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Global Warming, Part 2: Impacts, Adaptation, and Mitigation
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
• Understand how changes in greenhouse gases may affect sea level
• Understand some of the impacts of global warming on ecosystems, particularly the
different effects on C3 and C4 plants
• Know the advantages and disadvantages to policies that slow the production of
greenhouse gases. Know what the Kyoto Protocol was about.
• Propose and defend policies (which may include inaction) to deal with
anthropogenic global warming
• Understand some alternative mechanisms for producing electricity, including wind,
solar, geothermal, tidal, and nuclear power
• Know what the term “geoengineering” means
• Understand the terms “carbon capture and storage” and “carbon sequestration”
• Understand the difference between a carbon tax and direct CO2 emission
regulations (Note: Although it is not mentioned in the text, one should also make
sure the students understand the “cap-and-trade” legislation that is in place in
Europe and has been proposed in the U.S. Congress.)
• Realize the problem of global warming can be evaluated using a cost-benefit
analysis
• Understand why the results of cost-benefit analyses depends heavily on the amount
of economic discounting. Know the difference between the approaches of
economists William Nordhaus and Nicholas Stern
• Become familiar with the concepts of international and intergenerational equity
Review Questions
1.) What processes contribute to increases in global sea level, and by how much has
it gone up in the recent past?
Sea level increases when ice on land melts and when seawater expands as it
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2.) Why is predicting future sea level change such a tricky task?
It is difficult to predict future changes in sea level because the effects of global
3.) How are changes in climate predicted to affect natural ecosytems, including
forests and insects?
C3 plants, which cannot photosynthesize at low CO2 concentrations, are more
sensitive to changes in CO2 concentrations. Therefore, increasing CO2
4.) What are some of the predicted effects of global warming on human populations?
Dry areas, such as the U.S. Southwest, are likely to experience more frequent
5.) What provisions did the Kyoto Protocol make to slow global warming, and why
did the United States decline to sign it?
The Kyoto Protocol called for developed nations to cut back CO2 emissions to 5
6.) What role can energy conservation play in combating global warming?
Energy conservation can play a major role in combating global warming by
reducing the need for energy. However, by itself, it cannot solve the global
7.) What are some alternative energy sources that might be used to replace fossil
fuels?
8.) How can carbon capture and storage be used to burn coal in an environmentally
safe way?
9.) What are some ways in which Earth’s climate might be “geoengineered”?
Proposed geoengineering solutions include shooting sulfate aerosols into the
10.) What do economists mean by the term “cost-benefit analysis”?
11.) What role does economic discounting play in cost-benefit analyses of
global warming?
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12.) What specific differences in global warming policy are advocated by
William Nordhaus and Nicholas Stern?
Nordaus uses a much higher economic discount rate in his analysis than does
Critical-Thinking Problems
1. Write a 2-3 page, typewritten, double-spaced essay on the following topic: Should
the world collectively take immediate action to limit CO2 emissions? If so, what
steps should be taken in the U.S. and abroad to deal with this issue? Is nuclear
power an acceptable option for producing electricity, or should we rely on
renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power? Should we impose a
carbon tax in the U.S.? Should developing nations such as China and India be
required to cut emissions, as well? If so, how might they be induced to do so? If
immediate action is not warranted, what might be the best ways to deal with the
anticipated effects of global warming? Do any of the proposed geoengineering
solutions appear viable? In short, what would you do about global warming if you
were President of the United States?
Obviously, there is no “correct” answer to this question, as it asks for the
student’s opinions on various matters. Here is what the authors of this textbook
think: Yes, we should immediately seek international treaties to limit CO2
Resource Guide
Video/Film:
Warnings From the Ice
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By analyzing tiny bubbles of air trapped within ice cores and monitoring massive ice
sheet movement, researchers glean clues about past global climates and work to predict
future conditions. This NOVA program follows scientists as they battle the extreme
Antarctic weather to gather data they hope will reveal new insight into the nature of
global climate change.
NOVA (PBS)
What’s Up With the Weather?
The Greening of the Earth
Websites:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which most consider to be the
consensus view of the scientific community on global warming, has the following
website:
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The Union of Concerned Scientists, a group that seeks to examine environmental
problems from a scientific standpoint, has their hope page at the following address: