climate change

UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS
FOR US AND OUR WATER

so what is climate change?

  • Climate change is a way of describing long-term shift in weather patterns. Climate changes are natural, however human activities have been the main cause of changes to our climate due to the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

  • Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are naturally occurring and, in the correct amounts, help to keep the planet warm and habitable for life on earth. This is known as the greenhouse effect, and without it, the earth would be too cold to support life as we know it.

    However, an excess of these gases in our atmosphere will cause our planet to keep getting hotter and hotter.

  • The earth is now about 1.1 degree Celsius warmer than it was in the 1800s. Even small changes to our Earth’s average temperature will have a huge impact on our oceans, weather, ecosystems and more.

  • Warmer temperatures can cause big changes to weather around the world, often meaning that extreme weather will become more common. Flooding and droughts then become a greater problem for people and nature.

How are humans releasing
more Greenhouse gases?

Fossil Fuels such as coal, oil and gas are burned as a power source which releases greenhouse gases.

Cattle rearing releases methane which is a very strong greenhouse gas.

Landfill waste releases methane as it breaks down underground.

Trees are great at absorbing and removing CO2 from air but deforestation stops this natural CO2 removal. 

Burning or decomposition of materials like wood or straw will release any CO2 It had absorbed. 

THE GLOBAL EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

  • TEMPERATURE CHANGES

    Small changes to Earth’s average temperature have a huge impact on our oceans, weather, ecosystems and more, and the Earth is now about 1.1 degree Celsius warmer than in the 1800s.

  • RISING SEA LEVELS

    Ice reflects the sun’s heat away, but higher temperatures cause ice to melt, so more heat is absorbed, causing a warming loop. Sea levels are rising, caused by water expansion with heat and from melting glaciers and ice caps. More CO2 is absorbed by oceans leading to ocean acidification affecting the entire world’s oceans.

  • MORE SEVERE STORMS

    Storms will become more frequent and severe due to the atmosphere and the oceans warming. Climate change also increases the intensity and likelihood of droughts and wildfires causing mass crop failure and food poverty.

  • LESS FRESH WATER

    This will displace many from their homes, and place a strain on water resources with less fresh water available to drink. Diseases will become more common due to lack of access to clean water. Mass species extinction and loss of vital ecosystems and biodiversity is also likely.

  • EXTREME WEATHER

    These warmer temperatures cause big changes to weather patterns and make extreme weather more common, leading to flooding and droughts becoming a greater problem for people and nature.