TED: Can clouds buy us more time to solve climate change? | Kate Marvel

The video explores the complex role of clouds in climate science, highlighting their dual ability to cool and warm the planet. It discusses the challenges of modeling clouds accurately due to their large and small scale nature. The video also examines the limitations of climate models and the uncertainty surrounding future cloud behavior. Despite these challenges, the importance of continued satellite observations and improved climate models is emphasized to better understand and predict climate change impacts.

What is the main challenge that clouds pose to climate science?

• They are easy to model accurately.

• They are not affected by global warming.

• They are unpredictable and affect climate models.

• They are too small to study.

Why are climate models not expected to be perfect?

• They are only used for short-term predictions.

• They are designed to be inaccurate.

• They are based on outdated technology.

• They are meant to be useful, not perfect.

What is the dual role of clouds in the climate system?

• They have no effect on the planet's temperature.

• They both cool and warm the planet.

• They only warm the planet.

• They only cool the planet.

How do low clouds affect the Earth's temperature?

• They trap heat and warm the planet.

• They block sunlight and cool the planet.

• They have no effect on temperature.

• They increase solar power.

What is the effect of high clouds on global warming?

• They block all sunlight.

• They intensify the greenhouse effect.

• They have no impact on global warming.

• They reduce the greenhouse effect.

Why is it difficult to obtain long-term data on clouds?

• Satellites were not designed for long-term climate data.

• Clouds are too small to observe.

• There are no satellites observing clouds.

• Clouds do not change over time.

What has been observed about the movement of clouds as the planet warms?

• Clouds are moving towards the poles.

• Clouds are disappearing completely.

• Clouds are moving towards the equator.

• Clouds are staying in the same place.

What is the potential impact of clouds moving towards the poles?

• They will block more sunlight.

• They will have no impact on global warming.

• They will cool the planet significantly.

• They will make global warming worse.

What is the speaker's view on the role of clouds in saving the planet?

• Clouds will definitely save the planet.

• Clouds will make the planet uninhabitable.

• Clouds have no role in climate change.

• Clouds alone will not save the planet.

What is emphasized as crucial for understanding clouds' role in climate change?

• Stopping all climate research.

• Continued observation and research.

• Relying solely on weather forecasts.

• Ignoring satellite data.