Transcript Feedbacks - Catalyst

Last Discussion Day
. . . there there
Quiz Time!
Discussion Quiz 4 -- 20 points
1. What is the primary animal discussed in Jeffrey P. Cohn’s, How Ecofriendly Are
Wind Farms?
a.Beatles
b.Honey Bees
c.Coyotes d.Bats e.Red-tailed Hawks
2. True or False. In Kaufman & Cleveland’s, The Flow of Energy in Biological
Systems, net primary production determines the amount of energy that is
available through the food chain?
3. “Hot Spots” of biodiversity are:
a) locations with biological communities growing around geothermal vents.
b) areas with exceptional low numbers of species.
c) places with at least 1,500 endemic species.
d) generally in developed countries, temperate areas, and near mountains.
4. The IPCC synthesis report on climate change discusses feedbacks frequently.
Feedbacks are important drivers of climate change and a feedback is best
described as a process where a system further impacts the initial change. There
can be _______ positive feedback mechanisms ______ negative feedback
mechanisms.
a. both…. and
b. only…… but not
Discussion Quiz 4 -- 20 points
1. True or False. Wind energy has no negative environmental effects.
2. In P.F. Donald’s study on the impacts of European farming on bird populations,
he found that:
a) the numbers of birds increased on farms since 1970.
b) the number of birds decreased on farms since 1970.
c) the number of birds stayed the same on farms since 1970.
d) the number of birds was unclear on farms since 1970.
3. Which crops are under the commodity title of the Farm Bill?
a. Soybeans
b. Winter Squash
c. Sorghum
d. Tomatoes
e. Cotton
f. A, C, and E
g. A, B, C, and E
h. all of the above
.
4. In Myers & Patz Human health threats from environmental change, the rule of
thumb for a 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature leads to a ______ reduction
in yields of rice, wheat, or corn?
a. 20%
b. 50%
c. 10%
d. 2%
Discussion Quiz 4 - 20 points
1. True or False. Coal formations are fossilized plant material buried
in sediments less than 100-years old.
2. What percentage of known species on earth are threatened or
endangered?
a) 1%
b) 10%
c) 25%
d) 50%
3. Which crops are under the commodity title of the Farm Bill?
a. Soybeans
b. Winter Squash
c. Sorghum
d. Tomatoes
e. Cotton
f. A, C, and E
g. A, B, C, and E
h. all of the above
4. True or False. Although an important consideration, the scarcity of
food and water according to Myers and Patz in Human Health Threats
from Environmental Change, will not contribute nearly as much as
exposure to infection disease to human mortality in the future?
1st Hour
• Quiz
• Hand back quizzes and
things
• Summary of Readings
(Weeks 7-10)
– 30 min
• A few slides
2nd Hour
• Class discussion
– 5-10 min self reflect
– 25-30 min class discussion
• Discussion section
evaluations
Giuseppe Arcimboldo 1527-1593
Synthesis Questions
1. Wind farms – Biodiversity –Food Webs
2. Food Stamps – Subsidies - Local food
3. Fuels (Fossil and Bio) – Farming – Biodiversity –
Climate Change
4. Climate Change – Food Production –
Precipitation
BREAK TIME!
Climate Change
Vs.
Global Warming
Climate Change and Food Supply
• Unpredictability
factors
Climate Change and Food Supply
• Unpredictability
factors
– Water shortage
Climate Change and Food Supply
• Unpredictability
factors
– Water shortage
– Increase in floods
Climate Change and Food Supply
• Unpredictability
factors
– Water shortage
– Increase in floods
– Temperature peaks
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC)
• Any body know which administration
facilitated the creation of the IPCC?
IPCC
• Reagan!
IPCC
• “Provide the world
with a clear scientific
view on the current
state of knowledge in
climate change and
its potential
environmental and
socio-economic
impacts”
IPCC
• Created in 1988
• First Report 1990
• You read the synthesis
of the 4th report
released in 2007
• Now working on the
5th Assessment Report
to be released in 2014
“. . .global food demand might have to
be met, if it can be met, by putting new
land into production. That could entail
chopping down large areas of forest, an
action that would only accelerate
climate change by sending substantial
amounts of carbon dioxide into the air
from the destruction of trees.”
- Myers & Patz 2009
Feedbacks
Feedback mechanism:
• When a processes further impacts the initial
change
Feedbacks
Feedback mechanism:
• When a processes further impacts the initial
change
• The process in which changing one quantity
changes a second quantity, and the change in
the second quantity in turn changes the first
• http://filsalustri.files.wordpress.com/2011/07
/linkages-and-feedback-loops-amongdesertification-global-climate-change-andbiodiversity-loss.jpg
• http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/note
s/chapter16/pos_feedback.html
Feedbacks
Feedback mechanism:
• When a processes further impacts the initial
change
• The process in which changing one quantity
changes a second quantity, and the change in
the second quantity in turn changes the first
o If the initial perturbation is enhanced:
 positive feedback mechanism
Feedbacks
Feedback mechanism:
• When a processes further impacts the initial
change
• The process in which changing one quantity
changes a second quantity, and the change in the
second quantity in turn changes the first
o If the initial perturbation is enhanced:
 positive feedback mechanism
o If the initial perturbation is reduced or weakened
 negative feedback mechanism
“. . .global food demand might have to
be met, if it can be met, by putting new
land into production. That could entail
chopping down large areas of forest, an
action that would only accelerate
climate change by sending substantial
amounts of carbon dioxide into the air
from the destruction of trees.”
- Myers & Patz 2009
Climate
Adaptation & Mitigation
Climate
Adaptation & Mitigation
Mitigation
Adaptation
Mitigation involves
Efforts to limit
reducing the
vulnerabilities to
magnitude of climate
climate change
change itself or the risk
impacts
Risk vs. Vulnerability
Risk
• The threat posed by a
negative impact or hazard
event
Vulnerability
• The susceptibility of people,
property, and resources to
negative impacts from
climate change
Risk vs. Vulnerability
Risk
Vulnerability
• The threat posed by a
negative impact or hazard
event
• The level or degree of risk is
the product of the
likelihood of an impact
occurring
• The susceptibility of people,
property, and resources to
negative impacts from
climate change
• A function of the level of
exposure to climate change
impacts
Risk vs. Vulnerability
Risk
Vulnerability
• The threat posed by a negative
impact or hazard
event
• The level or degree of risk is
the product of the
likelihood of an impact
occurring
• . . .and the magnitude
of societal, economic,
environmental and
governance
consequences
• The susceptibility of people,
property, and resources to
negative impacts from
climate change
• A function of the level of
exposure to climate change
impacts
• . . and the sensitivity and
adaptive capacity of the
communities and resources
that are affected
Class Discussion
1. What is a question you have that has not yet
been answered?
2. What were the take away lessons from this
class for you?