Decoding Climate Change
Climate change is in the news A LOT lately!
Whether it’s reports on the latest laws or international agreements, or it’s because of natural disasters that seem to be getting more frequent and more devastating, it’s everywhere. However, with all this talk on climate change, it can sometimes be difficult to fully understand what’s being discussed when there is a lot of scientific jargon being thrown around. So let’s get into the basics.
Before jumping into all the lingo, we should first make a distinction between weather and climate.
Whether it’s reports on the latest laws or international agreements, or it’s because of natural disasters that seem to be getting more frequent and more devastating, it’s everywhere. However, with all this talk on climate change, it can sometimes be difficult to fully understand what’s being discussed when there is a lot of scientific jargon being thrown around. So let’s get into the basics.
Before jumping into all the lingo, we should first make a distinction between weather and climate.
- Weather is generally what we experience when we step outside - it’s the temperature and meteorological condition at a particular time.
- Climate is a broader look at the weather conditions over a longer period of time.
What exactly is climate change?
Climate Change is the long term change in the climate caused mainly by human actions. Generally speaking, this all started during the Industrial Revolution, when we started to use fossil fuels (coal and oil) to power our lives. The burning of these fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. There are several greenhouse gases, but it is carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) that we are most concerned about. These gases play a pivotal role in the greenhouse effect, acting as a reflective shield that redirects the sun’s heat back down to earth, keeping our planet at a liveable temperature.
Typically, the greenhouse effect is actually a GOOD thing!
Without it, our planet’s average temperature would plummet to about -17°C (-2°F) instead of the 14°C (57°F) it maintained prior to the Industrial Revolution! However, a problem arises when we emit too many greenhouse gases at a faster rate than the earth can naturally absorb, intensifying the effect and heating our planet.
Image Source: IPCC
This is what has been happening over the past century, so much so that we are increasing the overall average temperature of the earth. Currently, our planet's global surface temperature has already increased by nearly 1.2°C (2.2°F) to 15°C (59°F). This average surface temperature is what is taken into account when scientists and politicians refer to the 1.5°C benchmark. Trying to limit the average temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial (and thus pre-fossil fuel use) temperatures presents an opportunity to avert the severe and irreversible consequences of climate change.
As we see, we are approaching the 1.5°C benchmark at a concerning rate!
When our planet’s natural equilibrium gets disrupted, we witness a cascade of repercussions: increasing presence of extreme temperatures, an upswing in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, and an accelerated rate of plant and animal extinctions.
This diagram from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows the results of a study simulating the earth’s temperature change based on varying causes (the red part being only greenhouse gas emissions, the green part only natural causes, etc.).
As we can see, the observed rapid temperature increase is only possible as a result of human causes.
One way to lessen the effects of climate change is through mitigation. This is done by either reducing greenhouse gas emissions or by removing them from the atmosphere entirely. Unfortunately, we see that some environmental impacts and processes have already been put into motion and cannot be reversed.
Thus, our world must learn to adapt.
Climate change adaptation is becoming an increasingly important topic of discussion as we want to reduce the potential harm and risks brought about by climate change, while seeking to provide a livable planet for future generations.
Combating climate change and its consequences demands the active participation of all of us, each doing whatever we can to contribute to a better future. Understanding the basics and some of the key terminology is the first step in this journey!
Thus, our world must learn to adapt.
Climate change adaptation is becoming an increasingly important topic of discussion as we want to reduce the potential harm and risks brought about by climate change, while seeking to provide a livable planet for future generations.
Combating climate change and its consequences demands the active participation of all of us, each doing whatever we can to contribute to a better future. Understanding the basics and some of the key terminology is the first step in this journey!
In the next edition of this series, we will discuss the relationship between climate change and the increase in both frequency and severity of natural disasters. We will also explore what effects this might have on the future of a livable (and run-able!) planet...
