Climate change is a controversial subject around the world. Most scientists agree that climate change is human-caused, and that the effects of climate change can already be seen today. Research suggests that we must act now or face severe consequences in the future.
Before climate change can be discussed, it is important to understand what a climate is and how it differs from weather. Many people may use the two terms interchangeably, and while the two words are related, they are not the same. The textbook defines climate as the long-term conditions (over at least 30 years) of aggregate weather over a region, summarized by averages and measure of variability; a synthesis of the succession of weather events we have learned to expect at any given location. In other words, climate is the average weather for a given region, or the typical weather a region can expect. Meanwhile, the textbook defines weather as the immediate and short-term conditions of the atmosphere that impinge on daily human activities. In other words, weather is the temperature, wind, …show more content…
As the amount of ice decreases due to melting, the once-frozen water is deposited into Earth's oceans, thereby raising the sea level. However, it's not just the melting ice which causes rising sea levels. The higher global temperatures cause the oceans to warm, and warmer water expands. The expansion of water increases its volume which then causes the oceans to rise. These two causes have caused the sea level to rise by 3.19 mm each year since 1993. While it change sounds small, it certainly adds up over time, especially considering how fast climate change is occurring. In quite a lot of countries, there is a significant amount of population among the coast. The United States is no different. A rise in sea level could bring about coastal flooding. Not only that, it affects the ecosystems and other natural processes such as shoreline
Before climate change can be discussed, it is important to understand what a climate is and how it differs from weather. Many people may use the two terms interchangeably, and while the two words are related, they are not the same. The textbook defines climate as the long-term conditions (over at least 30 years) of aggregate weather over a region, summarized by averages and measure of variability; a synthesis of the succession of weather events we have learned to expect at any given location. In other words, climate is the average weather for a given region, or the typical weather a region can expect. Meanwhile, the textbook defines weather as the immediate and short-term conditions of the atmosphere that impinge on daily human activities. In other words, weather is the temperature, wind, …show more content…
As the amount of ice decreases due to melting, the once-frozen water is deposited into Earth's oceans, thereby raising the sea level. However, it's not just the melting ice which causes rising sea levels. The higher global temperatures cause the oceans to warm, and warmer water expands. The expansion of water increases its volume which then causes the oceans to rise. These two causes have caused the sea level to rise by 3.19 mm each year since 1993. While it change sounds small, it certainly adds up over time, especially considering how fast climate change is occurring. In quite a lot of countries, there is a significant amount of population among the coast. The United States is no different. A rise in sea level could bring about coastal flooding. Not only that, it affects the ecosystems and other natural processes such as shoreline