About Climate Change
What is climate change? Climate change is the significant and lasting change of our weather over sustained periods of time. There is an international consensus that human activities over the last 50 years have altered the Earth’s natural climate. Excess production of greenhouse gases and changes to our natural ecosystems (such as deforestation) are contributing to global warming.
Changes in climate can occur through both natural and human-induced causes and it’s a real problem temperature have been going up around the world for many decades. Reliable temperature records began in 1850 and our world is now about one degree Celsius hotter than it was in the period between 1850 and 1900.
The change is even more visible over a shorter time period compared to average temperatures between 1961 and 1990, 2017 was 0.68 degrees warmer, while 2016 was 0.8 degrees warmer, thanks to an extra boost the naturally-occurring El Niño weather system. While this temperature increase is more specifically referred to as global warming, climate change is the term currently favored by science the communicators, as it explicitly includes not only Earth’s increasing global average temperature, but also the climate effects caused by this increase.
Global efforts are now focussed on keeping temperatures from increasing more than two degrees above that pre-industrial average, and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees. That goal may still be possible if the international community pulls together.
Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner and loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more intense heat and waves are some of the effects it has and we have to prevent that before it gets worse or irreversible.
Impacts of climate change include Heat waves, Heavy downpours, Sea-Level Rise, wildfires and drought. Sea level has risen about 8 inches due to the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. The warming of seas and oceans is also making coastal storms more damaging. Scientists predict sea levels in the United States could rise 1 to 4 feet in the 21st century and could be even higher if glaciers in Greenland or Antarctica melt especially quickly. Threats to habitats and animals. As temperatures warm, many plants and animals are migrating to higher elevations or away from the equator. Some animals may have difficulty moving or adapting to new habitats.
Less ice means less white snow to reflect the sun’s rays. That speeds up the melting process. Scientists predict that by 2050 there will be no Arctic ice in the summer. The dark ocean that replaces it will absorb even more heat. The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the region. As the ground weakens, it brings cold air south and pumps warm air north. That’s what causes blizzard-like conditions along the U.S. East Coast. The resulting of fresh water is shifting the global circulation of the oceans. Typically, surface waters traveling toward the poles become colder. As they chill, they become denser and sink. Once they hit the ocean floor, they roll back toward the equator melting glacial ice puts fresh water into the equation. It is less dense than salty water. As a result, it doesn’t sink as it should. It stays on the ocean’s surface, slowing the ocean conveyor belt.
Economically Stanford University scientists calculated how much global warming would cost the global economy. If the world’s nations adhered to the Paris Climate Agreement, and temperatures only rose 2.5 percent, then the global gross domestic product would fall 15 percent. If temperatures rose to 3 degrees Celsius, global GDP would fall 25 percent. If nothing is done, temperatures will rise by 4 degrees Celsius by 2100. Global GDP would decline by more than 30 percent from 2010 levels. That’s worse than the Great Depression, where global trade fell 25 percent. The only difference is that it would be permanent.
Nations around the world are upping their game in the fight against climate change, even as President Trump recently announced the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. And despite this reckless move, American mayors, state leaders, county officials, governors, major companies, and millions of citizens across our country have pledged that they’re “still in” when it comes to the agreement, and supporting the goal of limiting future warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius.
There are many ways to prevent climate change at the governmental, community, and individual level. For example, governments can establish policies and regulations to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Businesses can install renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to decrease the number of greenhouse gases they produce. Families can bike or walk to work or school.
Nations around the world are upping their game in the fight against climate change, even as President Trump recently announced the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. And despite this reckless move, American mayors, state leaders, county officials, governors, major companies, and millions of citizens across our country have pledged that they’re “still in” when it comes to the agreement, and supporting the goal of limiting future warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius.
You at home can start helping the world by pushing for reduced methane emissions from fracked gas, using energy wisely and efficiently by changing to energy-efficient light bulbs, unplugging computers, TVs and other electronics when you’re not using them. wash clothes in not hot water. Dryers are energy hogs, so hang dry when you can and use dryer balls when you can’t, Install a programmable thermostat and look for the Energy Star label when buying new appliances.
Human-induced climate change has contributed to changing patterns of extreme weather across the globe, from longer and hotter heat waves to heavier rains. From a broad perspective, all weather events are now connected to climate change. While natural variability continues to play a key role in extreme weather, climate change has shifted the odds and changed the natural limits, making certain types of extreme weather more frequent and more intense.
While our understanding of how climate change effects extreme weather is still developing, evidence suggests that extreme weather may be affected even more than anticipated. Extreme weather is on the rise, and the indications are that it will continue to increase, in both predictable and unpredictable ways.
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Themes and topics for climate change essays:
- The science behind climate change and its effects on our environment.
- The human role in causing climate change, including the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other activities.
- The economic and social implications of climate change.
- Potential solutions to mitigate climate change, such as renewable energy sources, carbon capture, and sustainable development.
- The implications of climate change for vulnerable populations, such as communities in low-lying coastal areas and in developing countries.
- The importance of global action and international cooperation to combat the effects of climate change.
- The importance of education and public awareness in promoting climate action.