Climate Change for Kids — A fun engaging introduction to climate change for kids

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Climate Change Weather changes often. In the morning, as you head to school, it might be cold and cloudy. By the end of the day, it could be warm and sunny. In Tonga, it might downpour for one hour, but be calm and clear the next. And at the South Pole, the weather could be clear in the afternoon, but very stormy by evening. Weather is always changing. But climate does not change day to day or even month to month like weather does. Climate is the average temperature and conditions in a place over a long period of time. The climate in one place on Earth is different than another place. For example, the climate in a desert can be hot and dry, while the climate in a rain forest is usually warm and humid. And in some mountain areas, the climate is cold all year long. Unlike the weather that changes often, that usually takes hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years for changes to occur in climate. Day to day, you will notice weather changes, but you probably won't notice changes to the climate. In the world today, when you hear the word climate change, it usually refers to global warming or the process of the Earth heating up. Climate change and the weather are subjects that are often discussed by many people. Nearly everyone can agree on things related to the weather, but sometimes people disagree about climate change or global warming. The Earth is about 4.5 billion years during all those years. During all those years, the climate has changed. Many thousands of years ago, a large part of the Earth was covered in ice during an era called the Ice Age. And dinosaurs once walked on the Earth's surface during another period called the Mesoic Era. Climate changed during those first four and a half billion years and will continue to change in the future. For example, in the last 100 years between the 1900s and the 2000s, Earth's average temperature has increased about 1.33 degrees Fahrenheit. And over the past 200 years, it has increased about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. That may not sound like a big change, but it still affects the Earth. Have you ever heard of a greenhouse or seen one? A greenhouse is used by some farmers, florists, and others to grow plants. It is a glass-covered building that absorbs heat from the sun. The trapped heat makes greenhouses very warm, which allows things to grow inside of them even in winter. Earth is also covered like a greenhouse, but is not covered with glass. Instead, it is covered by a layer of atmosphere. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun, warming up Earth and giving it a greenhouse effect, which means it acts just like a greenhouse. The greenhouse gases are mostly made up of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. These gases are kind of like a blanket for the Earth, similar to the glass on a greenhouse. The gases help keep Earth warm enough so that people, animals, and plants can all live there. However, when these gases increase, it causes the Earth to become warmer. Think of it like a heavier blanket. If you are sleeping under a blanket and all through the night, someone keeps placing more blankets on you, you will get warmer and warmer. Climate change causes the Earth to get warmer too. But it happens gradually or takes a long time. Of course, when you are sleeping, there may be other reasons you are getting warmer too. Not just the blankets that are being placed on you. But regardless of why you are getting warmer, it would probably be best to try and prevent the blankets from getting too heavy and too warm. In other words, it's probably best to prevent the Earth from getting too warm as well. We do this by understanding some of the causes of climate change and global warming. There may be some causes of climate change that cannot be prevented and have very little to do with people. While others are most likely caused by people, here are three of those things. The burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are natural fuels found in and on Earth, such as oil, coal, and natural gas. They are formed in the Earth from dead plants and animals over millions of years. That's why the first part of the name is fossil. Those fossils are then burned and used for fuel, which is why they are called fossil fuels. Fossil fuels give us heat, gas, and oil, which are all things that most humans need and want. However, when the fossil fuels are burned, they release gases into the atmosphere. Those gases are then added to the blanket that covers the Earth, making it warmer and adding to the greenhouse effect. Next is farming. It may be hard to believe, but farming also contributes to the greenhouse effect. Methane gas is released into the atmosphere when a cow releases its gas, or farts. That might not seem like a big deal when one cow passes gas. But when there are over 1.5 billion cows in the world farting daily, it really adds to the blanket covering the Earth. Deforestation is the cutting down of trees and forests to make way for farms, roads, oil wells, and dams. One of the greenhouse gases that adds to the blanket around the Earth is called carbon dioxide. Trees and forests absorb carbon dioxide, which gets rid of some of that gas. Unfortunately, the more trees that are cut down, the less trees there are to absorb the carbon dioxide, which further leads to the greenhouse effect. A lot of people on Earth rely on fossil fuels, farming, and forests. Fossil fuels are used in many ways. Gasoline is used in cars, coal produces electricity, and natural gas is used to heat homes and for cooking. Farming is also necessary since milk and meat comes from cows. The wood from trees is used to make furniture, desks, homes, and other structures. Plus coal is often mined beneath forests that have been cut away. So, as you can see, this creates a problem. On one hand, many people rely on those things to live and get around. But on the other hand, a warmer climate can affect the planet negatively. So why does it matter if Earth gets warmer? Well, it can lead to unusual weather or seasonal changes, which can cause things like heat waves, wildfires, droughts, and acid in our oceans, which can harm sea life. Melting polar ice affects the habitats of animals that live in the North and South Poles. And sea turtles are losing nesting beaches because of rising sea levels. Orangutans, birds, reptiles, and other creatures that live in the rainforest are losing their homes when trees are cut down. And some farmers may face increased rain, floods, and droughts. This can lead to certain foods becoming scarce, unavailable, or more expensive. So what can we do if we rely on those things to survive? But we also want to stop the Earth from getting too warm. While it may be impossible to totally prevent climate change or global warming, there are some things that can be done to lessen Earth's greenhouse effect. Here is a list of ways you can help. Walk more often. In the US, transportation is the largest source of carbon dioxide. By driving less often, carpooling, biking, or using public transportation, you can cut back on the gases released into the atmosphere. Turn off the lights. The second largest source of greenhouse gases is from the production of electricity. Using less electricity or using alternative sources such as solar or wind power can help decrease the gases released into the atmosphere. Use less stuff. Most of the stuff people own or use was made in a factory. And factories release gases into the atmosphere. Using less of the things we don't need cuts down on the amount of gases released by factories. Grow a tree! Trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. So new trees are helpful in some parts of the world. Trees that have been cut down are replaced. Recycling, reducing, and reusing products will also help the environment. Taking shorter showers. Closing blinds on a hot day. Turning off power strips when not in use. And not littering are all things that you can do to help. Many scientists believe changing some of our behavior will have a positive effect on climate change and global warming. It is difficult to predict the temperature of the Earth in the future because not all global warming is caused by humans. But no matter what you may hear about climate change or global warming, it is good to use less energy when you can. It is smart and kind not to litter. Walking or biking is great exercise. And trees provide shade, beauty, and a fun place to climb. Plus it never hurts to do our part to make our Earth a little better.