Climate Change

Good Afternoon Class,

Some of you are still not home from school yet, but I raced home to post some additional information regarding our Climate Change unit we started today.  This will help you analyze the effects of human activities on habitats and communities.

The Earth's climate is changing,  in ways that you can't easily see.  The Earth is getting warmer because people are adding heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere, mainly by burning fossil fuels. These gases are called greenhouse gases. Warmer temperatures are causing other changes around the world, such as melting glaciers and stronger storms. These changes are happening because the Earth's air, water, and land are all linked to the climate. The Earth's climate has changed before. 

The Earth's climate is getting warmer, and the signs are everywhere. Rain patterns are changing, sea level is rising, and snow and ice are melting sooner in the spring. As global temperatures continue to rise, we'll see more changes in our climate and our environment. These changes will affect people, animals, and ecosystems in many ways.  Less rain can mean less water for some places, while too much rain can cause terrible flooding. More hot days can dry up crops and make people and animals sick.

The negative impacts of global climate change will be less severe overall if people reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we're putting into the atmosphere and worse if we continue producing these gases at current or faster rates.

Click the globe to watch an interesting video on Climate Change