Worksheet 1.1 Climate change in Canada

Answer the following questions after reading the opening part of section 1: Climate change in Canada (pages 12-14) and section 1.1 Understanding climate change (pages 15-18) of the "Climate change in Canada" article.

When possible, use your own words.

1. What is the position of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concerning the role of human activity in global warming?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Chart 1.1 shows the variation of global mean temperatures from 1880 to 2006 relative to the mean temperature during the base period from 1951 to 1980. What trend does the chart illustrate? Would the magnitude of the trend increase or decrease if annual mean temperature was plotted against a base period from 1881 to 1910? Consider how the base period that is selected impacts on the visual presentation of the data.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. What is one of the greatest concerns associated with climate change?
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. In addition to extreme weather events, what other weather changes are associated with climate change?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Canada only has about 0.5% of the world's population, but contributes about 2% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. What are some explanations for this?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. What is the greenhouse effect?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Using your own words, define the following:
   
   Climate
   
   
   
   Climate change
   
   
   
   
   
   Global warming
   
   
   
   
   Greenhouse gases (also list them)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. What is the global warming potential of methane in comparison to carbon dioxide?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   What other information would we need to know before deciding which of these two gases has the most overall impact on climate change?