Climate Change
Define climate change. - ANS-Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related
changes in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or
longer.
How can carbon sequestration reduce the enhanced greenhouse effect? - ANS-Carbon
sequestration actively removes and stores greenhouse gas currently in the atmosphere
underground. The storage of greenhouse gas underground is a promising solution but there are
still capability gaps to be filled before its large-scale implementation can be achieved. Large
quantities of greenhouse gas can be stored in the oceans but the cost may be prohibitive and
environmental consequences are unknown. Restoring and improving our agricultural soils will
permanently sequester carbon and improve soil health and productivity.
How can carbon trading reduce the enhanced greenhouse effect? - ANS-Carbon trading
attempts to lower the price that certain polluting industries have to pay to comply with their
present short-term reduction targets. It enables polluters to meet their reduction targets over the
crucial next decade without the structural changes that will be needed for the longer-term
reduction targets and the transition to a low carbon economy.
How can renewable sources of energy (solar, hydro, wave, tidal, wind, biomass) reduce the
enhanced greenhouse effect? - ANS-Renewable energy is used for electric power generation,
space heating and cooling, and transportation fuels. All sources of renewable energy are used
to generate electric power. In addition to generating electricity, geothermal steam is used directly
for heating and cooking. Biomass and solar sources are also used for space and water heating.
Ethanol and biodiesel are the renewable transportation fuels with gaseous biomethane also
fueling transport to a much lesser extent.Renewable energy sources are considered to be zero
(wind, solar, and water), low (geothermal) or neutral (biomass) with regard to greenhouse gas
emissions during their operation. A neutral source has emissions that are balanced by the
amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during the growing process.
How can the carbon tax reduce the enhanced greenhouse effect? - ANS-A carbon tax puts a
price on those emissions, encouraging people, businesses, and governments to produce less of
them. A carbon tax's burden would fall most heavily on energy-intensive industries and
lower-income households. Policymakers could use the resulting revenue to offset those impacts,
lower individual and corporate taxes, reduce the budget deficit, invest in clean energy and
climate adaptation, or for other uses.
How does climate change differ from global warming? - ANS-Global warming refers only to the
Earth's rising surface temperature, while climate change includes warming and the "side effects"
of warming—like melting glaciers, heavier rainstorms, or more frequent drought. Global warming
is one symptom of the much larger problem of human-caused climate change.
Define climate change. - ANS-Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related
changes in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or
longer.
How can carbon sequestration reduce the enhanced greenhouse effect? - ANS-Carbon
sequestration actively removes and stores greenhouse gas currently in the atmosphere
underground. The storage of greenhouse gas underground is a promising solution but there are
still capability gaps to be filled before its large-scale implementation can be achieved. Large
quantities of greenhouse gas can be stored in the oceans but the cost may be prohibitive and
environmental consequences are unknown. Restoring and improving our agricultural soils will
permanently sequester carbon and improve soil health and productivity.
How can carbon trading reduce the enhanced greenhouse effect? - ANS-Carbon trading
attempts to lower the price that certain polluting industries have to pay to comply with their
present short-term reduction targets. It enables polluters to meet their reduction targets over the
crucial next decade without the structural changes that will be needed for the longer-term
reduction targets and the transition to a low carbon economy.
How can renewable sources of energy (solar, hydro, wave, tidal, wind, biomass) reduce the
enhanced greenhouse effect? - ANS-Renewable energy is used for electric power generation,
space heating and cooling, and transportation fuels. All sources of renewable energy are used
to generate electric power. In addition to generating electricity, geothermal steam is used directly
for heating and cooking. Biomass and solar sources are also used for space and water heating.
Ethanol and biodiesel are the renewable transportation fuels with gaseous biomethane also
fueling transport to a much lesser extent.Renewable energy sources are considered to be zero
(wind, solar, and water), low (geothermal) or neutral (biomass) with regard to greenhouse gas
emissions during their operation. A neutral source has emissions that are balanced by the
amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during the growing process.
How can the carbon tax reduce the enhanced greenhouse effect? - ANS-A carbon tax puts a
price on those emissions, encouraging people, businesses, and governments to produce less of
them. A carbon tax's burden would fall most heavily on energy-intensive industries and
lower-income households. Policymakers could use the resulting revenue to offset those impacts,
lower individual and corporate taxes, reduce the budget deficit, invest in clean energy and
climate adaptation, or for other uses.
How does climate change differ from global warming? - ANS-Global warming refers only to the
Earth's rising surface temperature, while climate change includes warming and the "side effects"
of warming—like melting glaciers, heavier rainstorms, or more frequent drought. Global warming
is one symptom of the much larger problem of human-caused climate change.
