| The ten hottest years on record have all happened since 1990.
In 2001 extreme weather events killed more than 25,000 people and displaced millions. In 2002 natural disasters cost $55 billion according to the insurance industry. Dangerous climate change has become a reality.
what is climate change?
Climate change is caused by the
abnormal heating of the planet through the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a part of the normal cycles of the planet. In a normal cycle, greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and keep the planet warm enough for life. The heat we don't need is then usually safely reflected back out into space. The problems come when the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rise and too much heat is therefore being trapped and not let out into space. There are many greenhouse gases but six main gases are focused on by the international community. the impacts
The richest countries in the world are those most responsible for climate change. However the poorest countries will be on the frontline of the impacts and have the least ability to adapt to the changes. Melting glaciers from small temperature increases will cause sea levels to rise and low-lying islands and coastlines to be overwhelmed by the sea. Islands in the South Pacific are already threatened and the island of Tuvalu is making arrangements for evacuation.
Weather patterns will change unpredictably with increases and decreases in rainfall which will create droughts and floods. Air and water borne diseases will explode and mosquitos will be found in unusual places, increasing malaria worldwide. Storms, cyclones, hurricanes and natural disasters will increase as weather patterns become more disrupted. Conflict over water will be the main cause of war and environmental refugees from climate change will be the major source of movements of peoples across the world.
the sources
Three quarters of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), generated from human activities, comes from burning fossil fuels. These fuels are oil, gas and coal. The rest comes from deforestation. There are imbalances in the sources of the burning of fossil fuels as the world's richest countries consume over the levels of their population. For instance the USA produces 24% of the world's carbon diokide emissions yet has only 4.5% of the world's population. Conversely India has 16.7% of the world's population yet only produces 4% of the carbon dioxide emissions.
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