13
9 FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE—
ways
to save
the
Earth 1
from
CLIMATE
CHANGE
We know you love watch-
ing videos on your phone.
But modern activities—
such as plugging in
devices, driving cars, and
cooling homes—often
rely on energy sources
such as natural gas, oil,
and coal. Those energy
sources release a gas
called carbon dioxide
(CO2) into the atmo-
sphere. When CO2 and
other greenhouse gases
trap heat that would
otherwise escape
Earth’s atmosphere,
the planet’s temper-
ature rises. That’s
called global warming,
which causes climate
change.
Most scientists
believe that climate
change is happening and
causing rising seas,
stronger storms, and
shifting habitats for
wildlife and people. But
you don’t have to give
is the third lead -
up videos or totally
shut down the A/C to
fight climate change.
Read on to learn how
you can help.
Go online to learn more about climate change and how you can help protect our planet.
natgeokids.com/SaveTheEarth
16 NAT GEO KIDS • APRIL 2018
SEASON
YOUR FRUIT
Try to eat mostly in-
SAVE ANIMALS!
season and locally
grown fruits and vege- Koala
2
tables. This cuts down WHERE THEY LIVE: Eastern Australia
on the energy used to WHY THEY NEED HELP: Heat waves and
grow and transport droughts cause animals to change
SLAY THE VAMPIRE food, which reduces their natural behavior. For instance,
“Vampire” appliances suck the release of heat- koalas usually get water from their
Solar is the energy even when turned trapping gases. leafy diet. But a warmer climate
world’s fastest
off. Kill these monsters by means drier leaves, which forces
growing energy
unplugging phone and lap- koalas to come down from eucalyptus
source.
top chargers when not in trees to search for water. That can
USED GOODS ARE GOOD
Reduce and reuse as much as possible. Factories emit carbon
use, and use power strips
for lamps and TVs.(Bonus:
It’ll save your parents
10 AIR DRIED
Hang up your
expose them to predators.
Red-Cheeked
dioxide when making new products. So instead of buying new money on energy bills!) freshly washed Salamander
5
stuff, fix your appliances and clothes. Good thing holey jeans are clothes to dry. WHERE THEY LIVE: Mountains of North
back in style! You’ll be saving Carolina and Tennessee
4
CLOSE THE DOOR energy by not using WHY THEY NEED HELP: These salaman-
HELP OUT AT THE HOTEL 3
SPREAD
THE WORD
If you see a business with
its door wide open in the
the dryer and help-
ing with chores.
ders live only at the top of the Great
Smoky Mountains, where the air is cool
11
Hang up and reuse your hotel summer, ask an adult to and humid. As the climate changes, the
towels instead of washing them Write a letter to help you email or talk to salamanders’ habitat may become too
after each use. That saves water the editor about an employee about clos- SEND A POSTCARD warm and dry for the amphibians.
and energy. climate change ing it. An open door to an Send a letter, postcard, or drawing
in your local or air-conditioned building to your mayor, government repre- Coral
HOT AND COLD
Wear a warm sweater
6
school news-
paper. The more
people talk
can let 2.2 tons of carbon
dioxide escape over one
summer. That’s about as
sentative, or even the president
asking them to do something
about climate change.
WHERE THEY LIVE: Tropical oceans
WHY THEY NEED HELP: When ocean
temperatures rise, coral release the
instead of turning up the about the issue, much as a car on a 5,000- algae that live inside them. Because
heat, and open your windows the better!
and turn on a fan instead of
mile road trip.
12 CALCULATE
YOUR IMPACT
coral eat the carbohydrates that algae
8
produce, the coral loses its main food
blasting the air conditioner. Use an online car- source. This turns the coral completely
WALK IT OUT bon footprint cal- white; the “bleaching” often kills them.
Walk or bike as much culator to see how
as you can. Biking or much carbon diox- Iiwi
walking just one mile a ide your actions WHERE THEY LIVE: Some of
day for a year could save release. If you the Hawaiian Islands
330 pounds of carbon know how you’re WHY THEY NEED HELP: Just one bite
dioxide—that’s the same impacting the from a mosquito carrying malaria can
as planting four trees and planet, you can kill an iiwi. These birds stay safe in
letting them grow for 10 take steps for their cool, mountainous habitat, out of
EAT YOUR
VEGGIES
7 years! change.
13
the range of mosquitoes. But climate
change will make the island peaks
warmer, bringing more bugs.
Livestock such as BE A SCIENCE
cows account for CHAMPION
Rotting some of Earth’s Not everyone Monarch
trash in landfills heat-trapping gas understands climate Butterfly
ing
SCIENCE
hum an emissions.(Yep, it’s change. Learn the WHERE THEY LIVE: North, Central, and
cause of
created methane
the cow toots!) facts and talk to South America; Australia, Indonesia, and
emissions in the Eating more plants your friends and parts of Europe
United States. cuts down on the family. If everyone WHY THEY NEED HELP: Monarch butter-
need for so much gets the science, we flies use temperature to figure out
livestock. can work together when to migrate, reproduce, and hiber-
to find solutions. nate. Any changes in climate could
impact their life cycles.
JEFF ZEHNDER / SHUTTERSTOCK (1); KATALINKS / SHUTTERSTOCK (2); HATCHAPONG PALURTCHAIVONG / SHUTTERSTOCK (3); JULIAN W / SHUTTERSTOCK (KOALA); MICHAEL REDMER / GETTY
GOIR / SHUTTERSTOCK (4); COOKIE STUDIO / SHUTTERSTOCK (6); NATE ALLRED / SHUTTERSTOCK (7); IOFOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK (8); ALEX
STAROSELTSEV / SHUTTERSTOCK (9); MIKE FLIPPO / SHUTTERSTOCK (10); LZ IMAGE / SHUTTERSTOCK (12); BROCREATIVE / SHUTTERSTOCK (13)
IMAGES (SALAMANDER); DAMSEA / SHUTTERSTOCK (CORAL); MICHAEL
ORD / GETTY IMAGES (IIWI); SARI ONEAL / SHUTTERSTOCK (BUTTERFLY) APRIL 2018 • NAT GEO KIDS 17