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Climate science 101 

What is the difference between weather and climate? 

Weather is what is happening outside the window now, like sun, rain, or snow. Climate what happens around the World over a long period of time – decades and hundreds of years.  

What is Climate? 

Climate is made up of the air, temperature, and water systems that flow around the world and connect communities everywhere. This is why it can be cold in the North Pole for polar bears at the same time it is hot in Arizona for saguaro cacti to grow, and it is humid and rainy in the Amazon rainforest. Understanding climate helps us understand the seasons, and what plants, animals, and flowers live where we or others live. 

Why is the Climate Changing? 

The atmosphere is a jacket of gas around the Earth. There are more carbon and heat-trapping gases (called greenhouse gases, GHG) like methane in the atmosphere than there used to be. In the past, the atmosphere was able to release the heat-trapping gases. Now, there are too many of these gases, and it is making the World’s temperature rise and its weather patterns to change. This sometimes makes places that usually get a lot of snow, get less snow, or areas that are warm even warmer; it also increases the likelihood of bigger storms. Today, Earth is warming faster than it ever has in the past. 

How is the Climate Changing? 

With temperatures increasing all over the world, we are already experiencing many changes that will continue to in the future. Examples includes: 

  • Warmer temperatures in most (but not all) places 

  • Stronger storms 

  • Shifting lifecycle and migration periods of animals and insects 

  • Rising sea levels 

What is causing Climate Change? 

More greenhouse gases are being trapped in the atmosphere primarily caused by humans burning more fossil fuels (gas, oil, coal). Fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and others fluorinated gases. Examples of greenhouse gas sources include: 

  • Manufacturing: everything from clothes to toys, electronics to iron 

  • Transportation: driving non-electric cars and running diesel trains 

  • Mining: fueling mining equipment and transportation 

  • Livestock farming 

  • Drilling for oil and gas  

What else does Climate Change impact? 

Climate change has many impacts including: 

  • Buildings and Infrastructure 

  • Increased destruction and damage to buildings, roads, and power systems. 

  • Increased cost of preparedness and recovery. 

  • People 

  • Forced migration of people moving from vulnerable areas (e.g., oceanfront). 

  • Mental health: increase in climate anxiety and climate grief. 

  • Decreased air quality. 

  • Increased health risks due to extreme heat. 

  • Landscape 

  • Loss of habitat and biodiversity. 

  • Decreased access to fresh water. 

  • Harder to grow crops. 

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