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Climate change
Climate change. Global warming. The greenhouse effect. Small words that mean big things. But what exactly? There's so much talk around these words that it's hard to make sense of it all. There are those that say it's not happening. There are those that say that it's worse than what we're being told. There are those that want more action. There are those that don't want any. Think your head will spin off with all the talk? We know how you feel.
MYTHS
The myths around climate change and global warming are confused and many. They include the following: many leading scientists question climate change; Human CO2 emissions are too tiny to matter; it's all a conspiracy; global warming is down to the Sun, hot humans; we are simply recovering from the Little Ice Age; and the best one, we can't do anything about climate change and global warming.
FACTS
What is climate change and why is it happening? Well the short answers to these questions are:
- When we talk about ‘climate change’ we are talking about the changes to our climate over long periods of time. We’re not just talking about it being a wet and cold summer, or just having a couple of really blowy days every now and then; we’re talking about long-term changes to the climate that affect long-term rain pattern or temperatures.
- And why is it happening? Well although some people choose not to believe, most scientists accept that climate change is linked to the human-caused greenhouse effect. Basically, we’re making too much pollution for the earth to deal with naturally and we’re changing the very state of our planet.
- True, the climate has experienced changes in the past. It may have been a meteor, or a volcano, or some other dramatic event thrown up by our planet (or one from afar), but never before have human activities been responsible for these changes. If it weren't so disastrous it would almost be impressive.
'We are upsetting the atmosphere upon which all life depends. In the late '80s when I began to take climate change seriously, we referred to global warming as a "slow-motion catastrophe" – one we expected to kick in perhaps generations later. Instead, the signs of change have accelerated alarmingly.'
David Suzuki
Latest Information
And now for some good news on climate change...
June 25th, 2010
Let's face it: green fatigue is real. It's hard to keep caring when all you hear is bad news. And that's why we all need a bit of good news. We need to be reminded that good things are happening, and the world isn't falling to pieces just yet.
Climate Change: Impacts and Implications
July 28th, 2009
The impacts of climate change are predicted to be wide and varied. They may include:
* Sea levels are currently rising by 3mm per year. This rate is increasing...Final frontier of climate policy - remake humans
April 10th, 2012
If it is so hard to change the climate to suit humans, why not alter humans to suit the changing climate, philosophers from Oxford and New York universities are asking.
Climate change isn’t over yet, so why are we cutting climate change jobs?
April 5th, 2012
Yesterday’s announcement that one-third of jobs in the Department of Climate Change will be cut is yet another step back in the ALP’s half-hearted dance with climate change policy.
Scientists Melt Mystery Over Icecaps And Sea Levels
February 10th, 2012
U.S. scientists using satellite data have established a more accurate figure of the amount of annual sea level rise from melting glaciers and ice caps which should aid studies on how quickly coastal areas may flood as global warming gathers pace.
Wall Street Journal rapped over climate change stance
February 2nd, 2012
The Wall Street Journal has received a dressing down from a large group of leading scientists for promoting retrograde and out-of-date views on climate change.
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