Week 14: Causes of Climate Change
This week in lab, we explored the rising level of carbon dioxide in our environment globally. We looked at statistics and explored an online simulation to better understand and visualize how this is happening. We also learned how sunlight enters Earth’s atmosphere as visible light, warms the surface, and is then re-released as infrared energy. Normally, some of this heat escapes back into space, but increasing amounts of carbon dioxide trap more of the infrared energy, causing Earth to warm. Understanding this greenhouse effect helped me see why carbon dioxide levels matter so much beyond being just a number. Lastly, we looked into the effects of rising carbon dioxide such as higher temperatures, stronger storms, and larger wildfires. Overall, this lab provided important information that helped me better understand the urgency of climate change. How are rising carbon dioxide levels negatively impacting our planet? Discussion Notes: Dec 4 Exam Topics 10 space questions...