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Global warming is in the news a lot. What do you know about it?

The rate of the increase in temperature is increasing. This means that in the next 100 years, the average temperature is likely to increase by more than 1°C.

In the past century, the average temperature has risen by 1°C. This might not sound like very much, but this increase has had a huge impact on our planet.

What Is Global Warming?

Global warming (a large part of climate change) is the increase in temperature of Earth. Hotter weather might sound lovely but the realityis very different.

Have you ever been in a greenhouse? Even on a cold day, the temperature inside a greenhouse will be warmer than outside. Sunlight goes through the glass and the heat is trapped inside. Greenhouse gases do the same thing, acting like a blanket around the Earth, keeping heat in.

Greenhouse gases occur naturally. The average global temperature is around 15°C. Without greenhouse gases, scientists estimate that the temperature would be -18 °C!

However, human activity is causing more greenhouse gases, which means the temperature is increasing by too much.

What Causes Global Warming?

Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases. These gases include carbon dioxide, ozone, methane and water vapour.

They are burnt in power stations to make electricity and are used to run cars.

When fossil fuels are burnt, carbon dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.

Humans Make Pollution

Human activity that has increased levels of greenhouse gases include the use of fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are things such as coal, gas and oil.

Humans Cut-Down Trees

Deforestation (cutting down huge areas of trees for different reasons, such as using the wood for fuel, building houses or factories) is another cause. Trees absorb carbon dioxide. Fewer trees means more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Animals, such as cows, release a greenhouse gas called methane when they burp and break wind (that’s the polite term for it, you can probably think of other terms).Fertilisers that farmers use to help plants grow well and pesticides to keep insects away release greenhouse gases.

Humans Produce Food

Farming is important and without it we wouldn’t have food. However, some types of farming are contributing to global warming because of the greenhouse gases they produce.

The world’s population is over 7 billion and it is continuing to grow at a fast rate. This means more food is needed, so more farming is done. This means even more greenhouse gases are being produced.

How Is Farming Tackling Climate Change?

The farming industry have developed a Greenhouse Gas Action Plan that aims to reduce greenhouse gas.

Farmers are tackling climate change in a number of ways

Drones can be used to help farmers identify areas in fields that need treating for issues, such as weeds. The drone can target a certain area of the field where the problem is.

Battery-powered robots are being developed that will apply pesticides and fertilisers and sow seeds. Because the seeds are being applied one at a time, the need for ploughing will be reduced. Large-scale ploughing disturbs the top layer of soil and this releases a lot of carbon dioxide.

Farmers are also planting more trees and growing bigger hedgerows. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen as part of a process called photosynthesis.

Did You Know…? Some companies say that manure can be used to generate electricity.

When ice melts, it turns to water. The melting polar ice caps are causing sea levels across the world to rise. Sea levels are rising at around 0.3cm per year. This could see coastal areas flooded, leaving less land to live on and grow food on.

Global Warming Melts Ice

Global warming is causing ice at both the North and South Poles to melt. This means animals, such as polar bears, penguins and seals, are losing their habitats.

More heat causes increase in evaporation of ocean water which in turn increases the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. This leads to more extreme weather, such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

Hotter temperatures will result in droughts. Droughts not only mean less water for people to drink but also less water to produce crops for both humans and animals.

Global Warming = Hotter Temperatures

Reduce, reuse and recycle! Although recycling is very important, people need to think more about the first two parts of that phrase. Reduce the amount of waste you create and reuse whatever you can.

Being Green

Saving electricity is a great way to be more green. You can achieve this by doing simple things, such as switching the lights off when you leave a room. (Make sure other people are not still in there!)

Appliances, such as TVs and computers, should be properly switched off and not left on stand-by when not being used. You could ask the grown-ups you live with to use energy-saving lightbulbs.

Buying locally-grown food is another great way to be more green. When food from the other side of the world is transported on aeroplanes to our country, lots of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere from engines of aeroplanes. A lorry transportingvegetables from a few miles down the road is much more environmentally-friendly.

Being More Green

Living an environmentally-friendly life is the best way to help the planet. Using less plastic and walking or cycling rather than using a car makes a big difference.

What Is Climate Change?

Climate change is a term used by experts when describing the way that both weather and climate systems are changing as a result of mankind’s industrial activity across the world.

Then Now

What Is Being Affected By Climate Change?

There are a lot of different environmental changes that are happening as a result of climate change. Some are big and some are small.These include:

Shrinking glaciers

Rising sea levels

Plant species shifting locations

Animal species becoming

endangered

Trees and plants flowering much

earlier in the year

1

2

3

5

4

These include:

Why Is the World’s Climate Changing?Experts believe that humans are the main reason why the world’s climate and weather are changing.

Burning fossil fuels

1

Beef cattle farming

2

Agricultural fertilisers

3

A key contributing factor is the creation of greenhouse gases caused by human activities.

How Do Greenhouse Gases Change the Climate?

Greenhouse gases that get released into the atmosphere prevent heat from escaping the Earth.

The result of this is that whilst the Sun’s rays can enter the atmosphere to provide our planet with heat and warmth, not as much can escape.

Therefore, the planet keeps getting hotter and hotter.

Since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th Century, the planet’s average temperature has increased by around one degree.

Where Do These Greenhouse Gases Come From?

Water Vapour (H20)The most abundant greenhouse gas, created through the heating of water.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)Created through the burning of substances containing carbon, such as fossil fuels.

Methane (CH4)Produced by cattle, chickens and pigs. As the global population increases, the more of these creatures are farmed and the more gas they produce.

Nitrous Oxide (N20)Used in rocket fuel, racing cars, hospitals and dentist surgeries. Also found in agricultural fertilisers.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC)Found in air conditioning and refrigerators.

How Do Greenhouse Gases Change the Climate?

It is very important to reduce the production of the gases that are creating the greenhouse effect. This is reliant on governments across the world creating laws and strategies to meet certain targets in pollution reduction.

In developed countries, such as those in the European Union, plans and laws are already in place. In developing countries, however, there is still a greater dependency on industries that create greenhouse gases.

How Do Greenhouse Gases Change the Climate?

Some countries, including the UK, have committed to reducing emissions and finding alternative energy sources, including:

building wind farms, solar farms and other

means of creating electricity from

renewable energy;

supporting the manufacture and

purchase of electric vehicles;

committing to phasing out the manufacture of

petrol and diesel powered transport.

Many people believed that the children should have faced consequences

for missing time from school, but some believed that their protests were important, as it is the

younger generation who will feel the impact of climate change more

severely.

In early 2019, young people

became involved in

demonstrations in the UK.

Thousands of school-aged

children refused to attend school

so that they could attend organised demonstrations in

major cities.

What Is Being Done to Combat Climate Change?

Demonstrations and rallies have always been an important way of people making their voices heard and their opinions known.

What Are the Consequences of Not Doing Enough?

Without global warming slowing down, experts have predicted there are some very serious consequences for our planet.These include:

Up to 30% of the Earth’s

wildlife could become extinct.

1

Up to 90% of the ocean’s coral reefs will

become lifeless.

2

Agriculture dependant on rain will see harvests halved.

3

Droughts and storms become more frequent

and extreme.

4Low-lying settlements

and ecosystems could be lost due to rising sea

levels.

5

What Do You Think?Were the young

protestors right to take time

out from their learning to

protest?Is enough being

done in this country to

combat climate change?

Is enough being done

worldwide to combat climate change?

What would you like to

see happen?

Keywords

greenhouse gas

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methane

nitrous oxide

climate change