Environmental Topic: IPCC

Finding the Amount of Warming by 2060

Post date 29 September 2021

Human-induced warming is currently increasing at 0.02°C / year.

(a) If human-induced warming was at 0.9°C in 2010, what will it be in 2020?
[2 marks]

The graph shows how the rate of human-induced warming would fall between 2020 and 2060 if we reduce global emissions rapidly to zero over that period. Global temperatures will continue to rise as long as the rate of human-induced warming is greater than 0.

(b) Calculate the total increase in human-induced warming between the years 2020 and 2060.
[3 marks]

IPCC Carbon Dioxide Predictions

Post date 31 August 2021

The graph, from the IPCC 1.5 Report, shows how the rate of carbon dioxide emissions could
fall between 2020 and 2040, or between 2020 and 2055.

In 2020, the rate of carbon dioxide emissions is 42 billion tonnes/year

a) Convert 42 billion tones to kilograms, giving your answer in standard form.
[2 marks]

b) If the emissions follow a straight line from 2020 to 2040, estimate the predicted
emissions in 2030, giving you answer in billions of tonnes.
[2 marks]

Graphing the IPCC Carbon Dioxide Predictions

Post date 31 August 2021

This graph, from the IPCC 1.5°C report, shows how the rate of carbon dioxide emissions varies with time in two scenarios in which global carbon dioxide emissions decline to reach net zero in 2040 or 2055. For the purposes of this question, only focus on the blue line reaching zero in 2040.

a) After 2020, the graph becomes linear. The linear section of the graph passes through the points (2020, y) and (2040, 0). The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere during these years is 4.2×10¹⁴kg. Find the value of y. Leave your answer in standard form.
[3 marks]

b) Find the equation of the linear section of the line in the form y=mx+c.
[3 marks]

c) Write down an equation of a line which is parallel to this line.
[1 mark]

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