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Climate Change

Definition

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather patterns and global temperatures, primarily caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. It leads to various environmental impacts like rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and habitat loss.

Analogy

Think of climate change like a massive pot of boiling water on a stove. The burning flames underneath represent human activities that release greenhouse gases. As the pot heats up, the water starts to boil, causing bubbles to rise (such as rising sea levels and extreme weather). Just like we need to turn down the heat on the stove to prevent boiling over, addressing climate change requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Related terms

Greenhouse effect: This term refers to how certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat from the sun and warm our planet.

Global warming: This term describes the long-term increase in Earth's average surface temperature due to human-induced climate change.

Carbon footprint: Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly or indirectly as a result of your actions or choices. It helps measure individual impact on climate change.