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Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e

William P. Cunningham, University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham, Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo, St. Cloud State University

Air, Weather, and Climate

Essay Quiz


1		Much more solar energy strikes the tropics than at more northerly or southerly latitudes. Explain how this energy is transported out of the tropics to other areas of the globe.



2		Explain what is meant by a frontal system and how it impacts local weather.



3		What are the Milankovitch cycles, and how could they cause climatic change?



4		Assume a friend comes up and asks, "What is this global warming thing all about?" Write a complete but concise summary response.



5		What scenarios do the global warming models project for North America?



6		What causes the normal climate to change into an El Niño event?



7		The issue of global warming is an excellent case illustration of the generic kinds of problems often faced in environmental decision making: • The basic parameters of the threat are understood. • The potential outcome would be disastrous. • There is both basic agreement on some facts and their implications and dispute over others. • Costly or disruptive changes in how we do things seem necessary to avoid calamity. Should we enact significant changes in energy policy now to reduce the risk of global warming, or should we wait until absolutely all scientific data gathering is complete and conclusive on that matter? Compare that to the question, "Should I buy fire insurance for my house? My house may never catch fire. If I spend money on insurance premiums, could one say it was wasted if I never have a fire? On the other hand, if my house burns down and I have no insurance.…" a. On what facts about global warming is there strong agreement? b. What items remain in dispute? c. Identify some specific changes that would likely happen in your own life if a massive effort to reduce production of the greenhouse gases were begun. d Outline the arguments in favor of taking action now. e. Outline the arguments that support a wait-and-see approach.



8		One of the arguments raised against drastically cutting carbon dioxide production in the United States is that it would be too costly. Write a counter argument that it is too costly to do nothing and allow global warming to actually happen.



9		In an exercise in science fiction, assume that in 2005 the earth collides with a celestial body that modifies the earth's rotational axis or the earth's motion around the sun. Describe how the climate where you live would change if each of the following changes were to occur. a. The earth begins to move in a perfectly circular orbit with the sun centered absolutely in the middle. (Assume no changes in the earth's rotation. Note that our current eccentric orbit puts us closer to the sun for part of the year and farther from the sun at other times. A perfectly circular orbit would keep the earth the same distance from the sun all year.) b. The earth retains its eccentric orbit around the sun, but the axis of rotation is tipped even more than it is now.



10		Assume for inexplicable reasons that the above collision caused a monstrous, stable, low-pressure cell to become positioned right off the southern California coast. What kind of weather pattern would you expect to develop there as a result?



11		All other factors constant, why does it often get colder on a clear night than on a cloudy night?



12		Visit the Current Global Environmental Issues map on this Web site. Under Climate, choose the piece Portion of Antarctic ice sheet weakening. What concerns are associated with the event described here?

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