Deck 8: Climate Change

Question 1

The Earth's average surface temperature has remained within half a degree of ________ for the last 1,000 years.

A) 4 degrees Celsius
B) 10 degrees Celsius
C) 18 degrees Celsius
D) 14 degrees Celsius

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The world's average temperature was ________ warmer at the end of the twentieth century than at its beginning.

A) 0.05
B) 2.0
C) 1.5
D) 0.6

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The difference between global temperatures now and at the peak of the last ice age is ________.

A) 50 degrees Celsius
B) 5 degrees Celsius
C) 0.5 degrees Celsius
D) 1 degree Celsius

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Temperature, precipitation, winds, pressure, and humidity combine to make ________.

A) climate adaptation
B) global warming
C) climate change
D) weather

Question 5

The composite of the variety of day-to-day weather conditions is ________.

A) climate
B) weather
C) average weather
D) mean weather

Question 6

An increase in average global temperature can NOT cause ________.

A) some areas to warm quickly
B) some areas to cool dramatically
C) some areas to warm slowly
D) All of the above

Question 7

Differences in heat and pressure between the poles and the tropics ________.

A) result in food shortages at high latitudes
B) fuel the global air circulation system
C) are a result of a changing climate
D) cause sea ice to advance from the poles towards the equator

Question 8

The long-term temperature balance on Earth is consistent with ________.

A) the first law of thermodynamics
B) the enhanced greenhouse effect
C) entropy
D) the second law of thermodynamics

Question 9

El Niño is ________.

A) a change in ocean currents
B) a change in local weather conditions
C) a change in air currents
D) a change in precipitation

Question 10

When volcanoes eject particles into the atmosphere, it leads to the Earth's ________.

A) degradation
B) warming
C) stasis
D) cooling

Question 11

________ is NOT a greenhouse gas.

A) Carbon dioxide
B) Nitrous oxide
C) Methane
D) Sulphur oxide

Question 12

Carbon dioxide and methane are now at higher concentrations than any time within the last ________.

A) 10 million years
B) 10,000 years
C) 370,000 years
D) 4 million years

Question 13

Impacts of global warming do NOT include ________.

A) permafrost warming
B) retreat of glaciers
C) sea levels falling
D) reduced snow cover

Question 14

Scientists reconstruct historical climates by examining ________.

A) Soil and core samples
B) coral reef
C) the blooming dates of cherry trees in Japan
D) All of the above

Question 15

Climate models generally consider ________.

A) incoming and outgoing energy
B) the effects of Earth's surface on climate
C) horizontal and vertical movement of energy across the planet
D) All of the above

Question 16

Climate models should consider the implications of __________ in order to predict future climates.

A) population growth
B) the laws of thermodynamics
C) latitude and longitude
D) radiation, dynamics, surface processes, chemistry and resolution

Question 17

The most extensively used types of models in understanding the dynamics of the climate system are ___________.

A) Earth-System Models
B) Earth-System Models of Intermediate Complexity
C) Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models
D) Regional Climate Models

Question 18

The computational limitations of climate modeling generally focus on ________.

A) latitude and longitude
B) lack of baseline data
C) model resolution, complexity and number of simulations
D) poor precipitation predictive capacity

Question 19

Despite various mitigation policies, annual GHG emissions went up _______ annually between 2000 and 2010, , in contrast to an annual average increase of _______between 1970 and 2000.

A) 123 per cent; 2.2 per cent
B) 2.2 per cent; 1.3 per cent
C) 1.3 per cent; 1.2 per cent
D) 147 per cent; 123 per cent

Question 20

As global temperature increases, ________.

A) hoary marmots may thrive with an increase in their preferred open meadow habitat
B) polar bears may lose the habitat created for them in Wapusk National Park in Manitoba
C) forests may shift up to 700 km northward
D) All of the above

Question 21

The 2018 IPCC report, points out that 14.5 per cent of global GHG emissions are from ______.

A) volcanic activity
B) livestock
C) deforestation
D) urbanization

Question 22

Drawbacks of global warming for agriculture include risks that ________.

A) there may be increased pressure on water resources
B) plants may be more vulnerable to drought
C) plants may be more vulnerable to heat stress
D) All of the above

Question 23

In Canada, precipitation has increased the most in _______

A) the Southern Prairies
B) the Northern regions
C) Vancouver Island, British Columbia
D) the Maritimes

Question 24

In the Arctic, __________ is thicker and tends to be more resilient to atmospheric and ocean temperature changes.

A) first-year ice
B) second-year ice
C) multi-year sea ice
D) snow cover

Question 25

In particular, _________ is less vulnerable and has a greater scope for adaptation to climate change than other fisheries.

A) indoor fish farming
B) capture fisheries
C) subsistence fisheries
D) aquaculture

Question 26

If atmospheric CO₂ doubled, ________ would NOT occur inside Canadian vegetation boundaries.

A) a decrease in the area covered by tundra
B) an increase in the area covered by boreal forests
C) an increase in semi-arid land
D) an increase in temperate forests

Question 27

If water levels drop due to climate change, there could be ________.

A) an increase in mortality of spawning salmon
B) damaged gravel beds due to flash floods from increased rainstorms
C) reduced conditions for warm-water species
D) Both a and b

Question 28

The reduction in ice cover in Arctic latitudes will result in ________.

A) increased stability of adjacent land
B) increased ice in Arctic shipping routes
C) rising sea levels
D) reduced risk of landslides

Question 29

In the Rockies, glaciers less than 100 metres thick could disappear by ________.

A) 2050
B) 2030
C) 2040
D) 2020

Question 30

Degradation of permafrost would cause ________.

A) lower load capacity for winter roads
B) reduced stability of frozen winter roads
C) shorter season for winter roads
D) All of the above

Question 31

Something that is not happening as global temperatures increase, is that ________.

A) snow cover is increasing
B) sea levels are rising
C) shoreline wave action is increasing
D) sea water is expanding

Question 32

Incidence of infectious diseases may increase as a result of ________.

A) warmer temperatures
B) earlier springs
C) more rainfall
D) All of the above

Question 33

Climate change adaptation options can NOT be categorized best as _______.

A) structural/physical
B) reactive/anticipatory
C) social
D) institutional

Question 34

The adaptation response "no-regrets" is categorized by_________.

A) policies or actions taken to avoid unacceptably high losses as a result of climate events
B) actions that take advantage of a changing climate to yield net benefits
C) actions that provide benefits regardless of impacts incurred from climate change
D) measures that have relatively low costs and yield high benefits

Question 35

Most Canadians' understanding of global climate change is ________.

A) fair
B) poor
C) good
D) excellent

Question 36

Tactics used by climate change deniers include ________.

A) suggesting that no clear cause-effect relationship exists
B) assembling surveys of researchers critical of climate change science
C) "Astroturf campaigns"
D) All of the above

Question 37

Specifically, in 1989, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme established the ___________.

A) Kyoto Protocol
B) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
C) Rio Earth Summit
D) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Question 38

At Kyoto, Canada pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ________ below 1990 levels by 2012.

A) 20 per cent
B) 6 per cent
C) 94 per cent
D) None of the above

Question 39

The American "voluntary approach" to greenhouse gas emissions will ________.

A) result in an increase in greenhouse gas emissions
B) result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
C) foster support and goodwill for the Bush administration among environmentalists
D) Both a and c

Question 40

Greenhouse gas intensity refers to ________.

A) the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per person in a specific area or country
B) the cumulative amount of greenhouse gas emissions, reflecting historical industrialization
C) the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions to economic output
D) an absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

Question 41

In 2002, with only 4 to 5 per cent of the world's population, the US accounted for about _____ of the global emissions of GHGs.

A) 45 per cent
B) 5 per cent
C) 10 per cent
D) 25 per cent

Question 42

Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol in ________.

A) 2002
B) 1990
C) 1997
D) 2010

Question 43

The Canadian plan for implementing the Kyoto Protocol does NOT include ________.

A) a commitment to alternative energy development
B) subsidies to install energy-efficient windows
C) taxing private vehicles such as sports utility vehicles
D) requiring major industrial emitters to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions

Question 44

At the Bali conference, Canada stated they would not accept any binding targets unless ________.

A) the base year of 1990 was changed to 2002
B) the US also agreed
C) they were applied to all developing countries
D) All of the above

Question 45

The 2007 Climate Change Conference in Bali ________.

A) resulted in agreement to meet again
B) was intended to create a new framework to replace Kyoto's and its expiry in 2012
C) had a mixed outcome
D) All of the above

Question 46

Signing of an emissions reduction agreement in 2014 by the United States and China ________.

A) stabilized the emission reduction targets for the United States
B) was the first time China had agreed to a schedule to reduce emissions
C) confirmed that Canada, India, and Brazil work in concert with the US
D) China would continue increasing GHG emissions for 10 more years

Question 47

The 2014 Lima Accord outlined that ________.

A) nations' plans may include information on choice of base year, annual targets, and timeframes
B) every nation is required to submit details on domestic policies to reduce fossil fuel emissions
C) every nation should reduce greenhouse gas emissions
D) All of the above

Question 48

If CO₂ emissions continue at present levels, warming by ________ degrees Celsius is likely by the end of the twenty-first century.

A) 1 to 7
B) 2 to 6
C) 1 to 4
D) 0.5 to 3

Question 49

The process of planting shrubs and trees to reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere is called ________.

A) de-urbanization
B) carbon sequestration
C) carbon loading
D) carbon trading

Question 50

________ is an example of climate engineering.

A) Energy management such as employing alternative energy solutions
B) Soil management such as reducing erosion
C) Solar radiation management such as cloud seeding
D) Forest management such as reducing deforestation

Question 51

Global warming means that everywhere on earth will warm uniformly.

Question 52

Long-term temperature changes result from changes in the amount of energy received or absorbed.

Question 53

Since 1980, most of the world's glaciers have lost more mass than they have gained.

Question 54

Since the middle of the nineteenth century, the rate of sea level increase has been greater than the mean rate over the preceding two millennia.

Question 55

As a result of climate change, Canada's boreal forests could shift up to 700 km to the north.

Question 56

Climate induced changes on the west coast of British Columbia includes decreased cloud cover and less rain in winter.

Question 57

The global climate system is complex, mainly due to the many linkages and feedback mechanisms in the atmospheric system.

Question 58

The US ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

Question 59

The Kyoto Protocol commitments are legally binding on nations under international law.

Question 60

Particularly on carbon pricing, all provinces agree with the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

Question 61

Canada has received numerous "Fossil of the Day" awards due to attempts to undermine climate change discussions

Question 62

Carbon tax and cap-and-trade systems are the same.

Question 63

Mitigation involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit future temperature change.

Question 64

Carbon-emitting fuels are taxed in British Columbia.

Question 65

Climate change is an example of the tragedy of the commons.

Question 66

How do weather and climate differ?

Question 67

The terms "climate change" and "global warming" are often used interchangeably. Differentiate between these two terms.

Question 68

Outline the scientific evidence related to climate change.

Question 69

What are the implications of melting glaciers in Alberta?

Question 70

In order to measure climate change, it is necessary for scientists to understand what the earth's climate was like before accurate measuring devices existed. Explain several different methods that scientists have used to reconstruct historical climates.

Question 71

What are the scientific explanations for climate change provided by the IPCC? What are the projections for emissions and carbon dioxide concentrations in the future?

Question 72

Explain the impacts of climate change that are evident in Canada's arctic ecosystems.

Question 73

What are some of the challenges of effectively communicating information on climate change to the public?

Question 74

What has been the position of the Canadian federal government at international climate change conferences?

Question 75

How can you help to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions?