3.

4 GLOBAL CLIMATECHANGE

We are already experiencing impacts from climate change as a result of

global warming, including deadly heat waves, extreme weather events,
and threats to life on earth.

The scientific evidence is clear and irrefutable — human activity is

causing our planet to warm at an alarmingly high rate.

It’s time for the “is it real or not?” debate to end. Action needs to be
taken right now, not tomorrow.

What we can do about climate change:

Get involved

Contact your local elected officials to urge them to support actions to

fight climate change.

Reduce. Reduce. Reduce.

Make a concerted effort to reduce greenhouse gases in your daily life, at

home, in the office, and on the road. Reduce your energy and water
use. Eat less meat. Go solar.

Show your support

Show your support for programs to fight climate change, and

organizations working on the ground to make a difference.
 Causes

Temperatures on Earth are liveable because of a natural process called

the greenhouse effect. When the sun’s radiation reaches our
atmosphere, some is reflected back into space, and some passes through
and is absorbed by the Earth. This causes the surface of the Earth to
warm up. Heat from the Earth is radiated outward and absorbed by
gases present in the Earth’s atmosphere, the so-called “greenhouse
gases”.

There are several greenhouse gases responsible for an additional

warming of the atmosphere, which are produced by humans in a
variety of ways. Most come from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars,
factories and electricity production. The gas responsible for most of the
warming is carbon dioxide, also called CO2.

Effects

 Impacts vary in different kinds of forests. Sub-Arctic boreal forests

are likely to be particularly badly affected, where there’s abundant
biodiversity, even modest levels of climate change can cause high
levels of extinction.
 Climate change is having serious impacts on the world’s water
systems through more flooding and droughts. Warmer air can
hold a higher water content, which makes rainfall patterns more
extreme.
 Oceans are vital ‘carbon sinks’, meaning that they absorb huge
amounts of carbon dioxide, preventing it from reaching the upper
 atmosphere. If global warming remains on its upward path, by
2050 just 5% of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s
largest coral reef – will remain.
 Global warming is likely to be the greatest cause of species
extinctions this century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change says a 1.5°C average rise may put 20-30% of species at
risk of extinction. If the planet warms by more than 3°C, most
ecosystems will struggle.