CLIMATE CHANGE.

Climate change is destroying our world. It is a variation of the Earth’s climate. It especially concerns the rise in global temperature.

Climate is  different from weather, in fact the weather of a place changes every day while climate refers to a long period of time. There are about five types of climate changes: tropical, dry, temperate, continental and polar.

Each of them have different characteristics and causes. The main causes of climate change are three:

1. Human’s use of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas to generate electricity and to run forms of transport;

2. Intensive agriculture whose greenhouse gases such as methane are harmful;

3. Deforestation that is the permanent removal of trees to give space to human activities.

Climate change transforms global ecosystems from the water we drink to the air we breathe. Glaciers are melting and the sea level is rising creating erosions. While some regions experience extreme weather conditions, others face heat waves and droughts. Extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain can cause floods and can decrease water quality.

RISK FOR HUMAN HEALTH

Climate change has an impact on human health, in fact there is an increase of heat-related deaths and a decrease in cold-related deaths.

CONSEQUENCES FOR ECONOMY

High or low temperatures, floods and drought affect agriculture forestry and tourism imposing heavy costs on society. These events started from the mid 20th century and they are still increasing nowadays.

Today a lot of activists fight to make other people respect the environment.

Greta Thunberg is one of them. She was born in Stockholm and she is 18 years old. She left school and inspired a movement against climate change. In 2018 Greta protested in her country until the government met the carbon emissions target agreed by world leaders in Paris, in 2015. She held a sign that said: “School strike for Climate”. She had success, in fact a great number of students around the world started to organise strikes. Support for her cause grew thanks to social media, using the hashtag “Fridays for future”.

She has attended climate conferences all over the world travelling by train to limit the impact on the environment. According to her, governments are not doing their best to cut carbon emissions and she thinks they should invest their money in sustainable technologies research.

Millions of students have been inspired by Greta’s activity and she also has gained support from scientists, political leaders and the Pope himself. She has become a leading voice in protests for climate change.