Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth. Climate change results to : higher temperatures, changing landscape, wildlife at risk, rising seas, increased risk of drought, fire and floods, stronger storms and increased storm damage, more heat-related illness and disease, economic losses. The 3 billion people who live in poverty around the world will be hardest hit by climate change. The poor are more dependent on natural resources and have less of an ability to adapt to a changing climate. The causes of climate change can be divided into two categories - those that are due to natural causes and those that are created by man. There are a number of natural factors responsible for climate change. Some of the more prominent ones are continental drift, volcanoes, ocean currents, the earth's tilt, and comets and meteorites. Besides, all of us in our daily lives contribute our bit to this change in the climate. The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century saw the large-scale use of fossil fuels for industrial activities. These industries created jobs and over the years, people moved from rural areas to the cities. This trend is continuing even today. More and more land that was covered with vegetation has been cleared to make way for houses. Natural resources are being used extensively for construction, industries, transport, and consumption. The need of material things has increased by leaps and bounds, creating mountains of waste. Also, our population has increased to an incredible extent. All this has contributed to a rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas supply most of the energy needed to run vehicles generate electricity for industries, households, etc. The energy sector is responsible for about ¾ of the carbon dioxide emissions, 1/5 of the methane emissions and a large quantity of nitrous oxide. It also produces nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide which are not greenhouse gases but do have an influence on the chemical cycles in the atmosphere that produce or destroy greenhouse gases. Reducing and preventing climate change aren’t impossible but it needs the responsibility of each individual and the right policies of the government.
Prominent : nổi bật, đáng chú ý.
Extensively : rộng rãi, bao quát.
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