What Is Climate Change?
[Since it is getting ever harder to obtain facts on the internet, here’s some reliable information for posterity. Ed.]
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.
The main greenhouse gases that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. These come from using gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building, for example. Clearing land and cutting down forests can also release carbon dioxide. Oil and gas operations and agriculture are major sources of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture, and land use are among the main sectors causing greenhouse gasses.
[more]
Resource:
To get familiar with some of the more technical terms used in connection with climate change, consult the Climate Dictionary.
Sections:
- Humans are responsible for global warming
- People are [already] experiencing climate change in diverse ways
- Every increase in global warming matters
- We face a huge challenge but already know many solutions
- We can pay the bill now or pay dearly in the future