Climate Change

Description
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be
natural, 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), which produces heat-trapping gases.

2011-2020 was the warmest decade recorded, with global average temperature reaching 1.1°C above
pre-industrial levels in 2019. Human-induced global warming is presently increasing at a rate of 0.2°C per
decade.

Causes
An increase of 2°C compared to the temperature in pre-industrial times is associated with serious
negative impacts on to the natural environment and human health and wellbeing, including a much
higher risk that dangerous and possibly catastrophic changes in the global environment will occur.

For this reason, the international community has recognized the need to keep warming well below 2°C
and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.

Burning coal, oil and gas produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.

 Cutting down forests (deforestation). Trees help to regulate the climate by absorbing CO2 from
the atmosphere. When they are cut down, that beneficial effect is lost and the carbon stored in
the trees is released into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect.
 Increasing livestock farming. Cows and sheep produce large amounts of methane when they
digest their food.
 Fertilizers containing nitrogen produce nitrous oxide emissions.
 Fluorinated gases are emitted from equipment and products that use these gases. Such
emissions have a very strong warming effect, up to 23 000 times greater than CO2.

Effects or Impacts of Climate change

The impacts of climate change on different sectors of society are interrelated. Drought can harm food
production and human health. Flooding can lead to disease spread and damages to ecosystems and
infrastructure. Human health issues can increase mortality, impact food availability, and limit worker
productivity. Climate change impacts are seen throughout every aspect of the world we live in. However,
climate change impacts are uneven across the country and the world — even within a single community,
climate change impacts can differ between neighborhoods or individuals. Long-standing socioeconomic
inequities can make underserved groups, who often have the highest exposure to hazards and the
fewest resources to respond, more vulnerable.
Climate change is already impacting human health. Changes in weather and climate patterns can put
lives at risk. Heat is one of the most deadly weather phenomena. As ocean temperatures rise, hurricanes
are getting stronger and wetter, which can cause direct and indirect deaths. Dry conditions lead to more
wildfires, which bring many health risks. Higher incidences of flooding can lead to the spread of
waterborne diseases, injuries, and chemical hazards. As geographic ranges of mosquitoes and ticks
expand, they can carry diseases to new locations.