TABLE OF CONTENTS The Earth Is Warming Up 4 Some Scientists Question Climate Change 6 Greenhouse Gases Trap Heat 8 Burning Fossil Fuels Contributes to Climate Change 10 Farming Contributes to Climate Change 12 Deforestation Changes Climate 14 The World’s Sea Levels Are Rising 16 Countries Are Adapting to Climate Change 18 The Arctic Is Warming Faster than Other Regions 20 Climate Change Could Cause Extreme Weather 22 Climate Change Alters Ecosystems 24 Humans Can Make a Difference 26 Fact Sheet 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 About the Author 32
1 THE EARTH IS WARMING UP Scientists called climatologists watch and record Earth’s temperature They have found the earth’s average temperature is increasing Earth’s climate has always changed naturally over long periods of time This type of long-term change is called climate change It is normal for the earth’s temperature to fluctuate However during the last 150 years temperatures have risen more rapidly than ever before Climatologists say that human activity contributes to this change The earth’s average temperature is normally 59 F 15 C During the twentieth century the global temperature increased between 0 7 F and 1 5 F 0 45 C and 0 6 C The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC predicts Earth 4 Climate scientists from Climate scientists from Climate scientists from e around he o ld around the world met around the world met to d scuss c mate to di cuss climate to discuss climate to discuss climate change in Yokohama change in Yokohama change in Yokohama Jap n in 2014 Ja n in 2014 Japan in 2014 Japan in 2014
Climate change can increase the chances of severe weather including flooding could be 2 to 10 degrees warmer in 100 years human population Most of these impacts will be negative Even a change of just one degree can have disastrous results As the earth gets hotter glaciers melt and ocean levels rise Entire ecosystems are affected Human lives and whole communities may be endangered Coastal areas where severe flooding is possible are at risk Global warming has been blamed for the increase in violent changes in weather Most scientists agree steps must be taken to slow global warming Climate change will impact the earth’s natural environment and 2050 The year scientists predict more than 1 million of Earth’s plants and animals face extinction if global warming is not slowed Scientific evidence shows human activity is a major cause of global warming Global warming may lead to flooding of coastal areas and extreme weather changes 5
