Climate Change

At its core, climate change simply indicates "any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time" (EPA, pre-2017). Global climate change is often spoken of in tandem with global warming, which refers to the recent warming trends in the average temperature of the Earth. But it is also often referred to as "climate disruption" since depending on where you live, the climate may be trending toward more warming or even cooling, being, on average, wetter or drier, etc., but whatever the trend, no matter where you live, extreme weather events will become more common, and, overall sea levels are rising and the planet, overall, is warming.

Fact sheets on climate change, written for the general public:

• the science of global climate change
• climate change impacts in New York
• agriculture, carbon and greenhouse gases
• farming success in an uncertain climate

Visit Cornell Climate Smart Farming page for more information and links to research. .

From Duke University 20 Facts for Climate Deniers

From US Environmental Protection Agency 'Climate Change Indicators in the United States'. 

The Greenhouse Effect

Much like the glass of a greenhouse, the Earth's atmosphere keeps heat contained to a level that allows life to flourish. The atmosphere consists of water vapor, nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The general warming of the planet is being caused by an increase in these trace gases, often called 'greenhouse gases', which then trap increasing amounts of heat. Less of the infrared heat that is emitted by the Earth is able to pass through the atmosphere when these gases are increased, and instead reflect back, warming the Earth's surface more than usual.

Greenhouse gases are emitted during the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil and natural gas). The Environmental Protection Agency has an interactive map showing the facilities that emit a large amount of greenhouse gases.

Consequences

The changing climate is interfering with natural cycles, causing extreme weather events, raising sea levels₁ as glaciers and ice caps melt, and threatening many species with extinction as their environment changes and the oceans become increasingly acidic. Even here in central New York, we are already seeing some effects of climate change, including more extreme and frequent storms, and, yes, warming.

Resources

1. Hausfather, Zeke. The Global Climate in Context- 2013 in Review. The Yale Forum on Climate Change and the Media. 3 Feb. 2014.

Last updated April 25, 2024