Climate Change

 

The Earth's climate naturally changes over long time periods. Over the 4.5 billion years that the planet has existed we have swung between cold and warm periods. Ice ages have come and gone and have lasted for up to 100,000 years. They have been followed by shorter, warmer periods one of which we are in at the moment. The Earth's average temperature is around 4 C hotter than it was during the last ice age some 13,000 years ago.

There is one major difference between previous periods of warmth and this one. In the past they have been due to natural events and have taken thousands of years to evolve, so species have had time to adapt, but this time it is caused by the World's 5.8 billion beings.

CAUSES. Every time we use electricity we are creating C02, which is not only a naturally occurring gas crucial to our survival but also the main contributor to climate change. Our electricity is mostly generated by burning fossil fuels which create C02. Carbon Dioxide and the other greenhouse gases occur naturally and form a blanket round the Earth trapping heat that would otherwise escape into space. The heat rebounds onto the Earth's surface and the temperature rises creating what is commonly called the "greenhouse effect . We have been pumping additional C02 into the atmosphere for 200 years thus intensifying the effect and increasing the Earth's temperature.

We are increasing the temperature so quickly that nature can no longer cope. This warming will also have widespread impacts on climate conditions all over the globe, causing more droughts, storms, floods and other weather extremes. Deforestation, particularly of the Rain Forests, has also caused a build up of C02 and there are fewer trees to absorb this. Glaciers are already melting in places as far apart as Switzerland and New Zealand bringing with them avalanches, soil erosion and dramatic changes to river flows. The oceans and seas are warming, causing coral to die and putting many marine creatures at risk. This threatens to submerge many parts of the World including 300 Pacific Islands and wetlands as far afield as Argentina, Bangladesh, Nigeria and the USA. The danger is that if these unusual weather conditions become permanent or extreme numerous plants and animals will simply not recover. Cold kills germs and disease bearing insects such as the mosquito. As the World warms up germs, bacteria and other carriers will multiply.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ?

Everyone can do something to reduce the threat of climate change such as:

1. TRANSPORT - reducing car journeys. For instance cutting out 1 car journey a week will help as will campaigning for better public transport and using it. Check our transport section for more ideas.

2. ENERGY - Reducing energy consumption. Turn the central heating down 1 C. Insulate your house and loft. Use energy efficient appliances ( A is the most efficient G the least). Use low energy light bulbs. Check our energy section for more ideas.

3. WASTE - Re-use and recycle paper, glass, aluminium, tin and clothing. Don't buy disposable products, especially plastic, or anything with a lot of packaging. Check out our waste section for more ideas.

Consider choosing an Electric Company that supplies green tariff electricity.