Authors: India Schaub-Jones and Erin Stafford
What is global warming?
Global warming is when Greenhouse gases (such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and many more) trap sunlight and heat the Earth’s atmosphere.
The impact of global warming
Global warming will impact people, freshwater, oceans and the ecosystem. The air temperature will be higher and there will be flooding. The coral reefs will die out and animals will lose their habitat.
How long do we have?
Scientists say that we have 12-14 years to stop global warming before we are lost.
Are climate change and global warming synonyms?
No, global warming and climate change are not the same thing. While scientists prefer using the term “climate change” we often refer to global warming. Global warming refers to the increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature, mostly due to the emission of greenhouse gases whereas climate change refers to the long-term change of the Earth’s climate including changes in temperature, precipitation and wind patterns.
Solutions
Speak up! The best way to stop global warming is to tell your friends and family about it.
Save water! Take short showers, stand in a bucket and use it to water your garden. Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth.
Don’t waste or throw food away, it takes a lot of energy to grow it, package it and ship it. And they are millions of other people who can’t eat decent food, so consider yourself lucky.
Take public transports instead of using the car. It saves much more energy.
Don’t leave the water running and turn the lights off when you leave the room.
Watch this video on global warming!