Fatih Aktas, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images. September 29, 2023. Extreme flash flooding
David Dee Delgado, Getty Images. June 7, 2023. Wildfire Haze
John Normile, Getty Images. November 19, 2022. Snowstorm buries parts of upstate New York.
Climate Change
Looking Below Ground for Solutions Climate Change Presentation by G. Trimber
Clip of Ideas Youth Education Climate Change
At its core, climate change simply indicates "any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time" (EPA, pre-2017). Global climate change is often spoken of in tandem with global warming, which refers to the recent warming trends in the average temperature of the Earth.
Information on Climate Change:
- The science of global climate change
- Climate change impacts in New York
- Agriculture, carbon and greenhouse gases
- Farming success in an uncertain climate
Talking About Climate Change:
From Duke University 20 Facts for Climate Deniers
From US Environmental Protection Agency 'Climate Change Indicators in the United States'.
Skeptical Science: Global Warming & Climate Change Myths
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, focusing on public attitudes, policy, and knowledge on climate in the U.S.
The Greenhouse Effect
Much like the glass of a greenhouse, the Earth's atmosphere keeps heat contained to a level that allows life to flourish. The atmosphere consists of water vapor, nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The general warming of the planet is being caused by an increase in these trace gases, often called 'greenhouse gases', which then trap increasing amounts of heat. Less of the infrared heat that is emitted by the Earth is able to pass through the atmosphere when these gases are increased, and instead reflect back, warming the Earth's surface more than usual.
Greenhouse gases are emitted during the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil and natural gas). The Environmental Protection Agency has an interactive map showing the
facilities that emit a large amount of greenhouse gases.
GREENHOUSE GASES
Image Source: BBC - to see larger image
RISING SEA LEVELS
Image Source: NOAA (see larger image)
Consequences
The changing climate is interfering with natural cycles, causing extreme weather events, rising sea levels1 as glaciers and ice caps melt, and threatening many species with extinction as their environment changes and the oceans become increasingly acidic.
1. Hausfather, Zeke. The Global Climate in Context- 2013 in Review. The Yale Forum on Climate Change and the Media. 3 Feb. 2014.
Last updated December 6, 2023
Climate Literacy
"Climate literacy is an understanding of climate science, climate science analysis, and meaningful scientific communication. The Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) offers a catalog of high-quality resources and teaching tips for climate literacy.
Climate 101 with Bill Nye a 4 ½ minute long video with climate basics.
For understanding the basics of climate change science, visit: Basics of Climate Change | US EPA. This site contains many easy-to-understand videos, diagrams, and topics."
Climate Kids
Check out the great online
resource NASA’s Climate Kids! With many games, activities, videos, and a
variety of topics to learn about, this site is great for kids of all ages to better
understand climate change in our world today. Check it out here: Home | NASA Climate Kids
Weather vs Climate
This image is from here: September 2023 Global Climate Report | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (noaa.gov) and shows a wide variety of weather events that are very recent. It similarly provides context to local weather vs. global climate, and shows that unusual weather patterns across the world show a worrying portrait of our climate.
Global Warming can be hard to imagine during long, cold winters. However, daily weather patterns in an area do not represent the climate as a whole. Though some years may be colder than others in certain places, the average temperatures of the planet are rising.
Read the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)’s 2022 article on the natural and human causes of climate change.
Visit Cornell’s Climate Change Center for climate research and news from the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
"Disruption"
A compelling program at Big Climate Change Event by Dr. Rob Davies, Utah State University, physicist and science communicator.
Climate Change & NYS
To understand climate actions, plans, reports, and initiatives on fighting climate change in the state of New York, see this page of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s website.