The Facts Behind Climate Change

WHY YOU SHOULD BELIEVE: It doesn't take a genius to know that factories, trash/waste, and chemicals are not good for the earth. Climate change is the consequence of those things. If you do not believe in climate change, then believe in pollution. Pollution is poisoning the earth as we speak and it is time for it to end. You don't have to believe that the world is headed toward disaster to know that we are killing our home; You don't need to believe in climate change to work to end pollution and to attend climate change rallies.

Signs of Change: --Global temperature rise. --Warming oceans. --Shrinking ice sheets. --Glacier retreats. --Decreased snow cover. --Sea levels rise. --Declining Arctic sea ice. --Extreme events --Ocean acidification (Don't believe me? Then believe NASA: https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/)

Causes:

--Water Vapor. Human causes of water vapor include deforestation, burning fossil fuels, and land-use changes.

--Methane. Human causes include decomposition in landfills and agriculture.

--Nitrous Oxide. "A powerful greenhouse gas produced by soil cultivation practices, especially the use of commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, nitric acid production, and biomass burning." According to NASA.

--Chlorofluorocarbons. "Synthetic compounds entirely of industrial origin used in a number of applications, but now largely regulated in production and release to the atmosphere by international agreement for their ability to contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer. They are also greenhouse gases."

(ALL information from NASA. https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/)

Effects We Will See in The Future: --Change Will Continue Through This Century and Beyond. --Temperatures Will Continue to Rise. --Frost-free Season (and Growing Season) will Lengthen.

--Changes in Precipitation Patterns.

--More Droughts and Heat Waves. --Hurricanes Will Become Stronger and More Intense. --Sea Level Will Rise 1-4 feet by 2100.

--Arctic Likely to Become Ice-Free.

(https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/)

How Climate Change Will Effect The U.S.:

Northeast. "Heat waves, heavy downpours and sea-level rise pose growing challenges to many aspects of life in the Northeast. Infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, and ecosystems will be increasingly compromised. Many states and cities are beginning to incorporate climate change into their planning."

Northwest. "Changes in the timing of streamflow reduce water supplies for competing demands. Sea level rise, erosion, inundation, risks to infrastructure and increasing ocean acidity pose major threats. Increasing wildfire, insect outbreaks, and tree diseases are causing widespread tree die-off.

Southeast. Sea level rise poses widespread and continuing threats to the region’s economy and environment. Extreme heat will affect health, energy, agriculture and more. Decreased water availability will have economic and environmental impacts."

Midwest. "Extreme heat, heavy downpours, and flooding will affect infrastructure, health, agriculture, forestry, transportation, air and water quality, and more. Climate change will also exacerbate a range of risks to the Great Lakes."

Southwest. "Increased heat, drought, and insect outbreaks, all linked to climate change, have increased wildfires. Declining water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding and erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns."

(https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/)

WHAT YOU CAN DO: --Protest at climate change rallies. --Write the government letters. --Start a petition/sign a petition. --Adapt a cleaner lifestyle: 1.) Pick up your trash and if the trash can is full, carry your trash to the next trash can. 2.) Use a reusable water bottle. They sell some cool organic ones on chnge.com 3.) Use reusable bags. 4.) Print as little as possible. If you can't help this, recycle. 5.) Recycle. Recycle. Recycle. 6.) Save electricity and use energy-efficient light bulbs. 7.) Shop Virtually. 8.) Donate clothes and buy second hand. 9.) Wash clothes as few times as possible and find other ways to save water. 10.) Carpool, use public transportation, walk, or ride a bike.