates
Japan 4 1230.00 on which this event happened go back for
India 5 1166.00
centuries. Because the blossoms open after a
certain number of days when the temperature is
Germany 6 844.17
over 5°C, some people have proposed that this
Canada 7 631.26 record might be one way of tracking temperature
United Kingdom 8 577.17 changes for Japan over recent centuries. Assess
how valuable and reliable these records might be.
South Korea 9 499.63

Italy 10 466.64
31. Why do solar energy and geothermal energy
provide so little of Canada’s electrical energy?
24. Many factors are known to affect the climate. 32. A tree experienced a dry year in which only a
Why do scientists think that human contribution little rain fell in the spring, followed by a wet,
to greenhouse gases is so significant? cool year. Sketch the resulting tree rings.

Communication C 33. The map in Figure 9.21 shows only the amount
of greenhouse gases actively emitted by various
25. Global climate change is influenced by
countries. How do you think the map would
both natural and human factors.
change if the impact of cutting down forests
Create a short multimedia presentation that
were calculated into the total?

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 387