Climate Change Quiz

Perhaps you heard — the earth is warming. Test your knowledge of global climate change with this quiz!

Which of these causes global warming?

Excess nitrogen rising into the atmosphere

Excess carbon dioxide rising into the atmosphere

Heat from the cooking fires of an ever-increasing population

You chose: You chose:

Excess carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide rise into the atmosphere, where they add to the greenhouse effect. The natural greenhouse effect is good for us — it traps the sun's heat, making Earth habitable. But too much heat is bad.

What big event kicked off global warming?

The American Revolution

The Civil War

The Industrial Revolution

The Great Depression

You chose: You chose:

The Industrial Revolution. In the late 18th century, we started burning lots more fossil fuels like carbon and natural gas. So, since then, we've been taking carbon that was underground for millions of years, turning it into carbon dioxide, and sending it into the atmosphere.

True/False: This is the first time the Earth has ever warmed.

True

False

You chose: You chose:

False. The Earth goes through natural warming and cooling periods. This is different because it's caused by humans.

Which of these is NOT an expected effect of global climate change?

Sea level rise

Flooding of coastal cities

Expanding glaciers

More extreme weather

You chose: You chose:

Glaciers aren't expected to expand. In fact, they're shrinking.

What was the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere before the Industrial Revolution, and what is it now?

About one percent then, about five percent now

About 115 parts per thousand then, about 350 parts per thousand now

About 275 parts per million then, about 385 parts per million now

You chose: You chose:

It's gone up from about 275 ppm to about 385 ppm. And it keeps getting higher.

What was the first animal to be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act because of global warming?

American pika

Emperor penguin

Polar bear

Siberian tiger

You chose: You chose:

The polar bear was listed as threatened in 2008. It depends on Arctic sea ice, which is melting.

What countries are the top three emitters of carbon dioxide?

China, U.S., Russia

China, U.K., Japan

U.S., Russia, Japan

U.S., Japan, U.K.

You chose: You chose:

China, the U.S., and Russia emit the most (Russia is a distant third place). If you look at per capita emissions, though — how much carbon is emitted per person — the U.S. is still way ahead of China and Russia.

OMG! It was totally cold this winter! That means global warming isn't happening, right?

Right.

Uh, no.

You chose: You chose:

No, it doesn't work like that. Global warming doesn't mean every spot on the globe gets warmer; it means the Earth as a whole gets warmer, which causes climate change, messes with weather patterns, and generally creates a giant honkin' mess. Enjoy!

What can you do about climate change?

Drive your car less

Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs

Use less electricity

All of the above

You chose: You chose:

All of the above. Although it could be argued that telling your elected representatives you want climate legislation would get the planet a lot farther than changing your lightbulbs.

Correct

Hm. You might want to study up a bit and take this quiz again. Or try a related quiz and see if you can improve your average! Related Quizzes: Coral Quiz, Fossil Fuels Quiz, Rainforest Quiz

Correct

Not bad! Now try taking the Coral Quiz, Fossil Fuels Quiz, or the Rainforest Quiz, and challenge yourself to get really eco-friendly.

Correct

Wow! You're probably taking this on a solar powered laptop! Challenge yourself with these related quizzes: Coral Quiz, Fossil Fuels Quiz, Rainforest Quiz

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