What is Climate Change?

Climate change also known as global warming is when there are different types of climate during a period of time. It includes big changes in weather regarding temperature, wind patterns and other things that occur over and over the years. The main causes of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels such as, oil and coal. Other human activities, such as agriculture and deforestation, also contribute to the proliferation of greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

Small changes in the earth’s temperature caused by climate change can have big changes which can cause severe effects.

The earth's average temperature has gone up 1.4В° F over the past century and it is expected to rise as much as 11.5В° F over the next few years. That might not seem like a lot, but the average temperature during the last Ice Age was about 4Вє F lower than it is today.

Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth's surface.

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Normally, this radiation would escape into space but the pollutants, (which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere), trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter. That is what’s known as the greenhouse effect.

The climate started changing a long time ago due to human activities but we came to know about it in the last century. During the last century, we started noticing the climatic change and its effect on human life.

We started researching climate change and came to know that the earth’s temperature is rising due to a phenomenon called the greenhouse effect. The warming up of earth’s surface causes many ozone depletion, affects our agriculture, water supply, transportation, and several other problems.

Changes in water resources can have a big impact on people’s lives. In some regions, more specifically in the western United States, drought is an important factor affecting communities, also less snow accumulation in the mountains is important in the West and also in/ Alaska, where the snowpack stores water for later use. In the Midwest and northeastern states, the frequency of heavy downpours has increased. In many regions, floods and water quality problems are likely to be worse because of climate change.

Food supply depends on climate and weather conditions. Although agricultural practices may be adaptable, changes like increased temperatures, water stress, diseases, and weather extremes create challenges for the farmers and ranchers who put food on our tables. Human health is vulnerable to climate change. The changing environment is expected to cause more heat stress, an increase in waterborne diseases, poor air quality, and diseases transmitted by insects and rodents. Extreme weather events can compound many of these health threats.

Ecosystems are also affected by climate change. Habitats are being modified, the timing of events such as flowering and egg laying are shifting, and species are altering their home ranges.

References

• NASA Earth Observatory: Global Warming
• NOAA Climate.gov: Global Temperature
• What is global warming, facts and information