Climate
“Our home – Earth – is in danger. What is at risk of being destroyed is not the planet itself, but the conditions that have made it hospitable for human beings.” – Al Gore
Climate change, or global warming as it is often called, has become the focal point of the environmental movement. And with good cause: among many other things, global climate change threatens to flood coastal areas inhabited by millions of people, cause a mass extinction larger than most of the five major extinctions in Earth's history, and reduce the fresh water supply for natural ecosystems and human consumption.
Global warming has historically been an extremely contentious topic. Until recently, naysayers focused on the question of whether or not the Earth is actually getting warmer. Their doubts have more or less been put to rest by the 2007 release of a series of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global team of more than 1,000 experts from a variety of climate specialties. According to the report, Earth’s global average air temperature increased 1.37°F (0.74°C) between 1906 and 2005, and the 12 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1990. As for doubts about the cause of global climate change, the report states that with at least 90% certainty, human activity has caused most of the warming observed since 1950.
To learn more about climate change and what you can do to reduce your contribution to this serious global problem, sign up for a TeachingGreen: Climate Change workshop today.
