Syllabus concepts to know

• 2.1 Causes of global climate change
• 2.2 The atmospheric system, including the natural greenhouse effect and energy balance (incoming shortwave radiation and outgoing longwave radiation) affect the global
• 2.3 Changes in the global energy balance, and the role of feedback loops, resulting energy balance from:
• 2.4 solar radiation variations, including global dimming due to volcanic eruptions
• 2.5 terrestrial albedo changes and feedback loops
• 2.6 methane gas release and feedback loops
• 2.7 The enhanced greenhouse effect and international variations in greenhouse gas sources and emissions, in relation to economic development, globalization and trade
• 2.8 Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities
• 2.9 The complexity of the dynamic climate system and the spatial interactions of different processes and feedback mechanisms
• 2.10 Consequences of global climate change
• 2.11 Climate change and the hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere, including: climate change on
• 2.12 water stored in ice and oceans, and changing sea levels
• 2.13 carbon stored in ice, oceans and the biosphere systems
• 2.14 incidence and severity of extreme weather events, including drought
• 2.15 spatial changes in biomes, habitats and animal migration patterns
• 2.16 changes to agriculture, including crop yields, limits of cultivation, soil erosion
• 2.17 Impacts of climate change on people and places, including health hazards, migration and ocean transport routes
• 2.18 The uneven spatial distribution of effects and uncertainty about their timing, scale and impacts for individuals and societies
• 2.19 Responding to global climate change
• 2.20 Disparities in exposure to climate change risk and vulnerability, including variations in people’s location, wealth, social differences (age, gender, education), risk perception power over the
• 2.21 Detailed examples of two or more societies with contrasting vulnerability
• 2.22 Government-led adaptation and mitigation strategies for global climate change:
• 2.23 global geopolitical efforts, recognizing that the source/s of greenhouse gas emissions may be spatially distant from the countries most impacted
• 2.24 carbon emissions offsetting and trading
• 2.25 technology, including geo-engineering
• 2.26 Civil society and corporate strategies to address global climate change
• 2.27 Case study of the response to climate change in one country focusing on the actions of non-governmental stakeholders
• 2.28 Why perspectives and viewpoints may be different about the need for, practicality and urgency of action on global climate change