Climate change is one of the most important problems we face right now. It happens when greenhouse gases are put into the air. These gases trap heat and warm the world. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are the three main greenhouse gases.
Most greenhouse gas pollutants come from things that people do. Some of these things are burning fossil fuels for heat, power, and transportation, cutting down trees, and farming.
All over the world, people are already feeling the effects of climate change. Since the beginning of the industrial age, global temperatures have grown by about 1 degree Celsius. This warming is causing many problems, such as:
As the world warms, the oceans get bigger and glaciers and ice sheets melt, which causes the sea level to rise. This is making the sea level rise, which threatens communities and structures along the coast.
More hurricanes, floods, and droughts: Climate change is making violent weather like hurricanes, floods, and droughts happen more often and with more force.
Changes in plant and animal life: Because of climate change, plants and animals are moving to new places where it is cooler. This is upsetting ecosystems and putting species at risk.
The good news is that we can still do things to make climate change less bad. We need to cut down on the amount of greenhouse gases we put into the air and move towards a clean energy economy. We also need to deal with the climate change effects that are already happening.
Here are some things we can do to stop global warming:
We should use less fossil fuels. We can use less fossil fuels if we switch to renewable forms of energy, like solar and wind power. We can also make our homes and places of work use less energy.
Make changes to the way we get around. We can cut down on our carbon footprint if we drive less, take public transport more, walk and bike more, and eat less meat.
Cut down on meat. Greenhouse gas pollution are caused in large part by the production of meat. We can have less of an effect on the earth if we eat less meat and more foods that come from plants.
Help programmes that try to deal with climate change. We can talk to our elected leaders and let them know that we support policies that deal with climate change.
Climate change is a hard problem, but if we all work together, we can solve it. We can make a better future for ourselves and future generations by taking steps to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the affects of climate change.
What can you do as a person to help solve the problem of climate change?
There are a lot of things you can do on your own to help stop climate change. Here are some suggestions:
Cut down on how much energy you use. Turn off the lights when you leave a room, unplug gadgets when you’re not using them, and make your home more energy-efficient by making it less draughty.
Change to clean energy. If you can, change your electricity company to one that gets its power from clean sources. You can also put up solar panels or a wind turbine on your home.
Lessen how much you drive and more often walk, bike or take public transportation.
Eat less meat and more foods that come from plants. Greenhouse gas pollution are caused in large part by the production of meat.
Buy things that are made close to home and won’t hurt the environment. This makes shipping and packaging less harmful to the earth.
Help businesses and groups that are trying to solve the problem of climate change.
Almost anything helps. You can make a difference in the fight against climate change by changing the way you live.