United Nations defines the term as follows: “Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.”
It further states that “These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas), which produce heat-trapping gases.”
In a nutshell, climate change occurs because of the heat that is resultant of the Earth’s surface rapidly warming and the heat produced therein being trapped.
This process is referred to as the greenhouse effect, which results in the release of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), all of which are harmful to the environment.
Climate change includes drastic changes such as global warming and shift in precipitation levels.
It also includes the effects therein, such as Rising sea levels, Shrinking mountain glaciers and Ice melting at a faster rate than usual in Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic.
Changes in flower and plant blooming times can also be attributed to this.
Some major consequences of this include increased storms and hurricanes and intensified droughts and heat waves, all of which threaten not just human lives but all living beings at large.
Not one but several factors contribute to this, those of which predominant are caused by human interferences in the past century or so as said earlier.
These activities include burning fuel to power factories, cars and buses, and incessant usage of air conditioners.
