Subject:
Sociology
Material Type:
Module
Level:
Community College / Lower Division, College / Upper Division
Provider:
Ohio Open Ed Collaborative
Tags:
  • Oss0212
  • Sociology
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
    Language:
    English
    Media Formats:
    Text/HTML

    Describe climate change and its effects

    Overview

    OER Text Material

    The Environment and Society, Section 20.3

    This subsection starts with Climate Change. It is noted that climate change is the term used to refer to long-term shifts in temperatures due to human activity and, in particular, the release of greenhouse gases into the environment. After defining pollution as what happens when contaminants are introduced into an environment (water, air, land), different types pollutions like water, soil, garbage, air, toxic and radioactive waste pollutions, are explained.

    Supplementary Material (Videos and Reading)

    Greenland: The Land of Ice Embracing Climate Change (Video)

    This video is about global warming. It is noted that rising temperature of only one degree can mean the difference between ice and water. Many pictures of melting ice are shown to prove that global warming is real. Climate change takes many surprising ways. Breaking/melting glaciers in parts of Greenland is making the vegetation dry.

    Climate Change: A Defining Challenge for the 21st Century? (Video)

    This lecture notes that climate change is a defining challenge for the 21st century. It examines the scientific evidence for climate change describing how simulations of the Earths weather and climate are constructed and how these can be used to make assessments of what our climate and weather might be like in the coming decades. It is argued that climate change is one of the defining challenges of the twenty-first century, and how we respond will determine our future prosperity, health and well-being and the sustainability of the Earth’s natural environment.

    The Effects of Climate Change

    This article is about the impact of global warming on species. Global warming is likely to be the greatest cause of species extinctions this century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says a 1.5°C average rise may put 20-30% of species at risk of extinction. If the planet warms by more than 2°C, most ecosystems will struggle.

    Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet

    This piece by NASA provides evidence that climate change is happening, discusses the causes, the effects, and finally, solutions to climate change.