Our world is changing. There is now an overwhelming consensus within the scientific community that human activity is causing our climate to change at a rapid and unnatural rate.
Understanding Climate Change
Throughout the earths history there have been many natural climate fluctuations because of changes in the earths orbit, volcanic eruptions and solar activity. But these changes took place over very, very long timescales which allowed plants and animals to adapt. They have never happened as quickly as the changes we are seeing now.
Our earth is surrounded by a natural mixture of gases that shape our climate and weather patterns. Around 100 years ago, humans began burning large quantities of fossil fuels (petrol, oil, coal etc) to produce energy. These fuels now provide us with everything we need - light, heat, transport and most of the products we use on a daily basis. The problem is that when we burn this quantity of fossil fuels, we pump billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. These create a thicker blanket of gases around the earth, trapping more heat in the atmosphere.
As a result, the global temperature is rising, throwing the world's climate out of its natural balance and affecting the complex web of systems that allow life to thrive on earth. It has been predicted that the earths temperature will rise a minimum of 2-3 degrees over the next few decades. This would mean that the climate will change faster than it has for at least 10,000 years. It is a serious threat not just to the environment but also to our society and economy.
We’re causing it. So let’s do something about it.
What is being done?
Climate change is inevitable because of past and current emissions. The climate does not respond immediately to changes so even if greenhouse gas emissions were to be instantly reduced, global warming will continue to affect the earth's natural systems for hundreds of years.
Much is being done around the world to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we add to the atmosphere. Our Government considers climate change a top priority and has committed the country to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases emissions by 2050 (from 1990 levels). Read here to see how the government is tackling this issue.
At a regional and local level, local authorities are also required to play their part in tackling the climate change issue. Follow the links below to find out what Hertfordshire County Council and St Albans District Council are doing.
What can we do?
In order to slow down the rate of climate change, we all need to play our part in reducing our emissions. The most effective way to do this is by reducing the energy we require to go about our daily lives. The great news is that by doing so we will tackle climate change and gain lots personal benefits: saving money, a more efficient home, improved health, learning new skills and the feel good factor!
So here are some ideas for what you can do:
Save energy at home - By improving the energy efficiency of your home, you could reduce your carbon emissions by 1.5 Tonnes carbon dioxide. If everyone in the UK put a jacket on their hot water tank we could cut emissions by two million tonnes every year. Simple.
Install renewables - generate clean electricity from natural recources like sun and wind.
Switch to green electricity - support renewable energy generation in the UK by buying clean electricity.
Travel smarter - St Albans transport footprint is a staggering 60% higher than the national average. Cycle, walk or use public transport instead of driving a car.
Produce less waste - reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can. The average UK household spends more than £400 a year on food that could have been eaten but ends up being thrown away.
Eat greens - vegetables require less energy to produce than meat products. Reduce your impacts by buying local produce which is grown in season.
Shop smartly - think about what we buy. Do we really need it? Is there a more environmentally friendly option?
Work out your Carbon Footprint?
Carbon footprinting is a method of calculating the greenhouse gases that each of us individually produce. Some methods of carbon footprinting include just energy use and transport whilst others consider the food that we eat and the things we purchase. Work out your carbon footprint and see how you fare. You can then set yourself the challenge of reducing it.
The following websites are simple to use, leading you through all the steps necessary to work out your carbon footprint.
WWF Carbon Footprint Calculator
Act on CO2 Carbon Footprint Calculator
To learn about climate change in more detail, visit the Met Office website, where you can also download your free information booklet 'Climate Change - The facts'.
Date of last review: 24 October 2011