What is Climate?
Climate is commonly thought of as
the expected weather conditions at a given location over time. People know when
they go to New York City in winter, they should take a coat. When they visit
the Pacific Northwest, they take an umbrella. Climate can be measured at many
geographic scales by statistics as average temperatures, average number of
rainy days, and the frequency of droughts.
What is Climate change?
Climate
change refers to changes in above statistics over years, decades,
or even centuries.
Is Climate changing RIGHT NOW?
YES. There is no doubt that Climate is changing
or not.
Our Earth is warming. Earth's average temperature has risen by
1.4°F over the past century, and is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5°F over
the next hundred years. Small changes in the average temperature of the planet
can translate to large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather.
The evidence is
clear. Rising global temperatures have been
accompanied by changes in weather and climate. Many places have seen changes in
rainfall, resulting in more floods, droughts, or intense rain, as well as more
frequent and severe heat waves. The planet's oceans and glaciers have also
experienced some big changes - oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, ice
caps are melting, and sea levels are rising.
The
Earth's climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall
patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events—like heavy rainstorms
and record high temperatures—are already affecting society and ecosystems.
Scientists are confident that many of the observed changes in the climate can
be linked to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, caused largely
by people burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, heat and cool
buildings, and power vehicles.
What does evidence say about
humans’ roles in the changing climate?
Over the past
century, human activities have released large amounts of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The majority of greenhouse gases
come from burning fossil fuels to produce energy, although deforestation,
industrial processes, and some agricultural practices also emit gases into the
atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases
act like a blanket around Earth, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing
it to warm. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect and is natural and
necessary to support life on Earth. However, the buildup of greenhouse gases
can change Earth's climate and result in dangerous effects to human health and
welfare and to ecosystems.
How is climate change like to
affect our society and our world?
“Climate change
affects everyone”
Climate changes could very well
lead to the spread of diseases such as dungy fever and malaria into more northern
regions. Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase but may also
become more intense. If the changes manifest too quickly, it is feared that
animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could become
extinct.
Our lives are connected to the climate. Human societies have adapted to
the relatively stable climate we have enjoyed since the last ice age which
ended several thousand years ago. A warming climate will bring changes that can
affect our water supplies, agriculture, power and transportation systems, the
natural environment, and even our own health and safety.
Some changes to the climate are unavoidable. Carbon dioxide can stay in the
atmosphere for nearly a century, so Earth will continue to warm in the coming
decades. The warmer it gets, the greater the risk for more severe changes to
the climate and Earth's system. Although it's difficult to predict the exact
impacts of climate change, what's clear is that the climate we are accustomed
to be no longer a reliable guide for what to expect in the future.
What will the world be after 50
years if we continue with our current path and do nothing to slow the rise of
CO2 levels in the atmosphere?
Obviously, climate
will be changed. The sea level will be different. The whole ecosystem will be
different. We also will be able to see only some certain kind of animals. We
might not be able to see snow any more. There will be no ice berg. We will loss
the amount of crop we get. We will have only some certain crops, so we will not
have this present variety food naturally. No organic farming.
Climate Change
Here is Links Below:
Climate Change at the National
Academies
United States EPA Climate Change
Site:
United Nations Climate Change
Information Kit:
Center for Climate and Energy
Solutions
Good detail Young. Good insights to the idea that climate change will spread diseases. I hadn't thought or read about that. How would this happen though? What is the view of climate change of Korea? Do they notice or talk about it like we do in America?
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