Photo by Li-An Lim
Climate change is like a fire that is slowly burning through our planet. If we don’t address it now, it will only get worse and eventually consume everything. We need to put this fire out before it’s too late.
Introduction
It is a known fact that the Earth’s temperature is rising. The question is why? What are the causes of climate change? Is it real or just a myth? Are we causing it or is it natural? How will it affect our planet and us as humans? These are some of the questions that have been raised by scientists but have not been answered completely. One thing we do know for sure is that climate change is real!
“When I was a boy in the 1930s, the carbon dioxide level was still below 300 parts per million. This year, it reached 382, the highest figure for hundreds of thousands of years.” – David Attenborough
The earth is the warmest it has been in 400 years
There is a lot of talk about how we are living in the warmest time of our planet’s history. This might make you think that climate change is happening for the first time, but science tells us otherwise. In fact, we can trace back records of global temperatures going back hundreds of years and find that in past centuries, the earth was warmer than it is now. We’ve also seen periods during which temperatures were cooler than today. But what does this mean? It shows that while we’re currently in a warming trend—and it’s been happening for thousands of years—we’re not experiencing anything out of the ordinary!
There is a 97% consensus among scientists that climate change is real and that humans are causing it.
The consensus among scientists is that climate change is real, and humans are causing it. There’s a lot of research out there that backs up this claim, but let’s take a look at some of the most compelling information.
Just to be clear: we’re not talking about what people think about climate change (even though that matters). We’re talking about what experts in climate science have found after studying the evidence for years. This includes thousands of studies published in peer-reviewed journals that looked at how much heat goes into our atmosphere from human activity like burning fossil fuels, cutting down trees, and farming livestock.
Another thing to keep in mind: there isn’t just one study where 97% of scientists say they agree with each other on this issue — there are many different studies using different methodologies that all reach similar conclusions about how much humans contribute to global warming. One study might look at temperature records over time; another may look at how much carbon dioxide has been released into the air since 1950; yet another could analyze sea levels or ocean acidity levels over time. The results are always similar: 97% or more agree there’s significant evidence showing climate change is real and caused by human activity rather than natural forces alone.*
“We are running the most dangerous experiment in history right now, which is to see how much carbon dioxide the atmosphere can handle before there is an environmental catastrophe.” – Elon Musk
Certain Gases like Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Carbon Dioxide are responsible for Climate change. Amongst these CO2 is the biggest greenhouse gas.
Certain gases like methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide are responsible for Climate change. Amongst these CO2 is the biggest greenhouse gas.
The amount of Carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has increased by 40% since the industrial revolution and this is contributing to global warming. The oceans take up most of this extra carbon dioxide but they can only absorb so much before they become saturated. This has led us to an important tipping point where we need to reduce our greenhouse emissions if we hope to avoid dangerous climate change
We’re living in a carbon dioxide world that’s now at 400 parts per million (ppm) and rising at a rate of 2ppm every year.
We’ve got to start somewhere. Climate change is like a ticking time bomb. It’s a serious issue that we need to address now, before it’s too late.
CO2 is the biggest greenhouse gas, accounting for 85-90% of global warming. In other words, CO2 levels are rising at a rate of 2 ppm every year and have been increasing since the industrial revolution. The rate of increase has accelerated over time, as well as the fact that there’s less plant life on Earth (dead plants don’t absorb CO2) because we’ve been cutting down trees so fast.
Climate Change causes sea level rise and temperatures are going up. The global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last century or so due to the increase in global temperatures.
Sea level rise and temperatures are going up. The global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last century or so due to the increase in global temperatures. This is a result of melting glaciers, thermal expansion of water, and other factors that you can read about here.
The thermal expansion of water is a result of the increase in temperature which leads to climate change which is caused by humans as we burn fossil fuels for energy needs.
“We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.” – Stephen Hawking
The negative effects of climate change on humans, animals, and plants are already visible.
Climate change is already having a negative impact on humans, animals, and plants.
- Sea level rise: The melting of land ice at the poles is contributing to rising sea levels. This will make coastal communities more vulnerable to storm surges and flooding, putting millions of people at risk. It’s also causing saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers in some regions.
- Increased temperatures: Warming temperatures are leading to extreme heat waves across the world that can kill tens of thousands of people annually by 2030 (and hundreds of thousands by 2100). Heat waves are also contributing to crop failures in poor countries where food security is already an issue; they are expected to become even more frequent as the climate continues warming up over the coming decades.
- Increased precipitation: Climate change increases precipitation events around the globe during both wet and dry seasons — which can be good news for crops but bad news for towns near rivers prone to flooding or landslides triggered by rainstorms.
Conclusion
It is clear that climate change is real and its effects are already visible on Earth. We need to take steps globally to control it such as utilizing renewable energy rather than fossil fuels, adapting plant based diets, and utilizing concepts in sustainability, otherwise, we will face major problems in future.
For more information about Climate change visit the main Climate Change Page Here
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Author: Bliss
Dedicated to making a positive difference for people, animals, and this beautiful planet!
Scientists have been studying the effects of climate change for decades, and the data they have collected has led to overwhelming evidence that it is real and largely caused by human activity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the global authority on the subject, and their 2018 report warned of the devastating consequences of a global temperature rise of 1.5°C, including widespread food and water shortages, loss of biodiversity, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, hurricanes, and wildfires. The report also stated that urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid catastrophic climate change. Numerous scientific studies have provided further evidence of the impact of climate change on the environment, including melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification. Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and largely caused by human activities, and that urgent action is needed to prevent the worst effects. While there are still some skeptics who claim that climate change is a hoax or part of a natural cycle, the weight of evidence suggests that the risks outweigh any doubts or complacency. It is crucial that we heed the warnings from the scientific community and take bold action to mitigate the impact of climate change before it is too late.