Climate Change

1. Tipping Point

1.1. The point  beyond which a situation dramatically changes

1.2. a tipping point was reached and climate change became a large issue that people became worried about

1.3. Law of the few

1.3.1. Suggests that a small number of people  who are knowledgeable and charismatic play a critical role in spreading the idea or trend

1.3.2. David Suzuki is an example of one of these people

1.4. Power of context

1.4.1. If people can see how an idea fits into their life they will except it easier

2. Greenhouse Effect

2.1. The warming of the earths atmosphere as some of its gasses absorb heat given off by its surface

3. Greenhouse Gasses (GhG)

3.1. Atmospheric gasses that create the greenhouse gas effect by absorbing and holding heat in the Earth's atmosphere

3.2. Water vapor (H20), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) are examples of greenhouse gasses

4. Carbon Cycle

4.1. The natural cycle through which carbon moves in the envirnoment

4.2. Carbon Source

4.2.1. Any activity (can be natural or human) that adds carbon to the atmosphere

4.2.2. An example of a carbon source is when vegetation in a swamp begins to decompose and it produces methane

4.3. Carbon Sink

4.3.1. Natural features that remove carbon from the atmosphere for a period of time

4.3.2. An example of a carbon sink is tree that takes up carbon as it grows

4.4. Fixed Carbon

4.4.1. Carbon that has been removed from the atmosphere for a long period of time

4.4.2. An example of fixed carbon is the carbon contained in limestone

5. Kyoto Protocol

5.1. An international agreement signed in 1997 to limit GhG emissions from industrialized countries

6. Energy Intensity

6.1. A way of measuring the energy efficiency of a nation's economy. It is calculated as units of energy per unit of GDP. High energy intensities indicate a high price or cost of converting energy into GDP. Low energy intensity indicates a lower price or cost of converting energy into GDP.

7. Cap and Trade System

7.1. A proposed method for reducing GhG emissions where GhG producers would be assigned an emissions limit

8. Carbon Tax

8.1. A proposed method of reducing GhG emissions that would tax goods based on the amount of emissions used to provide it

9. Geo-Engineering

9.1. Technological methods that have been proposed to help reduce GhG emissions into the atmosphere

9.2. Sending carbon dioxide into space is an example of Geo-engineering