Global warming is a hot topic in today's world. Climate change is influenced by this but considers more than just warming trends. Increasing or decreasing global temperatures could lead to changes in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns and the frequency of severe weather systems. Along with changes in the amount of solar radiation and changing temperatures, changes in the oceans (salinity, density or their shape), or changes in the land (amount of glaciers, types of vegetation), and changes in the atmosphere (amount of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide or dust) also influence climate change. For instance, the solar output emitted by the Sun in the 1980s decreased by 0.1 percent over an 18 month period and volcanic eruptions in 1992 put so much sulphur into the stratosphere that the temperature decreased by about 0.5 degrees Celsius. Evidence shows that these changes would significantly impact the environment in which we live. The causes and consequences of these changes are cause for concern and are explored in the information and activities below. |
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