Climate Change

Climate Change is a very complex topic and it has many different theories, opinions, and interpretations. All of these ideas have been discussed for years. In this article, I am going to discuss what climate change is and how it might affect you personally.

Climate Change is a phenomenon where the earth's temperature rises due to carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning or other sources. It has already caused an increase in extreme weather events such as heatwaves, drought, heavy rainstorms, flooding, and melting ice glaciers which lead to sea-level rise. Many people are starting to take action to protect the environment in order to reduce the impacts of climate change on their lives.

Global warming occurs all over the world and affects all areas. You might think that it will only happen in places like the Arctic. However, you can see changes in your local area too, even if you are not affected by global warming at this moment. Here are some examples of how climate change might affect you:

Increase in Extreme Weather Events: Since 2001, there has been a 25 percent increase in extreme rainfall events worldwide, with both hot and cold episodes becoming more frequent and intense.

More Rainfall: Every month since March 2015 has seen above-average rainfall in parts of the UK. Last year was the wettest year on record for England, and we have seen more than 20 flood warnings issued since 1 June 2016.

Warmer winters: UK winter temperatures have risen by 1.1ºC in the last 30 years, which means that we average up to three more days a year over 15ºC than 30 years ago.

Fresher summers: In the summer months, you might remember how cool you felt due to the wind blowing around us? Cool winds coming across from the Atlantic could be reduced by 10% over time due to climate change, making summer feel slightly warmer.

Effects of Climate Change: As climate change affects the environment, it allows pests and diseases to thrive.

Struggle Against Invasive Species: Invasive species are plants and animals that have been introduced to a new place by people, and then spread very quickly, causing problems for the native environment. These types of species are often accidentally spread by humans through transport vehicles like trains or planes. Everything from insects such as the locusts (which eat crops) to popular pets like cats (who kill native wildlife) can be invasive. This is why we need laws against transporting these types of species across national borders.

An example of this was when the harlequin ladybird was accidentally introduced to North America from Asia in 1916 and is now one of the most invasive species in Europe.

Dr Cindy Lee Van Dijk, Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology at Keele University said "Over the past decade I have seen a huge increase in interest from scientists and other academics about climate change." She also said this has sparked a growing interest in environmental issues including climate change.

Although climate change may seem like an issue that will only affect future generations, there are things we can do now to stop it from getting worse. The British Trust for Ornithology found that, if we continue to emit greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, it could increase the risk of species extinction. If we don’t do anything about climate change, it will be much harder to stop things like this from happening.