Question

choose the correct answer
why do environmental scientists consider climate change to be a positive feedback loop?
because decreased temperatures lead all of earth’s systems back to normal rather than to an extreme
because if the climate changes, everything will return to exactly the way it was before it changed
because increased warming leads to changes that cause the climate system to move towards an extreme
because a warming climate will have no effect on any other part of the earth leading to no changes

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze the concept of a positive feedback loop in climate change. A positive feedback loop amplifies changes, moving the system toward an extreme.

• The first option is incorrect as it describes a return to normal (negative feedback or no feedback related to extreme), and decreased temperatures are not the main driver of climate change feedback here.
• The second option is incorrect because climate change (especially anthropogenic) does not typically result in a return to the exact previous state; it leads to new extremes.
• The third option is correct: increased warming (e.g., from greenhouse gases) leads to changes like melting ice (reducing albedo, causing more warming) or releasing methane from permafrost, which further amplifies warming, pushing the climate system toward an extreme (like more intense heatwaves, sea - level rise).
• The fourth option is incorrect as a warming climate does affect many Earth systems (ocean acidification, ecosystem shifts, etc.), so the claim of no effect is wrong.

Answer:

The option "because increased warming leads to changes that cause the climate system to move towards an extreme" (the third option among the listed choices)