Climate Change

• Climate change


  Extreme changes in weather patterns that cause serious consequences to the planet
• The greenhouse effect is the natural warming of the earth that results when gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun that would otherwise escape into space
• Greenhouse gases


  • Carbon dioxide
  • Methane
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Water vapour
  • Sulfur hexafluoride
• Anthropogenic activities or the human-induced emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are a primary driver of climate change
• Carbon footprint


  The total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by various activities of individuals or groups of people
• The greenhouse effect keeps Earth's climate just right for living organisms to survive. Without it, surface temperatures would be cooler by about 33 degrees Celsius
• The rapid increase and abundance of greenhouse gases makes the earth hotter than ideal temperature
• Greenhouse gases


  • They have different chemical properties and may stay in the atmosphere for varying lengths of time
  • Carbon dioxide is the longest to stay in the atmosphere, making it the most harmful greenhouse gas
• Carbon sinks


  Plants, soil, and the ocean that can absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit.
• Carbon sinks are not enough to eliminate the continuous abundance of carbon dioxide presence
• Climate change is the effect of modernization and industrialization
• Our global climate is changing as seen by the different climate indicators–sea ice, sea levels, carbon dioxide levels, and global temperatures
• Being aware of the impacts of climate change will allow us to be more conscious of our practices that contribute to carbon dioxide emissions
• Climate change will impact all aspects of our lives and of other living organisms on the planet
• Mitigation


  Preventing or reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere to make the impacts of climate change less severe
• Adaptation


  Anticipating the adverse effects of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimise the damage they can cause, or taking advantage of opportunities that may arise

  
• Examples of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies


  • Reducing the sources of greenhouse gases, increasing the share of renewable energies, establishing a cleaner mobility system, enhancing the storage of greenhouse gases (e.g. by increasing the size of forests), building defenses to protect against sea-level rise, reducing food waste
• Contributors to Climate Change, in order

  1. Energy
  2. Agriculture
  3. Industry
  4. Waste