Climate Change …Today’s challenge for tomorrow’s world!
Temperature, winds and rainfall patterns are often the topic of conversation in our daily lives. So, what is the average weather experienced over a long period? It’s Our Climate! As the Earth’s climate isn’t static, and has changed many times in response to a variety of natural causes, can we predict the perfect weather conditions for our family barbeques or school fetes in 2008 and beyond, or will ‘climate change’ play a foreseeable part in the unpredictable outcome? What is climate change?
Climate change, nowadays, is generally used to refer to changes in our climate which have been identified since the early part of the 1900’s. During this period the Earth has warmed by some 0.740C, with around 0.40C of this occurring since the 1970’s. Changes seen over recent years and those which are predicted over the next 80 years are thought to be mainly as a result of human behaviour rather than due to natural changes in our atmosphere.
The greenhouse effect is very important when we talk about climate change as it relates to the gases which keep the Earth warm. It is the extra greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide, released from human activity which are thought to pose the strongest threat.
Interesting facts: At present, just over 7 billion tonnes of CO2 is emitted globally each year through the use of fossil fuel, and an additional 1.6 billion tonnes are emitted by land use change, largely by deforestation. What climate change means for us? For the UK, climate change means warmer temperatures, wetter winters and drier summers (more heat waves), less snow, and higher sea levels, leading to flooding of coastal areas.
Across the globe, there may be severe problems for regions where people are particularly vulnerable to changes in the weather. Flooding, droughts, food shortages and the spread of disease are commonly predicted. The social, environmental and economic costs of climate change could be huge. Be part of the solution?
Climate change affects all of us – and we can all be part of the solution! It’s not just governments and business that can make a difference, there are enormous opportunities for everyone if we are willing to take action and rise to the challenge. Simple changes like: Turning off the lights when we leave the room: Only boiling the amount of water you need in the kettle: Turning off televisions, videos, stereos and computers when not in use: and Closing curtains at dusk to keep the heat in, all help. Actions like these save you money and help the environment, it’s common sense! International government, business and individuals are working together on this very issue and legislation will follow. The UK Climate Change Bill is on it’s way!
If you require more information on the affects of Climate Change, please contact Tern Associates on 0871 223 9800.
Ternarius: This article was featured in the Winter 2007 edition. Please click here for more information about Tern Associates newsletter.
