Before entering deep of the article, let us start off with a simple definition of climate change.
Climate change is a change in global or regional climate patterns. This involves the raised level of CO2 caused by the use of fossil fuels.
Is climate change something real?
If you have followed the news in the last months, you probably know that people like Donald Trump think that climate change is not real at all. They believe that humankind is not strong enough to change the climate. However, China has used, many times in the past, artificial rain. That is enough to say that we are able to influence the climate. I am not the only one who believes that climate change is real – so do 97 percent of scientists.
What are the causes of climate change?
The first reason for climate change is the use of fossil fuels such as coal and oils. When they are burnt they emit greenhouse gases which inevitably heats up our atmosphere. It is also important to say that, for instance, the burning of coal does not cause just the production of dangerous gases but can also cause acid rain as the coal contains sulfur and when burnt it can react with the water in the atmosphere to create sulfuric acid.
Nevertheless, a certain amount of greenhouse gases are essential otherwise life would not exist.
What are the consequences of high levels of greenhouse gases?
Basically, the first main consequence that we should all care about is the rise in temperature. So far the average global temperature has increased by 0.8 °C. For some people that number could seem absolutely nothing, but our ecosystem is fragile and a small increase in temperature can cause many problems.
The second consequence is the raising of sea level. As the temperature increases the ice, as we all know, melts to become water. If this situation keeps going like that the most of the sea level will rise enough to submerge islands and cause problems to towns and cities near which are near the sea (think of Miami for example).
The third important consequence is a great chance to have extreme phenomena such as tornadoes, flooding, and so on. Sadly, in these last few years, we are seeing more and more often those events.
Are there any solutions? Can I do something to stop all of this?
Yes, there are many solutions, and each of us can actually contribute to change the situation. The only thing we need is willpower. A first of all rely more on renewable energies such as solar panels.
Eat more wisely. Try to eat organic food. This is not just a good choice for your health, but also for the area where you live as you contribute to help the local farmers.
Another idea could be being energy efficient. If you do not need some lights, just switch them off. After you have done this you can move on to the next step which is changing the lights bulbs to compact fluorescent or LEDs that consume less energy and you will end up with a happy smile at the end of the month as your light bill will be much lower.
Article sources
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-epa-myrion-ebell-environmental-protection-agency-global-warming-climate-change-a7548926.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-denial-psychology_us_56438664e4b045bf3ded5ca5
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/decadaltemp.php