Environment

Climate Change

Climate change is the warming of the Earth due to the enhanced greenhouse effect.  The impacts of climate change include sea-level rise, changes to temperatures and rainfall patterns, and changes to the frequency and intensity of natural disasters (storms, flooding, bushfires and drought).

The Greenhouse Effect

The ‘greenhouse effect’ describes how gases reduce the amount of heat escaping from the atmosphere, acting like a blanket around the Earth. It is a natural phenomenon. The 'enhanced greenhouse effect' refers to the additional unnatural (global) warming caused by extra quantities of 'greenhouse gases' including carbon dioxide and methane, generated by human activities. Principal sources of emissions include energy production, transport, organic waste decomposition and land clearing.

Global Warming

Global warming refers to the warming of the Earth due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. The reason why everyone is so worried about this increase in temperature is that it is happening so rapidly and has the potential to cause widespread economic, social and environmental changes. 

Scientists have predicted that if global warming is not controlled by the year 2100, the Earth’s temperature may rise by up to 6 ⁰C, and local sea levels may rise by 0.91 metres. There will also be complex changes in weather patterns, including more severe droughts, storms, and floods.