Actions against the increased greenhouse effect
what the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere is;
what the structure of the Earth’s atmosphere is;
what the impact of the main climatic controls is.
to discuss a selected example of preventive measures taken on an international scale;
to list measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which can be applied in a daily life;
to list solutions supposed to prevent the undesirable climate change;
to explain why it is worth applying, in a daily life, the rules that reduce greenhouse gases.
Preventive measures
Measures against the increased greenhouse effect are being taken at several levels.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established back in 1988 at the initiative of two UN agencies: The World Meteorological Organisation, and the UN Environment Programme. This team gathers scientific information on the contemporary climate change developed based on research carried out by scientists and volunteers from all over the world. These efforts result in extensive reports published every few years.
The Kyoto Protocol is the conventional name of the international treaty whose purpose is to combat global warming. Although signed in 1997, it entered into force in 2005 and expired in 2012. In the same year, however, its extension to 2020 was signed. The signatory have countries agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
The protocol is being criticized for ineffectiveness. The largest emitter, the United States, has not ratified the protocol, and others, such as China and India, have even increased their emissions. Despite this, the protocol remains the only one of its kind on a global scale.
In many countries, educational campaigns are carried out to make the society aware of the need to act to prevent the growth of global warming. Changes introduced by one person or household have a negligible impact, but on a national scale they will be significant if they last for many years.
We are not sure whether the climate changes observed on Earth are a result of natural causes or human activity. In the geological past, long before humans appeared, there were periods with much higher and much lower air temperatures than today. Human activity undoubtedly contributes to an increase in the emissions of and other greenhouse gases, but we do not know how much they affect the climate. There are scientific data suggesting that another glaciation is approaching, and the increase in air temperature currently observed may only be a short‑term warming before a great and long‑lasting cooling.
Match the descriptions of measures aimed at reducing the greenhouse effect, to the names of such measures.
European Union’s strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, increase the share of renewable energy, and increase energy efficiency, collecting and publishing scientific information on contemporary climate change, international treaty combating global warming
| Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change | |
| Kyoto Protocol | |
| Europe 2020 |
Arrange a crossword, whose main password will be related to the content of lesson.
Keywords
global warming, climate change, glaciation, greenhouse gases
Glossary
Międzyrządowy Zespół ds. Zmian Klimatu - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Protokół z Kioto - międzynarodowe porozumienie przeciwdziałające globalnemu ociepleniu