Climate Change
Climate Change
Definition
Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of time, such as changes in average weather temperature and conditions. In the last 130 years, the world has warmed by approximately 0.85oC. Each of the last 3 decades has been successively warmer than any preceding decade. Sea levels are rising, glaciers are melting and precipitation patterns are changing.
A number of greenhouse gases occur naturally in the Earth's atmospheres, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These gases are needed for human survival as without these gases, the Earth's temperature would be -18C, according to scientists estimations. These gases are needed in particular amount and intensity. However, they are getting altered by human activities which causes global warming.
Effects of Climate Change
Due to the above-normal temperatures, these are some of the effects of climate change:
Deforestation;
Higher evaporation which calls for more irrigation and water use;
New and widespread diseases;
Damaged crops due to sudden climate change and greater periods of draught and rain;
Droughts, heat waves, storms, hurricanes and typhoons;
Melting of glaciers;
Causes
Scientists in the United States and the world have reached an overwhelming consensus that climate change is real and caused primarily by human activity. Respected scientific organizations have identified climate change as an urgent threat caused by humans that must be addressed.
Carbon Dioxide in Earth's atmosphere has risen by about 30% since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Most of the increase is due to the combustion of fossil fuels.
- Excess consumption of animal products:
Methane is released by coal mining, landfills and agriculture, mainly through the digestive process of beef and milk cows, to which the need by human being is increasing.
- Fossil fuels:
Fossil fuels are essential for electricity and energy used in agriculture, production and technology
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The graph shows greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. Source: NASA
Solutions
People must admit that this is everyone's problem. not only governemnts should agree on policies to reduce climate change, but even individual can contribute to that by changing thier lifestyyle. This can be done by reducing their use of (hot) water, conserving electricity, reducing waste or at least separating it so that it gets recycled. Last but not least, changing their diet to more vegetarian and consume less meat and diary products.Sources
https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/effects-of-climate-change
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/
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