Climate Change is a global phenomenon that is changing the Earth’s weather patterns and disrupting the balance of nature. It affects a wide range of human and non-human species, as well as natural habitats and ecosystems.
It is caused by greenhouse gas emissions, which trap the sun’s heat and warm our planet. This is the biggest reason that the climate is changing, but there are many other factors.
Greenhouse gases include methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and ozone. These are emitted directly by fossil fuel combustion or indirectly from deforestation and other land use changes.
They also trap and release water vapour in the atmosphere. This can lead to higher temperatures and more frequent and intense rain events.
During these weather events, people are more likely to be exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution. This can cause a variety of health problems, including asthma and other respiratory diseases.
In extreme cases, floods can also pose a health risk, particularly for communities that live near rivers or seas. They may increase the amount of sewage and other pollutants in water, which can cause serious health risks.
We are also seeing more and more wildfires, which can burn and destroy crops, infrastructure and homes. This is a real threat to the health of everyone in affected regions.
The climate is also altering our weather patterns, making it more likely for droughts and floods to occur. These can make it difficult to grow food, causing widespread poverty and hunger in some countries.
Increasingly frequent and intense weather events are also increasing our risks for severe illnesses like heat stroke, which is already killing thousands of Americans every year.
Some of the most vulnerable groups are children, pregnant women and older adults. These populations are particularly at risk because they have less resources to protect themselves from these risks.
It is clear that our climate is warming faster than at any point in history. This is evidenced by trends in globally averaged temperature, ocean heat content, Arctic sea ice, depth of seasonal permafrost thaw, and other climate variables.
There is a growing body of evidence that shows that if we keep increasing our carbon emissions, the planet will trap more and more heat. This is why we have to act fast to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
Our research has shown that we need to limit the warming to no more than 1.5degC, which would avoid the worst impacts and preserve a livable climate for humans and all life on the planet. If we go beyond this, we will see unprecedented changes that can have devastating impacts on human and natural health.
We need to reduce emissions rapidly this decade, if we want to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. To do this we need to make ambitious reductions in the emissions that we produce every day, from all sectors of society.
The best way to do this is by reducing the use of fossil fuels. This will not only help us to save our planet from the most serious impacts of climate change, but it will also reduce our own health risks by improving the quality of our air.