We're seeing increased drought, storms, floods, crop damage and sea-level rise. Millions of people are fleeing their homes as a result.
The UN Refugee Agency says climate change is a 'threat multiplier' in many of today’s conflicts — from Darfur to Somalia to Iraq and Syria.
The effects will get worse as temperatures rise further. So we must cut greenhouse gas emissions to stop temperatures rising. But people also need protection from the climate change we can no longer avoid: that means financial support for developing countries and legal protection for climate refugees.
What causes climate change?
Our planet supports life because of the greenhouse effect — a blanket of gases trapping some of the sun’s rays. But increase the amount of these gases, and more heat is trapped. This causes the planet to heat up, and leads to a more extreme climate.
Our planet is warmer now than at any point in the past 800,000 years, and heating up fast. This is mainly a result of the huge increase in the amount of coal, oil and gas we’ve been burning since the industrial revolution, pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Other things contribute to climate change too, such as deforestation, which means trees absorb less of these gases; and other greenhouse gases such as methane from cows.
Sha C. -----Jenny & Nanook's Knight
