As David Suzuki would say, “climate change occurs when
long-term weather patterns are altered.” These long-term patterns typically occur
through human activity. Global warming is one measure of climate change, and is
a rise in the average global temperature. Ways in which we alter the global temperature
is through the use of motor vehicles, idling of vehicles, increased disposal of
waste and improper recycling, or lack thereof.
Life on Earth survives because of the warmth from the sun.
Some of the incoming solar radiation bounces back into space, but some of it is
trapped by a balance of gases in our atmosphere. This layer of gases acts as
insulation for our planet. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important gas in
this layer. Carbon is stored all over the planet in plants, soil, and oceans
and people. We release carbon as CO2 into the atmosphere through the burning of
fossil fuels and cutting down trees. We have anthropogenically released so much
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that there is now 42% more CO2 in the atmosphere
than there was before the industrial era (David Suzuki Foundation). This layer
of gases in the atmosphere has become a thick, “heat trapping blanket,” and now
we are seeing extreme effects around the globe. Global effects of climate change
include volcanic eruptions, variations in solar radiation received by Earth,
and plate tectonics altering ocean currents and heat transport.
Sources:
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/climate-change-basics/climate-change-101-1/
