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Key ( /60)

Trivia Challenge:

Search the entire poster to find answers for the following: (bonus)

1. Approximately how many kilometres separate Ottawa from Toronto?
   ~350 km
2. What insect vector (carries and spreads disease) is diagrammed on the poster?
   mosquito
3. What is a "walking school bus"?
   A program for parents walking kids to school

Did You Know?

Use the pieces of information under this heading ("Did You Know?") on the poster to answer the following true/false (T or F) questions. If the statement is false, cross out the incorrect word or number value, and write in the correct version. (10)

The Climate System – A Balancing Act:

1. What 5 elements balance our climate? (2.5)
   Sun, atmosphere, oceans, precipitation/water, land.
2. Examining the graph showing global temperature change over 10 000 years, when was the greatest change recorded? (1)
   Recently, and ~4000 BC
3. When did the Little Ice Age take place? (.5)
   ~1200 - 1850
4. What is the projected temperature change by the year 2100? (1)
   Over 4ºC
5. What was the Toronto area like ~20 000 years ago? (1)
   Under 900 m of ice!
6. Record the following percentages of incoming solar radiation: (2)
   23% absorbed by atmosphere
   25% reflected by atmosphere
   46% absorbed by Earth's surface
   6% reflected by Earth's surface
   
   
7. Without greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, what would our planet be like? (1)
   33ºC colder
8. What are "the big 3" GHGs? (1.5)
   
   1. CO₂
   2. CH₄
   3. N₂O
   
   
   
9. Which GHG is produced by landfills and wetlands? (1)
   CH₄
10. What information can ice cores provide? (1)
    The gases, and thus temperatures going back tens of thousands of years.

Future Climate:

1. What is the current concentration of CO₂ in our atmosphere? (1)
   ~360 ppm
2. Extrapolating from the graph, when will you expect the amount of CO₂ in our atmosphere to double today's levels? (1)
   ~2060 - 2070
3. What is predicted to happen along with climate warming in Ontario? (1)
   The frequency and severity of extreme weather events may increase.
4. What is a GCM? (1)
   Global Climate Model is a computer simulation for predicting future climate.
5. Examining the global map, what regions are expected to have the most significant temperature changes? (1)
   Poles

Where We Live:

1. Discuss in your group how YOU will be affected by a warmer climate. Describe several ways. (1)
   
   
   
2. Are storms such as thunderstorms expected to become more or less severe with climate warming? (1)
   More
3. What might have changed (other than climate) that may have contributed to an increase in the number of climate-related disasters? (1)
   Populations more concentrated, building design (e.g. high rises, etc.)
4. How many households in total lost power in the January 1998 ice storm? (1)
   ~1 million
5. Calculate the costs of the ice storm from the transmission tower and wooden utility pole damage. (1.5)
   (130 x 100 000) + (30 000 x 3000) = 91 300 000, or 9.13 x 10⁷

Our Health:

1. What climate factors affect our health? (1)
   Temperature, humidity, pressure
2. How many more hot days over 35ºC in southern Ontario are expected (compared to today), by the middle of the next century? (1)
   By 36 (from 10 to 46)
3. How do certain microclimates, such as those found in cities, differ from the surrounding region? (1)
   Warmer – pavement / buildings absorb heat.
4. What impact will warmer daytime temperatures have on smog? (1)
   Increase it
5. What gas is mapped by concentration in southern Ontario? (1)
   Ozone
6. Around which 2 Great Lakes is the concentration of this gas (from question 5 above) the highest? (1)
   Erie, Michigan
7. Would an outdoor summer job in the Lake Erie area be desirable? Why or why not? (1)
   Potential lung damage

Our Water:

1. What looks strange in the Macey's Bay picture of May 15, 2000? (1)
   Docks, no water
2. What concerns arise when water supplies are warmer? (1)
   Water quality – microbes and algal blooms
3. List all of the water movements/exchanges outlined in the hydrological cycle: (2)
   Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff, groundwater flow, stream flow.
4. Lower water levels will decrease shipping costs. True or False? (.5)
   False
5. Typically, how much more water does the average household use for flushing toilets than for drinking and kitchen use? (1)
   3x

Our Farms:

1. Make a list of the pros and cons of climate warming for farmers in Ontario: (2)
   Pros
   - longer growing season
   - increased yield of certain crops
   - the potential for growing specialty fruits and vegetables
   
   Cons
   - more irrigation required
   - winter crop damage
   
   
2. In reviewing these lists, do you think the farmers will benefit, or suffer economically? (1)
   
   
   

Our Forests:

1. Pretend you are a pine tree in Ontario. Write a short story of how you will be affected by climate change. (2)
   
   "Hi. I am __________________, a pine tree in Ontario..."
   
   

Our Natural Heritage:

1. What 3 nutrients are exchanged between air, plants, and animals in any ecosystem, as diagrammed? (1.5)
   
   1. O₂
   2. CO₂
   3. H₂O
      
      
2. Write "W" for warm-water fish, or "C" for cold-water fish beside each fish below: (2)
   C lake trout
   W black bass
   W white perch
   W sunfish
   C lake whitefish
   W white bass
   
   
   
3. What is the problem with large populations of snow geese? (1)
   Their spring feeding frenzy destroys marshes

How Do We Measure Up?

1. Rank these countries (1 - 9) by 1995 CO₂ emissions: (2)
   2 Canada
   7 Italy
   9 India
   5 U.K.
   8 China
   3 Russia
   6 Japan
   4 Germany
   1 U.S.
   
   
2. Look at the house and car. Can one family make changes that can make a difference? Explain. (1)
   
   
   

Where Do We Go From Here?

1. How many nations originally negotiated the Kyoto Protocol? (1)
   160
2. Are we capable of changing for the future as a nation of individuals? Brainstorm with your group to generate ideas of what students in your school could do to "meet the challenge" (i.e. the walking carpool) (1)
   
   
   

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