Green Zone
You and Climate Change
What is happening?
Evidence is growing that our climate is warming.
This is happening at a faster rate than ever before.
Why is our climate changing?
The changes in global climate are likely to be due
to a combination of both natural and human causes.
The
main human influence on global climate is through increasing emissions
of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Emissions
over the past 200 years have increased substantially. As a result,
more heat is being trapped in the lower atmosphere and the Earth's
temperature is rising.
What will change?
- Temperatures could rise by as much as 4°C by the year 2100
- Winters will be less cold but much wetter
- Summers will be drier and warmer, leading to water shortage
- There will be a decrease in average soil moisture
- Snowfall will decrease across the whole of the UK - in the worst scenario this could be up to 90% in some areas
- There will be an increase in sea levels as the world's oceans expand
- These changes could lead to extreme weather patterns
What effect will these changes have?
- Increased rainfall will result in flooding - causing damage to homes and buildings
- Floods and higher temperatures will affect plants and animals. Our wildlife will therefore be severely threatened as will agriculture
- Insurance premiums are likely to increase as a result of damage to buildings
- Warmer weather will impact on our health. Diseases like malaria, which thrive in hot temperatures, may spread. There could be an increase in illnesses arising from heat stress, food poisoning and air pollution (such as strokes, asthma etc)
- Food crops are likely to suffer - resulting in famine in some parts of the world
- Erosion of our coastline due to increase in sea levels and more water running off our land
- Wind speeds are likely to increase, especially
in winter
How can you help?
Energy efficiency - reducing the amount of energy used
will reduce emissions and save on costs, in the home incorporate
measures such as solar heating and greater insulation in the
home. See Energy Efficiency page
Transportation - reduce emissions from the transport,
walk whenever you can, cycle
to work or car share.
Renewable energy - purchasing energy from renewable
sources, contact energy suppliers for more details
Recycle rubbish - recycling reduces our reliance on natural resources and helps us manage our dwindling raw materials better. One of the main benefits is the reduction in the consumption of energy by using recyclable materials instead of raw materials to manufacture new products. This helps to reduce pollution caused by our manufacturing and power generating industries. More on Recycling
These are just some of the ways you can reduce the effects
of climate change
