One longer term effect of atmospheric pollution is believed to be climate change. The climate appears to be getting warmer throughout the world. Such change could have important implications for our way of life, and many scientists are involved in investigating the causes of global warming and in monitoring its progress.
1 Read about the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. a) Which gases are thought to be mainly responsible for global warming? b) Where do most of these gases come from? c) Which gas or substance is believed to be slowing down global warming? How does it have this effect? d) List three possible effects of global warming. e) What does the article suggest might be the 'first authentic sign of global warming'? f) Why should global warming affect the development of birds' eggs?
2 Methane is also believed to be a significant cause of global warming. a) What is the formula of methane? b) What type of compound is it? c) List four natural sources of methane. d) Methane is often described as a 'greenhouse gas'. Explain what is meant by this term. e) The article suggests that a great deal of the methane comes from the guts of termites, when cellulose is broken down by bacteria. Cellulose (the major constituent of plant material) is a polymer. i) What materials do termites feed upon that are rich in cellulose? ii) What is a polymer? iii) What repeating unit makes up a cellulose molecules? iv) What is the name of the process by which plants make cellulose and other carbohydrates? f) What are bacteria and why are they important? g) The relationship between the termites and the bacteria can be described as symbiotic. What is meant by this term? Give another example of symbiosis. h) Termites and ants are often described as 'social'insects. What is meant by this term?
