Page 62 - DK Children's Encyclopedia

Climate change SEE ALSO

▸ ▸ Arctic p.25
▸ ▸ Carbon cycle p.49
Climate is the average weather for an area. The way we ▸ ▸ Fossil fuels p.110
live is changing the Earth’s climate. It is becoming warmer. ▸ ▸ Industrial
This change is causing extreme weather conditions, such Revolution p.133

as long periods of little rainfall, called droughts, and huge ▸ ▸ Pollution p.198
storms. Many countries are now trying to stop ▸ ▸ Storms p.246
climate change.

What is the cause?
Power stations, factories, and cars
More than pump gigantic amounts of the gas
39 billion tons carbon dioxide (CO ) into the
2
(35 billion metric tons) atmosphere. This gas acts like
of CO 2 is released a blanket, trapping the sun’s
every year. heat and warming our planet.

Exhaust fumes from
road traffic are one of
the biggest causes
of climate change.

How is the climate changing?
Climate change is making our summers hotter. Floods, What can we do? Solar panels make
droughts, and powerful storms are becoming more We need to reduce the amount energy from sunlight
common. The ice in cold parts of the world is melting, of fuels we burn that release CO . and do not release
2
which is making sea levels rise. We can do this by using sources harmful gases.
of energy that do not produce
CO , such as sunlight, wind,
2
and water.

Flooding in New Orleans, Louisiana
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