Climate Change
You may hear the terms “global warming” and “climate change” being used interchangeably. Because of an increase in greenhouse gases (GHGs) in our atmosphere, the average global temperature is rising, hence the term “Global Warming.” But not every region of the global will see temperature increases – some areas may actually cool. Remember, its the AVERAGE global temperature that rising. But, every region of the earth will be effected the climate patterns everywhere change. This is because global warming is changing our climate, on global, regional and local levels.
Global warming is one of our most pressing environmental and economic challenges. In order to address the problem, we must first understand it.
Over the last 250 years, we have turned to fossil fuels – carbon-containing oil, coal, and natural gas – to power our factories, trains, ships, trucks, cars, buildings, and homes. Burning these fuels releases carbon as carbon dioxide (CO2), the most prevalent global warming pollutant. CO2 builds up in our atmosphere and acts like a thick blanket which holds more heat, warming up what’s underneath: the earth!