Introduction to climate change (the basics)
Introduction to climate change
Make sure to do the Quiz at the end of the page! Jump directly to it by clicking here.
How do we know the World is getting warmer?
Hotter summer temperatures and more severe winter storms. Droughts that empty reservoirs at hydropower plants and walls of water that wipe out entire towns in mountain valleys. Extreme weather is making headlines – but is it really climate change?
- Weird weather? Or global climate change?
- So, how are humans causing climate change?
Weird weather? Or global climate change?
Storms, droughts, heat waves and cold snaps are all examples of weather. Typically, they are short-term events, happening at a specific location at a specific time. They also change continuously. The Sun bursts through five minutes after a cloudburst that dumps heavy rain in one area. Meanwhile, just a few kilometers away, it was sunny the whole time and no storm ever hit.
Weather is the ‘catch-all’ term used to describe what is going on outside – anywhere and at any given moment.
Climate refers to the average weather patterns of a given location over a longer period of time, usually 30 years or more.Climate refers to diverse factors that influence long-term weather patterns – again for a given area. Average temperatures, for example, reflect proximity to the Equator or the North or South Pole. Countries situated in the Arabian Desert (e.g. Saudi Arabia and Oman) get just 50 millimetres (mm) of rain each year[1]. Those in the Amazon region of South America are deluged in comparison, getting 1.8 to 3 metres (i.e. 1 800 to 3 000 mm) annually[2].
Global climate change is a relatively new phrase that has become a seriously ‘hot topic’ of debate. It focuses on whether the weather and climate today – across many different climate zones – are substantially different than a few decades ago.
It might seem that climate change is such a ‘new’ field of study that questioning its findings is logical. In fact, it goes back about 200 years – and solid evidence has been piling up. In fact, scientists have found super-cool ways to study how past climate trends are already changing. And use those finding to calculate what might happen in the future.
To measure whether something is changing, sometimes it helps to set a ‘zero’ point, then track data points that fall above or below. In this case, zero stands in for the average global temperature. Anything with a minus (-) sign is below average; anything with a plus (+) is above.
Examine the main graph: what do you notice about where the +/- signs fall? Then click on the ‘Chart’ version: where has the ‘absolute change’ been most severe?
So, how are humans causing climate change?
Lots of talk about climate change uses the term anthropogenic. It simply means that something ‘originates in or from human activity’ (as opposed to originating from natural sources).
Anthropogenic is a big word for a pretty basic idea: the fact that human activities can have impacts -- both positive or negative -- on nature. Removing an invasive plant so lakes and ponds remain healthy is great for nature! A negative example is tearing down forests to make room for cities and highways.
Until the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s, humans relied primarily on two very basic forms of energy: muscle power to move things and burning biomass (wood and other plant products) to create heat. The upside of shifting to fossil fuels was that it drove technological, social and economic development, at a pace never before experienced. People who could tap into this energy enjoyed many benefits. But digging up – and then burning – coal, oil and natural gas released carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) that nature had, for millenia, effectively stored underground or in other natural systems. The ‘extra’ CO2 is linked to an environmental ‘double whammy’ that becomes a vicious cycle:
- Higher concentrations of GHGs cause Earth’s atmosphere to trap more heat.
- Higher temperatures at the Earth’s surface degrade environments, reducing their natural ability to absorb GHGs.
What does this graph tell you about the history of humans and use of fossil fuels? Click on the ‘Settings’ button, and switch to ‘Display relative values’. Since fossil fuels were first used for energy in the 1800s, which has had the highest consumption?
The distinctions between weather, climate and climate change explain why people can experience unusual cold spells, even as average global temperatures rise. A cold snap is changing weather: an isolated, short-term event happening locally. Higher average temperatures across many different climate zones are part of a global pattern occurring over decades. The latter can have serious impacts on critical ecosystems.
Keeping in mind the distinctions between weather, climate and climate change, look for evidence of change – or stability – in your local area. What factors influence typical weather patterns? Have such patterns changed in the past 20, 50 or 100 years?
Keeping in mind the distinctions between weather, climate and climate change, look for evidence of change – or stability – in your local area. What factors influence typical weather patterns? Have such patterns changed in the past 20, 50 or 100 years?
Remember the ‘things’ that count as weather – temperature, precipitation, wind, etc.? You might be surprised how much information you can find online about local conditions in both recent years and from past decades. Try going online to see if you can find evidence that weather patterns in your area have either remained stable or changed in some way over time.
Once you’ve collected your data, think about creative ways to show it, so viewers can quickly grasp the key points and understand the overarching narrative.
Yconickers live in VERY different climate zones, some of which are already experiencing weird weather linked to climate change. Hop over to the Yconic Forum to share information about regular weather in your area. Or your personal experience with extreme weather events that have become more frequent or severe.
Test your knowledge and express your ideas on climate change.
Yconic is keen to know what you learned about climate change – and what you think about it! Click through to create your very own page. This page will be linked to your personal profile. But please remember: because this is a wiki platform, others may be able to find and read it. While they cannot ‘edit’ your page, they might comment on it – which is a GREAT way to encourage more discussion:
See your results
Each user has a personal results page for each of the questionnaires (basics and in-depth). Use the links below:
- First, create your results page. Simply click this link, and save the page.
- Once you save the page you can see your results:
- View my results: Open my results page
