CLIMATE CHANGES

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE? • The primary cause of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, which emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere — primarily carbon dioxide . Other human activities, such as agriculture and deforestation, also contribute to the proliferation of greenhouse gases that cause climate change .

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE? • Even small increases in Earth’s temperature caused by climate change can have severe effects . The earth’s average temperature has gone up 1 . 4 ° F over the past century and is expected to rise as much as 11 . 5 ° F over the next . That might not seem like a lot, but the average temperature during the last Ice Age was about 4 º F lower than it is today .

• Rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps (again, caused by climate change) contribute to greater storm damage ; warming ocean temperatures are associated with stronger and more frequent storms ; additional rainfall, particularly during severe weather events, leads to flooding and other damage ; an increase in the incidence and severity of wildfires threatens habitats, homes, and lives ; and heat waves contribute to human deaths and other consequences .