What is Climate Change?

Climate change is the long-term shift in the Earth’s average temperatures and weather conditions. These include warming temperatures and changes in precipitation as well as the effects of the Earth’s warming, such as:

• Rising sea levels

• Shrinking mountain glaciers

• Changes in flower and plant blooming times.

The Earth’s climate has constantly been changing; however, scientists are 99% certain that changes observed since the mid-20th century are driven by huma activities particularly fossil fuels burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in the Earth’s atmosphere, raising Earth’s average surface temperature.

The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change announced the need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels to prevent irreversible global changes. This limit is also implemented into the Paris Agreement, which is a legally binding international treaty on climate change which has been adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Changes Conferences (COP21).

What causes climate change?

The emitting of greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere blocks heat from escaping. Therefore, more UV rays from the sun is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere and cannot be reflected back, this leads to the Earths average surface temperature increasing. The three main greenhouse gases are:

• Carbon Dioxide

• Methane

• Nitrous Oxide