Climate
change can easily be defined as changes in the statistical distribution
of weather patterns when the changes last for an extended period of
time (i.e., decades to millions of years).
Most
climate scientists agree the main cause of the current global warming trend is
human expansion of the "greenhouse effect" — warming that
results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space.
Certain gases in the atmosphere block heat from escaping.
Scientists
generally stated the five components of earth's climate system to
include atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere,
and biosphere.
Factors
that can shape climate are called climate forcings or "forcing
mechanisms" which can be easily identified as a major cause of
climate change. A climate forcing is any influence on climate that originates
from outside the climate system itself. The climate system includes the oceans,
land surface, cryosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere.
On the broadest scale, the rate at which energy is received from the sun
and the rate at which it is lost to space determine the equilibrium temperature
and climate of Earth. This energy is distributed around the globe by winds,
ocean currents, and other mechanisms to affect the climates of different
regions.
Factors
that can shape climate are called climate forcings or "forcing
mechanisms". These include processes such as variations in solar
radiation, variations in the Earth's orbit, variations in the albedo or
reflectivity of the continents and
oceans, mountain-building and continental drift and changes
in greenhouse gas concentrations.
There
are a variety of climate change feedbacks that can either amplify or
diminish the initial forcing. Some parts of the climate system, such as the
oceans and ice caps, respond more slowly in reaction to climate forcings, while
others respond more quickly. There are also key threshold
factors which when exceeded can produce rapid change.
Forcing
mechanisms can be either "internal" or "external". Internal
forcing mechanisms are natural processes within the climate system itself
(e.g., the thermohaline circulation). External forcing mechanisms can be
either natural (e.g., changes in solar output) or anthropogenic (e.g.,
increased emissions of greenhouse gases).
Whether
the initial forcing mechanism is internal or external, the response of the
climate system might be fast (e.g., a sudden cooling due to
airborne volcanic ash reflecting sunlight), slow (e.g. thermal
expansion of warming ocean water), or a combination (e.g., sudden loss
of albedo in the arctic ocean as sea ice melts, followed by more
gradual thermal expansion of the water). Therefore, the climate system can
respond abruptly, but the full response to forcing mechanisms might not be
fully developed for centuries or even longer.
Here is a list
of the many different natural occurrences as highlighted by scientists :
Slight
or drastic changes to the Earth's orbit, affecting the amount of sunlight that
reaches the Earth's atmosphere.
Volcanic
activity which can emit aerosols and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, thus
increase greenhouse gases.
Stronger
or weaker solar intensity caused by occurrences within the sun which can lead
to hotter or colder temperatures on Earth.
Natural
seasonal changes, which lead to an increase in the release of carbon dioxide
from warmer oceans in the summer or trees dropping their leaves in the fall.
Changes
in ocean currents, which shift air currents.
Continental
drift, which change the flow of ocean and wind currents.
Here is a
partial list of the Artificial Climate Changes:
Urbanization
and the destruction of natural habitats for urban sprawl
Electricity
or other sources of power or utilities produced by burning oil, coal or natural
gas.
An
overdependence on, poor maintenance of and inefficiency of automobiles.
Poor
or short-sided community planning and the increase of suburban areas, making
cities difficult or impossible to walk or bike.
Factory
and industrial farming, its polluting runoff which kills natural habitats and
its use of chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.
Our
highly disposable lifestyle, poorly crafted and short-lived goods, and wasteful personal
and cultural habits.
An
unhealthy dependency on chemicals, from the production of plastics to cleaning
supplies to food preparation.
Deforestation
done for building purposes, to increase unsustainable farming or production of
paper goods or other unnecessary "things"
Impacts
of Climate Change
1.
Erratic climate and weather extremes
2. Altered
ecosystems and habitats
3. Risks
to human health and society
Erratic Climate
and Weather Extremes
The
first climate study to focus on variations in daily weather conditions has
found that day-to-day weather has grown increasingly erratic and extreme, with
significant fluctuations in sunshine and rainfall affecting more than a third
of the planet.
Altered
Ecosystems and Habitats
Climate
change is altering the pattern of life on the planet, causing widespread
species extinction, migration and behaviour changes.
As climatic
patterns rapidly shift, habitats on land and in the sea are changing, making
them inhospitable for some species, while letting others move in and take over.
In some cases, entire ecosystems are at risk of collapsing.
Risks to Human
Health and Society
Climate
change has brought about possibly permanent alterations to our planet’s
geological, biological and ecological systems.
Human
life is thrown out of balance. There is new and stronger confirmation that most
of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human
activities. These changes have led to the emergence of
large-scale environmental hazards to human health, such as extreme
weather, ozone depletion, increased danger of wildland fires, loss
of biodiversity, stresses to food-producing systems and the global
spread of infectious diseases.
Things That Can Be Done to Reduce Climate Change
Burning
fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, oil and gasoline raises the level of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and carbon dioxide are the major contributor
to the global climatic changes.
To
help you get to grips with climate change, here are some identified keys that
you needed to be enlightened about on caring out day to day lives.
Here are 10
simple actions you can take to help reduce global warming:
Educating
of The Young Ones
Future
generation’s opinions should not be overruled in the course of “prevention of
climate change in the future”.
Now is the time
to start educating our children about climate change and its effects. This can
be done at school, by parents and every simply through leading by example. Be
it by giving them the responsibility to make sure lights and plugs are turned
off in their rooms each time or getting them involved in recycling and
other green initiatives.
Use
Less Heat and Air Conditioning Appliances
Turn
down the heat while you're sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep
temperatures moderate at all times.
Purchasing
of Energy-Efficient Products
Home
appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and LED bulbs are
designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than
standard light bulbs.
Avoid
products that come with excess packaging, especially molded plastic and
other packaging that can't be recycled.
Be
Part of The Fight Against Climate Change
If
you want to part of the mission, find out about climate change events, at a
local and a national stage, which you're interested in. There are plenty of
fundraising and awareness-raising events you can be part of!
If
you have the means to plant a tree, start planting.
Trees
are an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth,
but there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in
carbon dioxide caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human
activities.
