What is Climate

Change?

It is a change in the climate

we would usually expect
For the UK, future climate
change may mean
hotter/drier summers and
wetter/stormier winters

Causes of Climate Change

What do you think

they are?

Causes of Climate
Change
1. Natural Fluctuations

There is evidence that over time there have

been changes to the Earths climate,
e.g. mini Ice-Age
During Victorian times, end of 1800s,
winters were a lot colder than they are
now. Ice-skating on frozen lakes
happened!

Causes of Climate Change

2. Greenhouse Effect

CO2 emissions released by us into the

Earths atmosphere stop some of the sunrays from leaving the Earths atmosphere
= making the Earth warmer.

Where do all the CO2 emissions

come from?
From different places
Burning fossil fuels, e.g. coal/oil, releases
CO2 into the atmosphere
When we breathe out we release CO2
Through natural processes, e.g. volcanoes

OR melting of permafrost, release

greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

Causes of Climate Change

People have argued about the
influence humans have on the
change of climate we are
experiencing now and what is
predicted for the future.

Evidence of Climate Change

IPCCs 2 Feb 2007 Report: Warming Signs
11 of the last 12 years are among the warmest on
record
Oceans have warmed down to 3,000 metres
Mountain glaciers and snow covers have declined
Satellites have seen an acceleration in sea level
rise
More intense and longer droughts have been
observed
Arctic ice cover is shrinking in depth and in extent

What is going to happen in the

future?
Predictions suggest that we will
notice further change to our climate.

As temperature, rainfall patterns and

ocean currents change, there will be
Impacts e.g
During the summer, air-conditioning will be needed

more widely
Lack of water may become more common
Less need to travel to Spain to get a sun-tan!
Mosquitoes may become common
Birch trees may find it difficult to survive in the
changing climate

A possible scenario
As a result of increased amounts of
melt water in the sea - a warm ocean
current, called the North Atlantic Drift
could be stopped resulting in a
dramatic drop in temperatures for
north-west Europe.

What is going to happen

globally?
More extreme weather, e.g. more intense

hurricanes
More droughts
More intense Asian monsoon
Flooding of low-lying coastal areas
There could be more rain in some places, but
drier than normal in others
How will people in different parts of the world
be impacted by climate change?

What is going to happen globally?

The impacts on people will vary depending
where you live impacts could include:
Many people having to move to higher
ground, due to flooding
People having to be better prepared in
hurricane-risk regions
Farmers having to adapt to changing
growing seasons

Is it all doom and gloom?

NO
There have been changes in the
climate and there are likely to be
more,BUT, we can plan, adapt
and reduce further impacts.

What can be done?

Renewable Energy is being used more a clean

way to produce energy

Governments are working together to reduce CO2
emissions
Technologies are being invented that will reduce
our pollution
We can all choose to become more energy
efficient and encourage others to become more
environmentally friendly