Questions on Environmental impact - global warming

1. The table below lists the current tropospheric concentration and global warming potential for some common greenhouse gases.

¹ Current tropospheric concentration in parts per billion. ^2. Global warming potential (GWP) indicates the warming effect of a greenhouse gas relative to carbon dioxide over a period of 100 years. Source: Blasing, T.J. ad K. Smith 2011. "Recent Greenhouse Gas Concentrations." In Trends: A Compendium of Data on Global Change. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.

(a) State one other gas found in the atmosphere that also contributes to global warming.

(b) In 1750 the tropospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane were 280000 and 700 ppb respectively. Explain why both have increased significantly since then.

(c) Explain why the tropospheric concentrations of CFC-12 and sulfur hexafluoride were both zero ppb in 1750.

(d) Suggest why there are restrictions on the mIB Docs (2) Teamfacture and use of sulfur hexafluoride even though its overall contribution to global warming is currently estimated to be less than 0.2%.

2. (a) Use VSEPR theory to show that carbon dioxide is a linear molecule.

(b) Explain on the molecular level how carbon dioxide functions as a greenhouse gas.

(c) Explain why carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere are affecting the coral reefs in the oceans.

(d) Discuss three different ways in which carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere can be reduced.

Environmental impact - global warming questions