Idiotâ??s Guide To Climate Change

[temi]

It seems you canâ??t go anywhere nowadays without someone harping on about the climate â?? itâ??s on the telly, in the papers, on the radio â?? we do it all the time at New Consumer, after all, it is a major concern to the world as we know it. However, what the media tends to portray is affectionately known as climate porn: images of polar bears sitting hungrily on stamp-sized bits of ice, a lonely cactus in the desert, us all turning into Eskimos with the return of an ice-ageâ?¦ The problem is, people just switch off. Theyâ??re bored of it. They donâ??t want to be told off for staying warm in the winter â?? or that the world is going to end in 20 years time. Scare tactics just arenâ??t cutting it, so weâ??ve put together an idiotâ??s guide to climate change: explaining exactly what it is, why itâ??s happening, what the future may hold, and what you can do to help. Defining climate change Most people consider climate change to be the warming of the planet. What climate change actually means is the significant change of average temperature in a specific region: i.e. it refers to both the warming and cooling of the planet. Wind, cloud density and ocean currents are all contributors in maintaining temperature, and changes in any of them will mean that some areas will warm up, whereas others will cool down. In fact, a recent study has shown that Antarctica has dropped in temperature over the past 40 years. The hole in the ozone layer situated above it means that the Earthâ??s upper atmosphere is cooler, which has increased speeds of circular winds that whizz around the continent. These winds donâ??t allow warmer air to reach the centre of Antarctica, and that has resulted in an overall cooling of the region. Why itâ??s happening and the future Large amounts of CO2 have been in the atmosphere for millions of years. The majority of the wordâ??s C02 emissions come from natural sources (volcanic eruptions, ocean evaporation and organic decay), and they have always been balanced by natural absorptions â?? or carbon sinks â?? which comfortably soak up the gasses. Humans contribute to about 4% of the worldâ??s C02 emissions â?? thatâ??s a 4% increase on normal levels. This may seem like a negligible amount â?? but it is enough to tip the balance and disrupt the C02 cycle significantly â?? because more carbon is entering the atmosphere than can naturally be absorbed by carbon sinks. The planetâ??s largest carbon sink is the ocean, with it absorbing as much as 40% of human emissions. The rest is entering the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect, which is slowly warming up the world. Long term effects of global warming are diverse. Whilst some species will survive â?? and thrive â?? in warmer climates, it will be to the detriment of others. Many species could become extinct as the habitats they rely on cannot adapt to new temperatures. Africa could be hit hardest, with the average rainfall in the region dropping significantly, meaning its average farming output could halve as early as 2020 â?? weâ??re already seeing early effects of this. Long term effects This is the complicated, sciencey bit. Large parts of Europe and America have mild climates thanks to a major ocean current: the North Atlantic Drift. The North Atlantic Drift helps to keep the continents a few degrees warmer than they otherwise would be by bringing warm water from the Caribbean to the north. If the overall temperature of the planet heats up to roughly 3 degrees more than it currently is, then far more ice and Atlantic glaciers are going to melt, pouring fresh water into the ocean. Salty oceanic water is denser than fresh water, which means that if a lot of melted-ice-water enters the sea it will eventually disrupt the current, slowing it down or even cutting it off completely. In Europe, this means a drop in temperature by around 5 degrees (and despite popular opinion, most scientists agree that the northern hemisphere is NOT about to enter into another ice-age anytime soon), and in the rest of the world it could mean famines, death of the Amazon and mass flooding â?? but that isnâ??t necessarily going to happen. What you can do Individually, a single personâ??s steps to curtail their personal emissions can seem fairly insignificant. But if we all take a stand, together, and take just a few steps to lower our carbon footprint then it will make a massive difference (especially to your energy bill). Itâ??s not all doom and gloom, and itâ??s certainly not too late!

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