WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
•
The
primary
cause
of
climate
change
is
the
burning
of
fossil
fuels,
such
as
oil
and
coal,
which
emits
greenhouse
gases
into
the
atmosphere
—
primarily
carbon
dioxide
.
Other
human
activities,
such
as
agriculture
and
deforestation,
also
contribute
to
the
proliferation
of
greenhouse
gases
that
cause
climate
change
.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
•
Even
small
increases
in
Earth’s
temperature
caused
by
climate
change
can
have
severe
effects
.
The
earth’s
average
temperature
has
gone
up
1
.
4
°
F
over
the
past
century
and
is
expected
to
rise
as
much
as
11
.
5
°
F
over
the
next
.
That
might
not
seem
like
a
lot,
but
the
average
temperature
during
the
last
Ice
Age
was
about
4
º
F
lower
than
it
is
today
.
•
Rising
sea
levels
due
to
the
melting
of
the
polar
ice
caps
(again,
caused
by
climate
change)
contribute
to
greater
storm
damage
;
warming
ocean
temperatures
are
associated
with
stronger
and
more
frequent
storms
;
additional
rainfall,
particularly
during
severe
weather
events,
leads
to
flooding
and
other
damage
;
an
increase
in
the
incidence
and
severity
of
wildfires
threatens
habitats,
homes,
and
lives
;
and
heat
waves
contribute
to
human
deaths
and
other
consequences
.