Today I am going to present a climate change article for kids. We are going to learn what climate change means, what causes it, its effects and how we can reduce it. At the end you will realize that the most simple things can help to reduce climate change.
Climate change is the process through which our planet heats up. Also called global warming, climate change refers to the average change in climate across the whole world. Although one may mistake change in weather to climate change, the two terms refer to different things. Whereas change in weather only affects a small geographic area within a short period of time, climate change affects the whole of our planet and takes place over time. On average, the earth’s temperature has only changed by 1 degree Celsius over the last 100 years.
A change of 1 degree Celsius may sound trivial but it has worse implications on the environment. Global climate change has led to loss of ice in most seas, glaciers have shrunk, trees start flowering earlier, and animal ranges shift drastically. If we do not do something to stop climate change, we will witness more frequent wild fires, the intensity and frequency of tropical storms will increase, and droughts will spread faster and span for longer periods. All the ice in the arctic might also melt away and animals such as polar bears and seals become extinct. Sea levels will also rise and submerge islands and coastal towns.
Now we are going to learn what causes climate change so we can know better how we can reduce it. Burning fossil fuels such as gas, diesel and petrol releases a gas called carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases form an invisible blanket on the atmosphere thus preventing heat from escaping. This causes global warming and eventually climate change. Deforestation also contributes to climate change. Plants absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide but when we cut them, the carbon dioxide escapes to the higher atmosphere.
From the explanation, we know that we can stop climate change if avoid using fossil fuels and stop deforestation. The alternative is to use clean energy such as solar panels in our homes, cars, schools, and factories. Additionally, we should plant more trees and replace those cut when creating roads, farms, dams, and cities. Doing small things at home that reduce energy consumption can also help. These may include walking to school rather than using a car, recycling food, turning off electricity and electric devices when we are not using them. We should also switch to energy-saving bulbs.