[CLIMATE 101: OZONE DEPLETION]

15 to 35 kilometers above Earth's surface a gas called ozone surrounds the planet. The ozone layer acts as a barrier between Earth and ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. However, pollution has caused the ozone
layer to thin exposing life on Earth to dangerous radiation. Earth's atmosphere is made up of six layers. The second layer, called the stratosphere, contains the ozone layer. The ozone layer is made up of a highly
reactive molecule called ozone which contains three oxygen atoms. Ozone is a trace gas in the atmosphere. There are only about three molecules for every 10 million molecules of air but it does a very important
job. The ozone layer acts as Earth's sunscreen, absorbing about 98% of damaging ultraviolet or UV light. But the ozone layer has gotten thinner. Chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs are the primary
culprits in ozone layer breakdown. A CFC is a molecule that contains the elements carbon, chlorine and fluorine. CFCs are mostly found in refrigerants, aerosols and plastic products. When CFCs are exposed to
ultraviolet rays in the atmosphere, they break down into substances that include chlorine. The chlorine reacts with the oxygen atoms in ozone and rips apart the ozone molecule. Areas of damage in the ozone
layer are often called ozone holes but that name is misleading. Ozone layer damage is more like a thin patch with the thinnest areas near the poles. The ozone layer above the Antarctic in particular has been
impacted by pollution since the mid-1980s. There the region's low temperatures speed up the conversion of CFCs to ozone-damaging chlorine. About 90% of CFCs currently in the atmosphere were emitted by
industrialized countries in the northern hemisphere. In 1989 the Montreal Protocol banned the production of ozone-depleting substances. Since then the amount of chlorine and other ozone-depleting elements
in the atmosphere have been falling. Scientists estimate that chlorine levels will return to their natural state in about 50 years. By then the Antarctic ozone hole will shrink to smaller than eight million square
miles.

[CLIMATE 101: WITH BLL NYE]

We hear it so much that it feels like a buzzword but it is far from it. Climate change is a real and serious issue. But isn't the climate always changing. What exactly is climate change. Why should we care? Well the Earth's climate has changed
throughout history most of these slight changes are caused by small variations in the Earth's orbit but climate change as we know it today is characterized by an abrupt increase in the earth's temperature. It is estimated to have gotten 1.2 to 1.4
degrees Fahrenheit warmer in just the last century. 10 out of the last 13 years were the warmest on record 97% of climate scientists agree that this new tendency is not caused by the variations of the Earth's orbit but rather very likely caused
by human activities that means you mean. And since the Industrial Revolution we have come a long way. Humans built airplanes, faster cars, developed remarkable technology and learned how the natural resources around us can be used for
our benefit. Although this has led to many wonderful inventions and advancements like the device you're using to watch this video or the ability to take a plane halfway around the world. It also means we've increased our consumption of natural
resources and in turn released a lot of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Now greenhouse gases occurred naturally but in excess can be dangerous to our planet modern human activities have increased the release of non naturally occurring
greenhouse gases because we have stepped up our demand for burning fossil fuels. The composition of greenhouse gases traps heat radiated from the Sun the more heat they trap the warm our planet gets and as our planet gets warmer we
begin to feel the effects. What if climate changes, biggest victims: our oceans. Oceans regularly through earth's temperature and provide 50 percent of the Earth's oxygen a climate change has increased the global temperature of the oceans by
more than 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. Although a warmer ocean might seem inviting to a beach goer it actually has devastating consequences for supporting life at sea. One of those consequences is ocean acidification, a direct effect of
increased dissolved co2 since the late 18th century ocean surface acidification is increased by 30% a higher acid content means calcifying species like oysters and clams and shell water corals are at risk putting the entire ocean food web at risk.
This is bad news for the one building people relying on the ocean as its primary source of protein. Climate changes also caused the sea level to rise just in the last century sea levels have risen six point
seven inches but the rate in the last decade is nearly doubled. Sea levels have risen because as the ocean gets warmer it swells on top of that glaciers and ice sheets are melting an article. 36 cubic miles of ice between 2002 and 2005 and since
1994 each year on average the earth has lost 400 billion tons from its glaciers that's like an ice cube seven and a half kilometres on a site for miles on a side melting and flowing into the sea. When all that ice melts it fills up our oceans and just
like filling up a bathtub. The shores can't hold all that water and coastal regions get flooded. Troubling signs of climate change are increased extreme weather events natural disasters like floods tornadoes and deadly heat waves are more obvious
to humans because of their immediate impact and their sharing of the images in the media. Climate change as we know it today is change in our Earth's overall temperature with massive and permanent ramifications although its consequences
can be planet threatening. Scientists still believe there are things we can do on a personal level to help recycle and reuse things, walk or use public transportation to get to work, turn off your electronics when you're not using
Them, eat less meat while you're at it eat more locally grown vegetables and foods and last but not least spread your knowledge and concerns about climate change with others when it comes to climate change the main takeaway is that it's
real and although we are part of the cause we can also be part of the solution.

[GLOBAL WARMING]
For 2.5 million years the Earth's climate has fluctuated cycling from ice ages to warmer periods but in the last century the planets temperature has risen unusually fast about 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists believe it's human activity
that's driving the temperatures up. A process known as global warming ever since the industrial revolution began factories power plants and eventually cars have burned fossil fuels such as oil and pole releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide
and other gases into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases trap heat near the earth through a naturally occurring process called the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect begins with the Sun and the energy it radiates to the earth
the earth and the atmosphere absorbs some of this energy while the rest is radiated back into space. Naturally-occurring gases in the atmosphere trap some of this energy and reflected back warming the earth. Scientists now believe that the
greenhouse effect is being intensified by the extra greenhouse gases that humans have released evidence for global warming includes a recent string of very warm years. Scientists report that 1998 was the warmest year in measured history
with 2005 coming in second meanwhile readings taken from ice cores show that the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane have hit their highest levels in the past 420 thousand years. Arctic sea ice is also shrinking according to NASA
studies the extent of Arctic sea ice has declined about 10 percent in the last 30 years. As long as industrialized nations consume energy and developing countries increase their fossil fuel consumption the concentration of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere will continue to rise. Researchers predict that temperatures will increase about two to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century what's less certain is what rising temperatures mean for the planet some climate models
predict subtle changes others forecast rising sea levels which could flood coastal areas around the world. Weather patterns could change making hurricanes more frequent severe. Droughts could become more common in warm areas and
species unable to adapt to the changing conditions would face extinction. Although much remains to be learned about global warming many organizations advocate cutting greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the impact of global warming
consumers can help by saving energy around the house switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and driving fewer miles in the car each week these simple changes may help keep the earth cooler in the future.

[RENEWABLE ENERGY]
Around the world renewable energy use is on the rise and these alternative energy sources could hold the key to combating climate change. What is renewable energy? Renewable energy is generated from sources that naturally replenish
themselves and never run out. The most common sources are solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass. Over 80% of the total energy consumed by humans is derived from fossil fuels however renewables are the fastest growing source of
energy in the world. Renewable energy has many benefits first it can combat climate change because it creates no direct greenhouse gas emissions the only emissions that they produce are indirect meaning those that result from manufacturing
parts installation operation and maintenance but even those are minimal. Second, renewable energy can decrease pollution and therefore reduce threats to our health wind solar and hydroelectric systems create no air pollution. Emissions and
geothermal and biomass energy systems emissions are much lower than non-renewable energy sources. Third renewable energy is a reliable source of power because renewable energy sources are well renewable they will never run out once
built. Renewable facilities cost very little to operate and the fuel is often free as a result renewable energy prices tend to be stable over time while renewable energy has many advantages it is not without downsides. It is difficult for renewable
energy sources to generate power on the same large scale as fossil fuels building wind farms and dams can disrupt wildlife and migration patterns and lead to ecological destruction both solar and wind energy are intermittent they only generate
power while the sun is shining or while the wind is blowing. Batteries can store excess energy for later use however they are often costly. While renewable energy presents some challenges it also offers an environmentally friendly alternative
to the greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of fossil fuels and as advances in technology make renewable energy more accessible affordable and efficient an end to climate change could be within our reach.

[CLIMATE CHANGE: CAUSE AND EFFECT]

Human activities from pollution to overpopulation are driving up the earth's temperature and fundamentally changing the world around us the main cause is a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Gases in the atmosphere such as
water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons let the sun's light in but keep some of the heat from escaping like the glass walls of a greenhouse the more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere the more heat gets
trapped strengthening the greenhouse effect and increasing the earth's temperature. Human activities like the burning of fossil fuels have increased the amount of co2 in the atmosphere by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution the
rapid increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has warmed the planet at an alarming rate. While Earth's climate has fluctuated in the past atmospheric carbon dioxide hasn't reached today's levels in hundreds of thousands of years.
Climate change has consequences for our oceans, our weather, our food sources and our health. Ice sheets such as Greenland and Antarctica are melting the extra water that was once held in glaciers causes sea levels to rise and spills out of the
oceans flooding coastal regions. Warmer temperatures also make weather more extreme this means not only more intense major storms floods and heavy snowfall but also longer and more frequent droughts. These changes in weather pose
challenges growing crops becomes more difficult. The areas where plants and animals can live shift and water supplies are diminished in addition to creating new agricultural challenges. Climate change can directly affect people's physical health.
In urban areas the warmer atmosphere creates an environment that traps and increases the amount of smog. This is because smog contains ozone particles which increase rapidly at higher temperatures exposure to higher levels of smog can
cause health problems such as asthma, heart disease and lung cancer while the rapid rate of climate change is caused by humans. Humans are also the ones who can combat it if we work to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources like
solar and wind which don't produce greenhouse gas emissions we might still be able to prevent some of the worst effects of climate change.