Climate change

Our planet is changing. It is getting warmer and it is mainly because of the things humans do. Read on to learn about what the climate actually is, what greenhouse gases are and where they come from and understand how global warming happens and why it matters. 

Most importantly, you’ll explore why it matters – and what you can do to protect our planet! 

What is the climate?

‘Climate’ means the usual weather condition in one area of the Earth’s surface over a long period of time. For example, the UK has a temperate climate, so we generally get 

cool, wet winters and warm, wet summers; we don’t often have very hot or very cold weather – but this is becoming more common as a part of our climate changing. 

Scientists work out the climate of an area by taking many measurements of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind and rainfall over 30 years. Climate and weather are different, as weather is just the day-to-day conditions in the atmosphere. 

Did you know that the wettest place on Earth gets more than 11 metres of rainfall every year? That’s about the same height as 2 giraffes! 

In recent years, wild weather has become more common and scientists have noted that the world’s climate is getting warmer. Although changes to the Earth's climate are natural, current changes are a result of increasing human populations and activities that create pollution. 

“There is no question that climate change is happening; the only arguable point is what part humans are playing in it.”

- Sir David Attenborough -

 

What are Greenhouse gases and where do they come from?

In our everyday modern lives, we drive, plug in electricals, cook, heat our homes, turn on lights and watch TV – most of this energy comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. 

When we burn fossil fuels for energy, they release a harmful gas called carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which traps the Sun’s heat. But carbon dioxide is not the only harmful gas in the atmosphere, we call these gases ‘greenhouse gases’ because they heat up the planet, just like how glass heats up a greenhouse! 

Some greenhouse gases are a good thing as without them the planet would be too cold and life as we know it could not exist, however human activities are adding too many of these gases to the atmosphere. 

Human destruction of the rainforests is also contributing to the problem; forests absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen back into it. Sadly, many rainforests are being cut down to utilise the timber, grow palm oil plantations and also to clear the way for farmland, roads, oil extraction and dams. 

One big tree can absorb about 20kg of carbon dioxide every year – that’s why forests are so important, and are sometimes called the ‘lungs of the earth’. 

The main greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapour and CFCs. 

• Carbon Dioxide or CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas and is released by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, gas, wood and other solid material. It can stay in the atmosphere for thousands of years and is the most important contributor to human-induced global warming. 
• Methane or CH4 is the main component of natural gas and is released from landfill sites, industrial plants and also agriculture (farts from grazing animals!). Methane traps a lot of heat and an important contributor of global warming.
• Nitrous Oxide or N2O accounts for a small percentage of total greenhouse gases but is more powerful than carbon dioxide. It is released by some types of factories, power plants, manure and fertilisers. It damages the protective ozone layer and is a powerful greenhouse gas.
• Water Vapour or H2O blocks heat from escaping.
• Ozone at ground level can be formed by burning fuel in cars and in some types of factories.

Another greenhouse gas; Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs do not occur naturally but can do considerable damage to the protective ozone layer. CFCs are gases that were widely used in the past in things such as aerosols and refrigerators and can cause damage to the ozone layer.

But thanks to countries working together to stop the use of CFCs, the ozone layer has been slowly healing – it’s expected to recover in the next few decades if we keep looking after it! 

“Climate change should be treated as an emergency. Instead, we have world leaders playing for time and trying to negotiate with science.”

- Ellie Goulding, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador -

 

What is global warming?

The greenhouse gases are like a blanket around the Earth; they let sunlight pass through but trap some heat to keep us warm. But global warming means that greenhouse gases are trapping too much heat which causes the Earth’s temperature to rise. 

Global warming causes changes in weather patterns around the world, making our weather more extreme and unpredictable. This is climate change. 

The Earth’s temperature has risen by about 1°C over the past 140 years, making 2018 one of the warmest ever recorded. It is thought that climate change is being sped up by human activity, yet many plants and animals cannot adapt quickly enough to the changes in order to survive. Scientists expect the climate to warm further, possibly as much as 4.7°C by 2100. 

Why does it matter?

Even a slight rise in temperature can affect our planet in many ways. 

It is likely that we will see more extreme weather including more rainfall, snow, more severe droughts in some areas as well as shifting wind and ocean patterns. It may also effect the weather we would expect in a typical season. 

As the Earth gets warmer, glaciers and polar ice begin to melt – this causes the sea level to rise. This can flood homes and make it harder for both people and animals to find safe places to live!

Climate change is already impacting wildlife all over the world but some species are more at risk than others. At both the north and south poles many species rely on the sea ice, yet it is melting at an alarming rate. Polar bears rely on the sea ice in their search for prey; the blue whales’ main food source and krill relies on the algae that forms beneath the ice. Similarly, the Adélie penguin is also reliant on krill for food and warmer temperatures are affecting chick hatching times.

It is not just polar animals that are affected; marine turtles rely on nesting beaches to lay their eggs, yet these are threatened by rising tea temperatures. Warmer sands could also result in more females being born than males, therefore disrupting their population balance. Even some populations of tiger live in areas susceptible to sea level rise.

Climate change also affects people too, particularly farming communities who are facing higher temperatures, increased rain, floods and droughts. These obstacles make farmers more reliant on chemicals to improve their crops, so they can continue to earn money. People all over the world will have to deal with more extreme weather conditions that will affect everyday life.

“We need every person on Earth to acknowledge that climate change is real and encourage each other and our leaders to address the challenge.”

- Sir Richard Branson -