Introduction Searching on Google for what climate change is and what it is causing? Then no doubt you have a desire to get straight to the truth, and avoid the fluff, that most news headlines, and political debate would bring with it to make a contradictory situation complicated.
What's the end result?
In layman's terms climate change is when the earth gets hotter or gets colder, and this is mainly down to people burning fuel and other natural causes too.
But it's more complex than it seems, for sure.
Here, you will learn:
• What climate change is (and why it is different from “weather”)
• Its causes: natural and man-made
• How it impacts the United States and the United Kingdom specifically
• Some myths and misunderstandings about it
• Low-cost and low-effort actions you can take to lower your impact
So, let’s begin with the basics.
Climate change: what it is in terms
What is Climate change?
Climate change is about the change in the weather patterns around the world and in different regions mainly because the temperature is going up. This started happening in the middle of the century and it is because of what people have been doing.
This is not about the weather changing from day to day or how hot or cold it is today.
The climate is like the weather over many years.
You can think of the weather like how you're as a person and the climate is like how you feel on a particular day.
These are two things and even though people sometimes use the words in the wrong way scientists know the difference between them:
• Definition Term
• Global warming is when the average temperature of the earths surface gets higher
• Climate change is all the things that happen because of warming, like the sea levels changing the weather getting different and it even affects living things.
Really global warming is the problem that is causing Climate change.
Climate change is what we are talking about when we discuss all these problems.
Climate change is an issue and it is related to the effects of global warming.
Causes of Climate Change & How to tackle it
Now the final section you have all been waiting for: What is to blame. There are several factors to consider for climate change, but they fall into one of two categories; naturally caused and artificially cause. In the latter group of the latter category it appears man kind have been somewhat successful in getting the upper hand since the beginning of the industrial era.
1. Burn it to create power!
Burn all forms of coal, gas, oil etc. For energy production, home heating and transportation of humans. Both in the US and the UK transport and home heating are largest creators of harmful gases, such as CO2 and CH4 gases.
2. Take down the trees!
We are cutting down the trees because we want to make a place for agriculture, and also need it for some of our goods, thus no more absorption of Co2 from the atmosphere.
3. Industrial Agriculture Methane,
which is stronger than CO2 in terms of being a greenhouse gas, comes from animal agriculture. Nitrous oxide is released from the use of fertilizer.
4. Industrial processes Cement production,
chemicals industry and certain coolants release gases which trap heat in the atmosphere at much higher efficiency than pure CO2 alone. ###
5. Natural processes(Not so much anymore)
Volcanic eruptions, changing solar output and shifts in earth’s orbit influence climate, but the scientific consensus is that, since 1950, the bulk of warming has been driven by humans.
Short answer for snippet readers: Warming is caused by a build up of greenhouse gasses, mainly carbon dioxide and methane which comes from burning fossil fuels, burning down forests and the industry, and these gases trap heat into the atmosphere.
Greenhouse effect in a nutshell That’s exactly how it works.
Sunlight bounces off the earth and is caught by our atmosphere. Then the reflected sunlight comes back to the atmosphere.
Since it can’t exit earth now it stays trapped and held up by some other gases.
Gases such as CO2 and methane trap the heat and warm our earth up. As you would imagine, more gases trap more heat. This is a natural process, one that make earth so suitable for us and other species.
So why is this so scary?
Because gases are accumulating too fast for us!
How Has Climate Change Impacted The USA and UK?
Climate change isn't an esoteric issue. It can be seen in weather patterns and the planning of infrastructures within the US and UK.
US:
• Wildfires have become common in California, Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest.
• Hurricanes have become more frequent along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coast.
• Flooding has occurred in coastal cities such as Miami and New Orleans.
• Drought has become more pronounced in the Southwest.
UK:
• Increased floodings during the winter season, especially in regions that include lowlands such as parts of Yorkshire and the Thames Valley.
• Warmer winters and drier summer seasons when compared to normal years.
• Erosion occurring in coastal zones along the English and Welsh coastlines.
• Strain on the aging flood defense infrastructure in the UK.
This is measured by both countries via national institutions such as the NOAA and the EPA for the US, and the Met Office and the Environment Agency for the UK.
*(Internal linking opportunity: https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6843474512065885781/4753636637639416797)*
Myths about Climate Change
Misinformation spreads fast so lets clear up some myths.
Myth: "Climate has always changed this is part of nature."
- The climate on Earth has changed before. That's true.. The current change is happening really quickly. The reason is pollution from humans, not cycles.
Myth: "The scientific community disagrees about this."
- Many studies have been done. They show that most climate scientists. Than 97%. Think recent warming is caused by humans.
Myth: "This is already too late for anything."
- We can still limit warming. We can do this by reducing emissions and changing how we produce energy and make policies.
Myth: "Individual actions do not matter, companies and policies."
- Companies and policies are important, for long-term change.. What we do as individuals does matter. It can influence policy changes too.
What you can do, right now: Ok, the best news?
You don’t have to get rid of EVERYTHING that goes with green living in order to make it work on a mass scale tomorrow. You can, as they say, ease into it (baby steps, hello!)
and also at the same time figure out what we can do at scale we never could before.
You can start doing a few of these things literally right away: Swap to a renewable energy plan.
Beyond the obvious that it’s becoming easier to switch to an energy company that does offers a renewable energy package, these alternative sources are a pretty economical substitute. Insulate your home. You can cut down the heat from your home in summer and winter by simply tweaking a couple things that will help reduce heating/cooling costs, and that will reduce your home’s carbon emissions!
Leave your car at home.
Ride-share or bike/walk, or perhaps use public transport. Leave your car at home, it’s bad. Stop food waste. Food waste, as it decomposes releases the greenhouse gasmethane.
Buy local & buy from brands that care about the planet.
If a company doesn’t make the effort of going green and clearly outlining its environmental efforts on its website, steer clear and buy from local independent businesses instead of green-washing corps.
Typical Missteps to Dodge -
Don’t assume recycling somehow counteracts heavy-carbon activities like soaring around the globe constantly. - Picking up “green” products without scrutinizing warning signs for the practice of greenwashing. - Discounting opportunities to make your home more energy-efficient because of the initial investment required. Remember to consider long-term savings in the mix.
FAQs What’s contributing to the changing climate?
For starters, the build-up of green gases-produced when humans incinerate fossils and slash down trees.
These gases collect in the atmosphere, generating heat. Does a changing climate also mean the earth’s temperature is climbing? Not always! Whereas global warming indicates solely that the climate is becoming hotter, the changing climate is the larger environmental shift.
In the event that climate is changing, expect a new arrangement of weather events: altered downpour and snow accumulation patterns, increased sea levels, and more radical weather events.
How can we be sure humans have had an impact?
Scientists have analyzed ice samples gathered over thousands of years, compiled temperature records dating back for ages, measured levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and evaluated a variety of satellite data, enabling them to pinpoint the effect of humans on the current data relative to preindustrial levels.
Can the climate’s changes be reversed?
While certain factors such as rising sea levels are going to continue no matter how many adjustments we make, significantly limiting emissions would eventually curb and then stop the warming process. This means that the more severe effects of changing climate would be stopped in their tracks.
What country emits the most green gases?
By and large, China, America, and India lead all others by amount.
The truth is, though, that when one takes into account the per-capita emissions and the amount of carbon emissions country produced over time, the narrative becomes more complicated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, what is climate change and its causes, in layman’s terms? Climate change can be defined as a process of warming of the earth caused mainly by the emissions of greenhouse gases due to human activities. The consequences of climate change can be observed today in both the United States and the United Kingdom; although the problem is challenging, it is far from unsolvable.
The way to go about solving climate change should be a combination of both legislative changes and personal decisions made by each of us. Start with examining your own energy consumption at home, learn your carbon footprint and keep yourself updated on climate change via such reputable websites as NASA, NOAA, and UK Met Office.
Interested in seeing how sustainable your current behavior is? Why not calculate your personal carbon footprint this week?
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