Climate change

Antarctica is losing ice equivalent to the size of Mt. Everest each year. Sea levels are rising, animals are losing their homes, and this is all because of climate change. So what exactly is climate change and how is it impacting our world? We, the middle school students at Mansfield Cooperative School in Richmond, Vermont, have been learning about the causes, effects, and solutions of this global crisis.  

Scientists around the world have been researching data from the climate over the last 30 years. The UN defines climate change as “long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.” Some people might get weather and climate confused. Weather refers to the current conditions in a specific place. It could be snowing in New York City on February 2nd and 80 degrees in Miami on the same day. Climate looks at the average weather over a long period of time. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses a 30-year time span to look at climate data. 

Since 1820 global temperatures have risen 0.14 degrees Fahrenheit per decade. That might sound like no big deal, but that temperature rise has caused the bleaching of coral reefs, extinction of species, food insecurity, droughts, wildfires, and sea levels to rise by 3.98 inches. Scientists predict that if we continue on this course, in 2050 global temperatures will have risen by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. That means that by the time we are in our 40s, our planet could see catastrophic and irreversible change.

What is causing these temperatures to rise? Human activity! Since the 1800s, people have been mining and burning fossil fuels to use them for energy. Burning fossil fuels releases gasses like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gasses act like a giant blanket, trapping heat from the sun and warming the Earth’s surface and ocean temperatures.

This is a serious problem, but something can be done if we act now! Read through our pages to learn about the science behind climate change, its effects, and what can be done to save our planet!