Climate Change 101
Climate Change
Climate change is a significant shift in temperature and weather patterns around the world. While some changes are normal, the vast majority of scientists agree that our activities are causing dramatic changes to the Earth’s climate.
Over the last three hundred years we have radically increased our use of energy sources like oil, coal and natural gas. Burning these fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
A little bit of carbon dioxide is a good thing – it keeps the planet warm and habitable. Now, however, we are putting so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that the planet is getting too warm. This problem is also called the greenhouse effect.
Effects
The effects of climate change are already visible – melting glaciers, the migration of plant and animal species, and an increase in severe storms, to name a few.
What will happen next? No one can say for sure, but here are some possibilities:
- Rising sea levels destroy coastal areas
- Frequent and intense heat waves
- More droughts and wildfires
- Extinction of millions of species
- Spreading of weather-sensitive diseases
More information on the science and impacts of climate change.