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Our Climate is Changing and It is Going to Keep Changing 

Climate Change  

1. It’s getting hotter. Our climate is changing, so you’d better get used to it. It’s changing because of what we humans do and the gases we have put into the atmosphere. We have already put so much gas into the atmosphere, the climate will keep changing for a long, long time. Some of the changes may be good (at least in the short term) and some may be bad. But change is a near certainty. 
 

2. We have known for 25 years that the atmosphere was changing. The most obvious sign was an increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂), the gas we breathe out and the gas produced when we burn fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline. This is the same gas that is absorbed by plants to make food. Before 1900 the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 270 to 280 parts per million (ppm). Now it has grown to 380 parts per million. In the same time, the world has become steadily hotter. It is this link, this connection, that tells us that carbon dioxide is causing the warming. This evidence is powerful proof that humans, not nature, are causing climate change. 
 

Not Just Hotter  

3. Since the atmosphere is getting hotter, it is also getting more energetic. This means that in some places it will be sandier, in some places wetter, in some places drier. In some places it may even be cooler. That’s why we talk about ‘climate change’ rather than ‘global warming’. Although on average it will be warmer, it won’t necessarily be warmer everythere. 

Can We Stop It?  

4. No. We can slow it, but we can’t stop it for a long, long time. We have already made the greenhouse gas emissions that will keep the atmosphere changing for decades to come. If we could [not] keep the world’s greenhouse gas emissions from growing, the temperature would continue to grow as fast as it is growing now. If we could cut emissions by half, the world would still keep getting hotter for a hundred years or more. But if we act soon, we can make sure the changes can be managed and kept to a minimum, and we can adapt to them. 
 

The Greenhouse Gases  

5. Our activities release gases that contribute directly to climate change – key gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. We call these gases ‘greenhouse gases’ because of the warming they cause. Carbon dioxide has a bigger total effect than all the other gases we make put together. But methane matters, too. Carbon dioxide is released when we burn fossil fuels like coal and gasoline. All these gases – the ones we produce, and the water vapor in the atmosphere – warm the Earth because they let the sun’s heat through but block some of the heat escaping back out to space. 
 

The Bottom Line  

6. It seems that the climate is changing and is going to keep changing. Almost every country wants to reduce its emissions. If all the countries of the world act, and act soon, the risks from climate change can be reduced.
 

Some Predictions and Results of Climate Change
 

Most of the world’s land mass is north of the equator, the middle of the Earth. The farther north you go, the warmer and drier it will become. For example, Siberia has always been harsh and cold, but climate change could cause it to become temperate (not too warm and not too cold). It might then be an attractive vacation spot. Since the soil of Siberia has never been farmed because it was always covered by snow, it would probably be excellent for farming. Agriculture and real estate could make Russia richer than any other country in the world. In contrast, Pakistan may become too hot for its inhabitants. Temperatures in the Punjab are often over 100 ⁰F now, but what if climate change causes the temperature to stay above 120 or 130 ⁰F ? Another example is the Qori Kalis glacier in Peru . As it melts, big pieces have broken off and caused flooding in the valley. So now the valley often has too much water. Eventually, however, the glacier will disappear. When it does, the people in the valley will not have enough water and it will be drier. Finally, Western Europe could experience much colder temperatures as a result of changing ocean patterns.



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