C L IM AT E C HA N G E

DEFINITION
• CHANGE IN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
AND CYCLES OF WEATHER OVER A LONG
PERIOD OF TIME.

• SINCE 1880, SCIENTISTS HAVE KEPT

THERMOMETER-BASED RECORDS OF THE
GLOBAL SURFACE TEMPERATURE.

• THE PLANET IS BECOMING WARMER; THE

CLIMATE IS CHANGING.
WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE A PROBLEM?

• HURRICANES INCREASES
• WILDFIRES BECOME COMMON
• DROUGHT
WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE A PROBLEM?

• CHANGES IN RAINFALL
• FLOODING
• LANDSLIDE
• DESTRUCTION OF HOMES
WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE A PROBLEM?
• THE INCREASE IN GLOBAL
TEMPERATURES IS CAUSING A
REDUCTION IN SEA ICE.

• THIS CAUSES PROBLEMS FOR

ANIMALS THAT DEPEND ON THE ICE
TO HUNT, MATE AND SLEEP.
WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE A PROBLEM?
WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE?
• CARBON DIOXIDE (CO ), METHANE (CH ) AND
2 4 CO2
WATER VAPOUR (H2O) ARE GREENHOUSE GASES CO2
CH4
THAT ARE FOUND IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
CO2
• ENERGY TRAVELS FROM THE SUN TO THE EARTH CH4
AS SHORT WAVE RADIATION. IT DOES NOT CH4

INTERACT STRONGLY WITH THE GREENHOUSE CO2 CH4

GAS MOLECULES SO IT REACHES THE EARTH’S
SURFACE. CO2
WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE?
• THE EARTH’S SURFACE EMITS CO2
LONG WAVELENGTH RADIATION. CO2
CH4
THIS DOES INTERACT WITH THE GREENHOUSE
GAS MOLECULES. CO2

• THE GREENHOUSE GAS MOLECULES ABSORB CH4

CH4

SOME OF THE ENERGY, TRAPPING IT IN THE

CO2 CH4
ATMOSPHERE.

• THIS PROCESS KEEPS THE EARTH WARM AND IS CO2

ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE.
WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE?
• THE HIGHER THE PROPORTION CO2
OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE, CH4
CO2

THE MORE RADIATION IS ABSORBED.

CO2
• THIS CAUSES A RISE IN THE TEMPERATURE OF CH4
THE EARTH AND IS KNOWN AS THE CH4

GREENHOUSE EFFECT. CO2 CH4

• THIS INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE DRIVES CO2

CLIMATE CHANGE.
WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE?

BURNING FOSSIL FUELS

DEFORESTATION (DESTRUCTION OF
FORESTS)

REDUCTION OF BIODIVERSITY
WHO ARE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE?
• IN THE LONG TERM, EVERYONE WILL FEEL THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. HOWEVER,
SOME PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY MORE AFFECTED THAN OTHERS.

• IN MOST CASES, THE WEALTH OF PROSPEROUS COUNTRIES HAS COME FROM ACTIVITIES
WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THIS WEALTH ALLOWS THESE
COUNTRIES TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

• POORER COUNTRIES ARE LESS ABLE TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND THEREFORE
SUFFER THE MOST FROM ITS EFFECTS. THEY ARE ALSO LESS ABLE TO DEVELOP BECAUSE
THEY NEED TO FOCUS ON ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.
WHO CAN FIX CLIMATE CHANGE?
• GOVERNMENTS CAN MAKE LAWS AND POLICIES THAT REDUCE THE AMOUNT
OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

• BUSINESSES CAN CHANGE THEIR PROCESSES TO RUN MORE SUSTAINABLY.

• WE CAN ALL MAKE CHOICES IN OUR OWN LIVES THAT REDUCE OUR CARBON
FOOTPRINT (THE IMPACT OUR ACTIONS AND PURCHASES HAVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE).

• WE CAN ALSO USE OUR VOICES TO LET BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENTS KNOW THAT
WE WANT THEM TO ACT QUICKLY TO REDUCE THEIR IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
REFERENCES

Dahlman, L., & Lindsey, R. (2024, January 18). Climate .Gov. Retrieved from Climate .Gov: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-
temperature
NASA. (n.d.). NASA. Retrieved from NASA: https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/