Climate Change literacy

What is the greenhouse effect?

• Certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat and warm the Earth

• Life on Earth 'exhales' gas that warms up the atmosphere

• The tilt of the Earth changes the amount of solar energy the Earth receives

• The Sun is putting out more radiant energy over time

If the greenhouse effect is natural, then why is today's climate change a bad thing?

• A small increase in greenhouse gas concentration can have a large effect of increased warming.

• Humans have altered a natural process and exaggerated changes that might normally occur over millions of years.

• Once released into the atmosphere, greenhouse gases remain potent for many years, making it difficult to reverse the process.

• Abrupt changes to the climate system may have unintended outcomes that may pose challenges for societies, like more extreme weather, spread of diseases, a decline in marine life, or an alteration of ocean circulation patterns.

• All of the above

Which activities are the largest contributors of greenhouse gases?

• Deforestation

• Electricity generation

• Industry

• Transportation

• Landfills

How much has CO2 in the atmosphere increased since the Industrial Revolution? In the 10,000 years before the Industrial Revolution in 1751, carbon dioxide levels rose less than 1 percent. Since then, they've risen by:

• 11 percent

• 49 percent

• 62 percent

How has the global average temperature changed since the Industrial Revolution?

• Cooler by 0.1 degree C

• The temperature has gone up and down, but remains overall the same

• Warmer by 0.1 degree C

• Warmer by more than 1 degree C

• Warmer by almost 2 degrees C

How does the rate of today's warming compare to previous episodes of rapid climate change on Earth?

• Today's climate warming is about as fast as the temperature swings that have happened in Earth's past.

• Past changes in the climate have been faster than the changes we're seeing today.

• Today, the Earth's climate is changing much faster than it has changed in the past.

What proportion of climate scientists has concluded that humans are the primary driver of today's climate warming?

• 34%

• 59%

• 76%

• 97% or more

How long does CO2 remain in the atmosphere?

• CO2 washes out of the atmosphere seasonally.

• CO2 remains in the atmosphere for 5-10 years.

• CO2 remains in the atmosphere for up to 200 years, or more.

What causes ocean acidification?

• CO2 dissolved in ocean water

• Sunscreen in the water

• Ocean pollution

• Warm water

• Sediment stirred up by extreme storms

How fast to we need to stop burning fossil fuels to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees C?

• We need to stop burning fossil fuels by 2100

• We need to stop burning fossil fuels by 2040

• Fossil fuels don't matter, the Sun will cool and so will the Earth

• It's already too late to stay below the 2-degree threshold. We should have stopped burning fossil fuels in the early 2000s