Environmental Studies – Does Climate Change Exist?

What is climate change?

Look at all the newspapers and TV news headlines that mention or talk about the climate and weather. Some examples are:

• • Typhoons destroy large parts of the Philippines• Flooding in Bangladesh

  • Unseasonal storms in north east England

  • Houses in a  village disappears in snow melt water in Scotland

  • The Monsoon is late in India

  • Large number of livestock die from a lack of seasonal rain in Kenya

  • Shores battered by 80mph winds

  • Your face will freeze and you can suffer tissue damage from the excessive cold temperatures

  • A pan of boiling water thrown into the air immediately turned to snow particles when thrown into the air due to the effect of the Polar Vortex.

  • Weather woes hit the world: Australia has the hottest ever recorded temperatures, floods in Europe and coldest temperature measured in the US

  • Man dies after his Motor scooter falls into the river due to strong winds

  • Even our prom (Promenade) is wrecked!

  • Tidal surges and 70 mph winds bring lashing rain and even more misery and pain

  • Threatening wind chill and killer freeze grips the US and Canada

Are such climate variations normal or can you find evidence of climate change? What new scientific research and reports have recently been published? Can you name any key charities and organisations who educate and / or campaign climate-related issues.

The US and Canada has been hit by the Polar Vortex. This is the surge in temperature fluctuations due to the range in temperature between freezing conditions in the North and the Hotter weather in the south. This causes a vortex and strong winds of chill and extremely freezing weather carrying winds from the Frozen Artic. This resulted in subsequent southward movement of tropospheric Arctic air was caused by sudden stratospheric warming. Such temperature variations are normal and occur in January or February, however the front arose from the splitting of the Polar Vortex is attributed to the increased melting of the arctic ice. Can you find out if it is possible to research if this is the case, how can it be done and by whom? You will find that such research actually exists.

Can you name ten things that you as an individual can do to conserve the emission of gases or reduce e.g. the use of fossil fuels that emit dangerous gases into the environment and are known to cause changes to the climate? How do you decide what the media tells you is correct or dramatic scare-mongery? What was the guidance given to the people of Canada and the US who suffered extremely low temperatures?

Interested in ecology? Enrol in a Level 4 in Environmental Studies Diploma.

Image from – http://www.flickr.com/photos/striatic/362062517/