Global warming climate change what is already done

Global warming - climate change - what is already done to save the world? - what should we do to resolve the environmental crisis? Szkoła Podstawowa im. Powstańców Śląskich w Kamienicy

What is global warming? • Increasing the average atmosphere temperature • Lowering the stratosphere temperature (phase 1) • Warming the stratosphere (phase 2 - loss of earth radiation balance)

Climate change - a bit of science The climate on Earth has changed over the centuries - it has gradually warmed up or cooled down for a long time. Over the last million years, our planet has experienced about ten ice ages interspersed with much warmer periods. These changes occurred due to natural causes, such as changes in the tilt of the Earth's axis, sun activity or sea currents. However, the changes we observe today are different - we are responsible for them! By releasing more gases to retain heat in the atmosphere, we cause the Earth's temperature to rise very quickly.

Greenhouse effect When sunlight hits the Earth's surface, some of the rays are absorbed by it, which increases the temperature of the soil and oceans. The rest of the solar energy can escape back into space, but a part of it stays closed in the atmosphere and heats our planet. This is called the "greenhouse effect" because the atmosphere behaves like glass in a greenhouse in this case - retaining the heat that is inside. The greenhouse effect occurs because the Earth's atmosphere contains gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (they are called greenhouse gases). However, human actions increase the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which in turn causes the greenhouse effect to increase and the planet's temperature to rise.

What causes climate change? Climate change is caused by the increasing temperature of the Earth (global warming), which results from the increasing (compared to naturally occurring) amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This increased amount of gas mainly comes from the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities, such as felling of tropical forests, cattle breeding and chemical processing.

It's getting hot! In 2016, the Earth was warmer by about 1. 1 °C compared to the end of the 19 th century and the average global temperature is expected to rise even more over the next century. 1. 1 ° C may not seem like a big change, but remember that: ‡ Most of this increase has taken place mainly over the past few decades, which means that the temperature rise is accelerating. ‡ Let's not forget that the increase is averaged: some regions have become much warmer, while others have cooled down. For example, the Arctic has become a much warmer place in the last 60 years and in the summer of 2040 its ice cover may disappear completely. Europe is warming up faster than other places in the world.

Global warming and climate change - differences • Global warming is the current rise in temperature on Earth. This is only one element of climate change. • Climate change refers to the many different effects that global warming has on Earth's climate system. They include rising sea levels, melting glaciers, changing precipitation patterns, more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events (such as floods and heat waves), changing seasons, and fluctuating crop yields.

Examples of extreme weather phenomena • • violent winds floods droughts long heat waves

Warmer oceans Climate change also has a major impact on the oceans. Over the past 40 years, the oceans have absorbed over 90% of additional heat from atmospheric changes caused by human activity. This means that the atmosphere is not warming as much as it could, but it is affecting ocean warming. As a result of the increase in water temperature, the number of fish and crustaceans decreases, and many species are forced to migrate. For example, tiny shrimp-like krill, which is the food of fish and cetaceans, reproduces most effectively in cold waters. Warmer waters mean less krill and fish. The survival of coral reefs, inhabited by more than 25% of all marine organisms and spawning grounds for many fish, is also at risk if the waters warm up more.

We change with the climate Whether we like it or not, climate change has become part of our lives. Even if we could eliminate all our emissions from tomorrow, the planet would need time to overcome the problems of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. This means that we need to adapt to current changes and plan to prevent damage or limit the damage that climate change can cause in the future.

We can change a lot The biggest challenge we are facing now is to stop the deepening of climate change. There are many ways to make our world less energyconsuming and friendlier that we can and even must use. This means finding solutions that will help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will affect not only our planet, but also our health (less pollution), security of energy supply and economic growth, as it will create new jobs.

Renewable energy sources One way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to increase the use of renewable energy, e. g. from wind or solar energy. They provide infinite energy resources, unlike fossil fuels that will one day run out. Unlike the burning of fossil fuels in power plants, the production of electricity from renewable sources generates very little or virtually free greenhouse gases. The European Union is the world leader in renewable energy technologies, and many EU countries are now generates a large proportion of its electricity from renewable sources. Obtaining more energy from renewable sources not only reduces emissions, but also means lower expenses for coal, oil and gas imported from outside the Union. In 2015, almost 17% of all energy in the European Union came from renewable sources. It is planned to increase this percentage to 20% by 2020 and at least to 27% in 2030.

On the road to cleaner transport More than 70% of emissions from transport in Europe come from road transport, but thanks to EU CO 2 emission standards, vehicles produce less and less exhaust gas. For example, a new car manufactured today in the European Union emits 20% less CO 2 than its 2007 counterpart. The standards in the EU are among the strictest in the world and work is ongoing to tighten them. Many countries, e. g. Japan, USA, Canada, Japan and China, have also introduced CO 2 standards.

Save energy - you will save money! More efficient buildings and facilities can help save huge amounts of energy and money, and significantly reduce emissions. A large part of the energy used in European households is consumed by heating. Triple glazed windows that retain heat inside buildings, proper insulation, and roofs covered with plants that store rainwater and help cool buildings are just a few ways to reduce the carbon footprint of our homes, schools and offices. It is estimated that by 2020, more energy-efficient refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances will help the average European household save around 465 euros a year in electricity bills.

Be sensible about waste! Before you throw something in the trash the next time, consider the following information. On average, each of the 500 million inhabitants of the European Union discards half a ton of household waste annually. Although the amount of waste recycled is increasing, a large proportion still lands in landfills. Over time, waste rot, releasing huge amounts of methane, an aggressive greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. Today, more efficient waste management means that more energy is recovered; EU rules on storage are also very helpful. Waste prevention is gaining more weight in the face of a growing world population and decreasing natural resources.

Forests: Defenders of our climate The REDD + program (reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation plus conservation) supports tropical zone countries in implementing more sustainable approaches. Under the program, residents of developing countries get money to protect local forests. The value of the funds allocated is calculated by comparing the amount of CO 2 that did not get into the atmosphere thanks to the protection of trees, and converting it into funds allocated to climate-friendly use of forest areas. It is estimated that only 0. 1% of the carbon stored in European soil at this point corresponds to emissions from 100 million cars. The soil's ability to retain large amounts of carbon dioxide has declined in recent decades, mainly due to the use of unsustainable farming and land use changes. Due to the fact that almost half of Europe's land is intended for cultivation and about 40% of the area is covered by forests, sustainable agriculture and adequate agriculture and forestry can maintain and even increase the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the soil. EU Member States and To date, various institutions have allocated around EUR 1 billion to REDD + activities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The world is uniting in a climate action Some countries, including EU Member States, have adopted legally binding emission targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, under an agreement called the Kyoto Protocol. Unfortunately, even taking into account the promises of other countries on a voluntary basis, this did not prove sufficient to avoid dangerous climate change, so negotiations were launched on a new agreement that would oblige all countries around the world - December 12, 2015 in Paris , in France, almost 200 governments have signed the first universal legally binding agreement on climate change. The historic Paris agreement sets out an action plan that aims to limit global warming to less than 2 ° C relative to pre-industrial temperatures. National governments have also agreed to try to limit the world. Another key element of the Paris agreement is strengthening the capacity of countries, especially those less developed, to cope with the effects of global warming. Citizens and companies also have an important role to play. Around the world, cities and towns, companies, investors and individuals can now take various measures to keep our environment safe and predictable.