Climate Change Basics

Here is the most basic presentation of the science behind Climate Change that I can dream up.

1. The world is getting hotter.
2. Human activity is the main cause. We burn stuff that increases the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.
3. We are sure.
4. This hotter earth causes Climate Change
   1. Rising Oceans
   2. Increased Storm Intensity
   3. Droughts
   4. Ocean Acidification
5. What can we do about it?
   1. Ask our friends and relations what they think.
   2. Take personal action to show an example to others.
   3. Vote for political leaders who will take action.
   4. Insist that our political leaders remain accountable.

This is pretty simplistic and you probably want to know more. Fortunately there is a lot of useful information on the web. We suggest that you start with the web sites below.

Learn More

• Climate Science 101 with Bill Nye

  Bill Nye narrates this short 5 minute film on the basics of climate change.

• The magic number - Carbon Budget Explained

  Holding warming under two degrees Celsius is the goal. But is it still attainable?

• NASA: Global Climate Change

  The National Aeroautics and Space Administration web site dedicated to reporting the facts on Climate Change.

• Sceptical Science

  Explaining climate change science & rebutting global warming misinformation

• How Climate Change Works

  Steve Pakin from TVO interviews Kate Marvel, associate research scientist at Columbia University and at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. In this twenty minute video she explains some details on how feedback loops affect the pace of climate change.

• Natural Resources Canada

  NRC has lots of useful information on the state of climate change in Canada including forecasts of coming changes and programs for how we are reacting to it.