Climate Change

A report by Juliette Grajera Elder

We’ve all heard about climate change- but do we really understand the extent of the problem? How do we prevent fossil fuels from creating greenhouse gases if we don’t know what, exactly, they are? And when did climate change start?

The Origins of Climate Change and how the problem escalated

Climate change began to develop in the 19th century, a time of innovation and invention. However, several of these inventions caused many people to rely on fossil fuels. Since 1880, the planet’s average surface temperature has risen by 1°C, increasing by around 0.08 each decade. In 1998, a Swedish scientist, Svante Arrhenius, predicted climate change, but awareness really began 92 years later, in 1988. More recently, the prediction seemed to be coming true 114 years after it was made- in 2012, we experienced our most polluted year ever, and in 2016, the hottest on record.

Fossil fuels- What are they and how do they affect the climate?

Fossil fuels are the largest factor in climate change. They are unrenewable fuels formed in Earth’s crust from the remains of dead plants and animals.

Fossil fuels are coal, oil, gas, petrol, etc- and they supply 80% of the world’s energy, even though we know how destructive they can be. Did you know that China, the USA, and India use more fossil fuels than the rest of the world altogether?

The problem has been getting worse. 78% of greenhouse gas emissions from 1970-2011 were from fossil fuels, and the pollutants that these fuels create don’t just harm the environment- they can cause many illnesses and diseases, including premature death.

Other causes of Climate Change

Burning fossil fuels isn’t the only cause of the extra greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide or CO2, methane or CH4, nitrous oxide or N2O, and water vapour or H2O)in the Earth’s atmosphere- greenhouse gases are naturally produced by plants- they release carbon dioxide as they decompose- and animals, especially livestock. The thing is, we have massive amounts of livestock all around the world. For example, here in Aotearoa New Zealand, there are more sheep than people!

Another cause of climate change is deforestation. We need trees to maintain a healthy ecosystem- they feed on carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which most living things need to survive. Their roots absorb water, preventing flooding, and they provide homes for many species of plants and animals. Yet an area approximately the size of 27 football fields is cut down each minute. Without trees, chances of desertification, soil erosion, flooding, extra greenhouse gases, and fewer crops, increase.

How do Greenhouse gases cause Climate Change

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Effects of Climate Change

How exactly do greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane cause climate change? Well, these greenhouse gases are trapped inside the atmosphere, which is like a protective layer keeping the planet warm. These extra greenhouse gases make the planet even warmer than usual, and these changing temperatures are bad for several reasons.

Firstly, the rise in temperature is melting our beautiful ice caps and glaciers. A unique habitat? Gone. Species of animals like reindeer, polar bears, and arctic foxes? Gone. And guess what? It gets worse from there. The melting ice is producing extra water, causing our sea levels to rise. Coastal areas are in danger of being flooded, while even more heat creates more water vapour, another greenhouse gas, which restarts the whole problem.

While the coast is dealing with flooding, some areas are experiencing droughts and extreme heat. Sometimes wildfires break out, destroying trees, and releasing more CO2, so that cycle starts again too.

How you can help

Although it might seem like there’s no way to end the seemingly never ending cycle, there are ways to help.

Try reducing your carbon footprint. You can do this by simply turning off the light when you leave a room, or wearing an extra layer of clothing when you’re cold, instead of turning on the fire or heat pump.

Spread the word and let others follow your example.

Remember the 4 Rs- reduce, reuse, recycle, and refuse:

• Reduce your carbon footprint.

• Reuse everything you can, from metal and plastic to fabric.

• Recycle the things you can’t reuse.

• Lastly, refuse fossil fuels, unnecessary plastic, and products from companies that aren’t sustainable.

We can all do our bit. ‘Small’ adds up. And every little thing makes a difference.