Climate Change
All About Climate Change
What is climate?
Climate is different from weather because it is measured over a long period of time, whereas weather can change from day to day, or from year to year. The climate of an area includes seasonal temperature and rainfall averages, and wind patterns. Different places have different climates. On our planet, we have greenhouse gasses. These gasses form a blanket around our atmosphere and keep heat in. However, many human activities have increased the amount of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere and that gas is unable to leave the atmosphere at it's normal speed.
What is climate change?
Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole. Climate change may cause weather patterns to be less predictable.
How is climate change impacted by human actions?
Humans have a large impact on our climate. Generating power, like electricity and heat, burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gasses). These fossil fuels emit more greenhouse gasses that are unable to leave the atmosphere. Manufacturing goods also burns fossil fuels to produce energy to make things like iron, cement, steel, plastics, clothes, etc.
Deforestation is also a major part of human activities that have a negative impact on our climate. Cutting down forests to create farms or pastures, or for other reasons, causes emissions, since trees, when they are cut, release the carbon they have been storing. Since forests absorb carbon dioxide, destroying them also limits nature’s ability to keep emissions out of the atmosphere.
What will happen if climate change is irreversible?
Warming is expected to be linked to changes in rainfall, which can adversely affect the supply of water for humans, agriculture, and ecosystems. Many animals habitats and adaptations to the new environment can deteriorate, causing the animal to go extinct (poaching is also a serious issue in animal extinction).
How can we prevent climate change from increasing?
Although we do not have a lot of time left, the only thing people can truly do prevent our climate from becoming irreversible is to hold corporate companies and the 1% of our population accountable for their actions. Civilians, on their own, do not contribute much to climate change as much as big business and monopolies. Another way people can contribute is to fully research the consequences our actions have had on our planet, rather than listening to most politicians. Know who you're voting for. Voting is one of the small powers the people have that can have big impacts on our lives.
