Q1) Understanding Earth’s energy balance is essential to understanding the issue of global warming. For example, the solar energy striking Earth’s surface averages 168 watts per square meter (W/m^2), but the energy leaving Earth’s surface averages 390 W/m^2. Why isn’t Earth cooling rapidly?

Ans: Even though the amount of energy leaving Earth’s surface is more than twice the amount received, Earth does not cool rapidly because the atmosphere retains much of the emitted heat energy.

Q2) Decide and explain whether the statement is correct or incorrect. Explain.

Ans: The quote is incorrect and it seems to be poking fun at people who are ignorant about global warming and don’t know the difference between weather and climate. Even thought there are  particular seasons in regions that are colder, like winter, it doesn’t mean that that earth is getting cooler. The difference between weather and climate is the measure of time. Climate describes the typical and average weather a region will have over long period of time, like 30 years or more. Weather on the describes the condition of the atmosphere over a short period of time. As such, the temporary cool winter weather will not be able to compensate for the effects of global warming, hence should not have “lowered (his) concerns about global warming”.

Q3) One of the first radar devices developed during World War II used microwave radiation of a specific wave range that triggers the rotation of water molecules. Why was the design not successful?

Ans: The design was not successful as it heated up the air around the machine, which resulted in diseases infecting the operators of the radar, causing the absorption of the microwave radiation by water in the atmosphere to interfere with the detection of the intended objects.

Q4) Now that you have studied air quality (Unit 1), stratospheric ozone depletion (Unit 2), and global warming (Unit 3), which do you believe poses the most serious problem for you in the short run (pick one and explain)? In the long run (pick one and explain why)?

Ans: We believe that in the short run, air quality would be the most serious problem caused in the short run, since it affects our daily lives directly, in terms of the quality of air we breathe in. However, in the long run, we feel that stratospheric ozone depletion would be the most serious problem, as the ozone layer is essential for survival of all living things by protecting us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, hence following its depletion would result in extinction of all species in the long run.