For Dummies
The Earth’s climate appears to be changing very fast, something that has not happened since the end of the last ice age, 10 000 years ago. Scientists are not sure exactly how much the climate has changed, or why this is happening, but they do believe that at least some of the changes are because of things we are doing.
Scientists believe that the world is getting hotter, which we can see by the melting of the polar ice caps and the rise in sea levels. They think that the increase in ‘greenhouse gases’, gases from factories, cars and aeroplanes that go into the atmosphere, are partly to blame. Global warming is also being made worse by the cutting down of forests and the burning of oil and coal. The ozone layer, which protects us from the sun's harmful UV rays, has become a lot thinner in recent years and in some places has been destroyed completely. This has happened as a result of the amount of aerosols that we use.
Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface. Normally, this radiation would escape into space—but these pollutants, which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter. That's what's known as the greenhouse effect.
Such as cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains.
Such as power plants, oil refineries, industrial facilities, and factories.
Such as agricultural areas, cities, and wood burning fireplaces.
Such as wind-blown dust, wildfires, and volcanoes.
Temperatures climb around the globe, we expect to see more heatwaves – and ever-more intense ones at that. Extreme heat can “overpower the human body” and cause dehydration, heatstroke, and major organ damage. And certain populations are more at risk from the impacts of heatwaves than others, including the elderly, children, and the poor.
Pollution from burning fossil fuels is bad enough for the air we breathe, but many impacts of climate change also impact air quality. For instance, climate change has been linked to more wildfires. Wildfire smoke carries fine particles that “can penetrate deep into your lungs.” Exposure has been linked to burning eyes, heart and lung diseases, and even death.
Vector-borne diseases are illnesses spread by insects or arachnids like mosquitoes, fleas, mites, and ticks. As our climate becomes warmer, some insects will see their geographic ranges grow – bringing the Lyme disease and West Nile or Zika viruses they carry along with them to new regions.
While we go into more detail on this later, climate change has been linked to many types of extreme weather, including hurricanes and floods. Not only can these extreme weather events have immediate fatal consequences, but they can lead to major injuries and the spread of waterborne illnesses such as wound infections, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, and ear, nose and throat infections.