Climate Change
Photo Credit: Rick Cuzner
Climate Change
Photo Credit: Rick Cuzner
“The science is irrefutable: humans are altering our climate in ways that our economy and our infrastructure must adapt to. We can see the impacts of climate change around us every day.”
The Greenhouse Effect
The Earth’s atmosphere contains greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane, that are particularly good at trapping heat and keeping our planet at a livable temperature. However, as we continue to burn fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, we introduce an excessive amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This traps more heat and leads to higher air and ocean temperatures.
“The relentless increase of carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa is a stark reminder that we need to take urgent, serious steps.”
In April 2022, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels measured 422 parts per million (ppm) at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory, the highest measured in the past 23 million years. We are pushing the atmosphere and the biosphere further into territory never experienced by humans.
Explore the Impact of Climate Change
Climate change and its impacts are truly global issues that are larger than any one individual, but there are actions that each of us can take. These problems are not beyond our collective abilities to solve.
